Sciatica is a term that is used to refer to a condition that is characterized by a pain that emits along the sciatic nerve.
The Sciatic nerve is a nerve found in the lower back of the body. It is the largest and longest nerve in the entire body and is very thick and extends from the lower back to the back of both legs.
In many cases sciatica pain gets well after few weeks and does not end up as permanent damage. If you have sciatica and it does not get better within a few weeks, you may need to treat sciatica with chiropractic care. If the pain is severe or your muscles are weak you need medical attention immediately.
What are Sciatica Symptoms?
Here are some of the most common symptoms of sciatica. One that is very common is feeling pain in the leg or in the buttock, that becomes worse when setting. The pain may begin in your back or your buttocks and then move down to your leg and even to your foot. Another symptom is general weakness and numbness of the legs, and it becomes even difficult to move your legs. You may experience a constant pain especially on one side of your buttock, or it becomes hard for you to stand up due to serve pain. Standing or sitting for a long can make the symptoms worse.
Physiotherapy and Sciatica
Back pain and sciatica are both completely treatable through physiotherapy. Your physiotherapist creates a specific treatment plan for you that is dependent upon your diagnosis. The early stages of your physiotherapy treatment focus on quick pain relief.
As your pain reduces, your physiotherapist will expand on strengthening your core muscle group with specific therapeutic exercises and stretches. The goal here is to increase your strength and range of motion to prevent re-injury of your spine. Finally, we teach you ergonomics and ways to make sure you know how to take care of your spine, avoiding future problems.
If you are suffering from sciatica, our physiotherapists will implement specific leg stretches into your treatment plan to loosen the sciatic nerve. This restores the natural health of the nerve and quickly reduces symptoms.