Physical Therapy | Sciatic Pain

Ease Sciatica and Restore Motion

10. June 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Sciatic Pain · Tags: Health, Muscle, Physical exercise, Physical therapy, Sciatic nerve, Sciatica, Shopping, Soft tissue

Your doctor may refer you to a physiotherapist to help ease your sciatica and restore motion. Physical therapy includes passive and active treatments. Passive treatments help relax your body and yourself. They also prepare your body for therapeutic exercise, which is the active part of physical therapy.

Your physical therapist can give you passive treatments such as:

Deep Tissue Massage: This technique targets chronic muscle tension that could be pressing on the sciatic nerve or nerve root related. The therapist uses direct pressure and friction to try and release the tension in the soft tissues (ligaments, tendons, muscles).

Hot and Cold Therapies: Using heat, the therapist tries to get more blood to the target area because an increased blood flow brings more oxygen and nutrients to the area. For example, a hot water bottle placed in the piriformis muscle can help to reduce muscle spasms that may be causing your sciatica. Cold therapy slows circulation, helping to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms and pain. Your physical therapist will alternate between hot and cold therapy.

TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation): You could even use this at home, if your therapist thinks it’s necessary. A machine that stimulates muscles through variables (but safe) the intensity of electric current. TENS helps reduce muscle spasms, and can increase your body’s production of endorphins, natural painkillers your. TENS team physical therapist uses is greater than the “home” machine use. However, large or small, a TENS unit can be a useful therapy.

Ultrasound: Ultrasound sends sound waves deep into the muscle tissue and its creates a gentle heat that improves circulation and helps speed healing. Increased circulation helps reduce muscle spasms, cramps, swelling, stiffness and pain.

In the active part of physical therapy, your therapist will teach several exercises. Your physical therapy program is individualized, taking into account their health and their history. You can include aerobic conditioning, strengthening exercises, and movements to increase flexibility and range of motion.

If necessary, you learn to correct your posture and incorporate ergonomic principles in their daily activities.

Exercise May Be The Last Thing You Want

08. June 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Sciatic Pain · Tags: Arthritis, Chronic pain, Conditions and Diseases, Health, Mental health, Physical exercise, Physical therapy, Support Groups

Exercise may be the last thing you want to do when you have chronic pain, because it seems to add to his pain. But if you do not exercise, your body is out of shape, the muscles lose their conditioning, for example-and in fact increases your pain because your body is not working as well as I could.

Exercise and physical activity in general, difficult as it seems, is likely to be part of your treatment plan for chronic pain. Gone are the days when the doctor would encourage you take it easy in bed. You may rest for a bit (maybe a day or so), but also are encouraged to get moving again.

Many benefits of exercise, but some specifics for sufferers of chronic pain:

Keeps joints moving well. This is especially important for patients with chronic pain caused by a form of arthritis.

It keeps your muscles strong. strong support muscles of your body and bones better, and this is especially important for patients with chronic back pain. The spine needs all the help we can to cushion your movements and supporting your weight, so it should work on keeping your back and core muscles in good condition.

Staying active is good for your mental health. Chronic pain patients may struggle with depression, anxiety or other mental health problems because it is difficult for them to live their lives as they did before. Being active can help boost self-esteem and make you feel like you’re doing something to combat your pain and its effect on your life. Exercise with friends or joining a gym is a good way to motivate yourself and reap the social benefits of exercise.

It helps prevent obesity. Being overweight can add to your pain, especially if you have chronic back pain. By making healthy nutrition choices and being physically fit, able to maintain a healthy weight.

What kind of exercise do

Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about what type of exercise would be good for you. Yes it is necessary to take account of their pain, level of fitness, and activities you enjoy. A physical therapist can help you develop a regular exercise plan that you can stick with one that is not overwhelming.

Sciatica Refers To Pain Along The Sciatic Nerve

31. May 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Sciatic Pain · Tags: Health, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Physical therapy, Piriformis muscle, Sciatic nerve, Sciatica, Spinal cord, Spinal disc herniation

Sciatica refers to pain along the sciatic nerve pathway. It is usually caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. Fortunately, most cases of sciatica are not serious and usually disappear within six weeks.

The sciatic nerve branches of the nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal cord – it’s two branches run from the lower back on the side of each of the pelvis, buttocks, back of the leg to the foot. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body and its diameter is the diameter of a finger

Sciatica Symptoms

Sciatica is a term for pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, anywhere in the lower back, buttocks, down the back of the leg, foot. There may also be weakness, numbness, tingling, especially in the leg and / or foot. The location of pain and / or numbness varies depending on the location of the sciatic nerve or nerve root is affected. The pain can range from burning pain and can vary in intensity. The pain may be intermittent or constant. Sciatica usually occurs on one side of the body. Sitting or standing, sneezing, coughing or lifting aggravates sciatica. Sciatic pain can be acute, but often develops gradually

Causes of sciatica

Sciatica is caused by inflammation or compression of the sciatic nerve or nerve roots in the lumbar spine. It can also be caused by damage to nerve roots. Sciatica is not a disease itself and its causes are various.

* The compression of a nerve is often referred to as a pinched nerve. ” A pinched nerve “in the lower spine causing sciatica.

The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disc in the lumbar spine (lower back) to put pressure on the sciatic nerve or nerve root. A herniated disc may occur suddenly and cause severe pain or develop gradually.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of spaces in the spine causing compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots. It can cause sciatica if it occurs in the lower back.

In advanced osteoarthritis of the spine, pieces of cartilage may break off and float inside the spinal joints. This causes irritation and inflammation and if it occurs in the lower back can put pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Spondylolisthesis – where one vertebra slips over another – occurs more frequently in the lower back – where the misaligned vertebra can put pressure on the sciatic nerve.

A common cause of sciatica is piriformis syndrome unless a disorder in which a muscle located on the buttocks (piriformis muscle) contracts and irritates the sciatic nerve. In this case, the pain starts in the buttocks and radiates down the leg. Piriformis syndrome is usually treated with stretching exercises, massage and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Something as simple as muscle tension can cause inflammation, which can put pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Treatment of Sciatica / Pain Relief

* Ask your doctor to diagnose the cause of sciatica and rule out any serious condition that may require immediate surgery.

Treatment consists of treating the pain and the condition that is causing it. Anti-inflammatory medications, analgesics, and usually some form of physical therapy prescribed.

Drugs: the non-prescription NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen to treat both pain and inflammation. painkillers such as Tylenol to treat pain but not inflammation, but may be preferred by some people. In cases of severe acute sciatica, physicians can prescribe codeine preparations and / or muscle relaxants.

A corticosteroid injection, a powerful anti-inflammatory, in the cerebrospinal fluid around the affected area offers a high dose of drugs to the spinal nerves.

Exercise: A couple of days of bed rest may be necessary to, severe acute sciatic nerve pain. Bed rest does not accelerate the recovery, and may in fact hinder it. Do not use the muscles causing them to weaken rapidly. Muscles – back and abdominal muscles – is what supports and protects the joints of the spine. Exercise also increases circulation and promotes healing.

* Depending on the cause of sciatic pain, certain exercises may have to be avoided. Always consult your doctor about the safety of exercise for your particular condition.

Stretching exercises are often recommended to relieve sciatica. Stretching exercises loosen muscles and increase the spaces between the vertebrae, allowing more space for the spinal nerves. Stretching the back muscles and buttocks and even the hamstrings (muscles on the back of the thigh) can relieve sciatica. See Back Exercises.

* A physical therapist can create an individualized exercise program for a particular patient’s condition. Depending on the cause of sciatic pain, certain exercises may have to be avoided.

Severe Acute sciatica: Although bed rest does not accelerate the recovery in the case of acute sciatica stretches on a firm surface, often relieves pain. The application of ice during the first days of acute sciatica can also help.

The treatment of muscle spasm: Muscles may spasm in reaction to sciatica, the pain intensified. Sciatica can also be caused by muscle spasms that irritate spinal nerves. Massage therapy can be helpful. Stretching exercises also loosen tight muscles. The heat also relaxes tense muscles. Moist heat may be more effective. View hydrotherapy.

Support / Posture: Sitting on soft surfaces aggravates sciatica – adequate support is necessary to avoid slouching, putting excessive pressure on the lower back. A chair that is tilted slightly backward shifts weight towards the back of the chair to take a lower back strain. The support is needed while lying down also. Saggy mattress causes the lower back to sink into the mattress and can irritate the spinal joints and aggravate sciatica. The best mattress for back pain can be a firm mattress media. Any increase or decrease in the normal curve of the lower back increases the stress on the spine and sciatica worse. See posture.

Avoid heavy lifting, which places extreme stress on the lower back. Use proper body mechanics. Refer to proper lifting techniques.

Avoid prolonged sitting or standing, which can aggravate sciatica. (Your lower back supports most of body weight)

Other treatments for pain: The use of heat and cold are often used to relieve pain. Spinal traction is not recommended for acute sciatica, but is commonly used to relieve chronic back pain, especially sciatica. See the treatment of back pain and complementary treatments to relieve pain more information.

Invasive treatment

Spinal Injections: Before considering surgery, but after a conservative, noninvasive treatments have not provided adequate pain relief, an epidural steroid injection may be given. This minimally invasive procedure involves injecting a combination of corticosteroids and local anesthetic into the epidural space.

Surgery: If conservative treatments do not bring adequate pain relief, surgery is the best consideration. If there is progressive weakness or difficulty walking (progressive nerve damage is possible) is surgery may be necessary. Immediate surgery is needed whether or loss of bladder or bowel function.

Sciatica exercises Prevention:

* If you currently have sciatica, consult a doctor who can diagnose the cause and recommend appropriate exercises.

Keep your back muscles strong and flexible reduces the risk of a herniated disc, the most common cause of sciatica. Low impact aerobics increase circulation and promote healing. Walking, swimming and riding a stationary bicycle are good low-impact aerobics. Strengthening the muscles supporting the spine (muscles of your back and abdominal) help maintain proper posture, which removes the stress of the spinal joints. Strengthening exercises can cause muscle tighter stretching exercises are important. Stretching exercises that increase the spaces between the vertebrae and create more space for the discs can relieve pressure on nerves. Exercise can help prevent or delay the degenerative changes associated with aging in the spine and may help prevent recurrence of sciatica.

The Sciatic Nerve

31. May 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Sciatic Pain · Tags: Health, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Pain, Physical therapy, Sciatic nerve, Sciatica, Spinal cord, Spinal disc herniation

The sciatic nerve is actually a very long nerve, the longest in your body, extending from the spinal cord through the hip and the back of his leg.

Sciatica, while generally treated as a diagnosis is actually a symptom of a larger problem. sciatic nerve pain occurs when this nerve is irritated or pinched. The result is pain that radiates from the lower back to finish the back of his leg.

While some people feel the pain along the nerve, others feel the pain more localized and usually as a pinch or throbbing pain in the buttocks. Some feel no pain at all and live and not feel a tingling or numbness radiates down your leg.

So how Sciatica occurs? What causes this sciatic nerve pain?

Sciatica may actually be the result of simple through its use. This is a common occurrence in runners and athletes often complain of sciatic pain. However, the most common cause of sciatic pain is a herniated disc that causes compression of the spine, resulting in inflammation and nerve being pinched.

Many women experience sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy as well. This is due to the shifting of the pelvic structure which in turn puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve pain can be particularly uncomfortable during the last months of pregnancy often takes to sit in one position for any length of time nearly impossible

Sciatic Nerve Treatment – What can we do about it?

For most people the sciatic nerve pain disappears after a few weeks. The treatment, of course, is directly related to the cause. If the sciatic nerve pain is being caused by a herniated disc, then chiropractic or the balance of muscular therapy treatment may be necessary. If overuse then rest and relax will usually do the trick.

There are wonderful stretching exercises that can help eliminate or reduce outbreaks and the occasional use of NSAIDs is often recommended by physicians. Another preventing’s consuming a diet antioxidants avoid foods that cause swollen. These foods are typically starch-sugar foods with high carbohydrates.

That said, the sciatic nerve pain can be debilitating for some individuals and stretching and simple analgesics not be enough to treat pain. For those individuals more drastic measures may be advised including steroid injections, surgery and physiotherapy.

Other treatments sciatica include:

- Massage
- Acupuncture
- Manual therapies

sciatic nerve pain is a real problem for many people. The good news is that there are treatments to control pain when it flares and ways to prevent recurring pain.

Learn much more about sciatica and sciatic nerve pain on this website.