HOW PHYSIOTHERAPY CAN HELP SCIATICA
When patients begin their physiotherapy sessions early enough, they can manage their pain quickly and in a straightforward manner. Targeted stretching and strengthening exercises are vital to treating sciatica pain. Our physiotherapists wi l l also teach you an exercise program you can do at home to manage your pain. Targeted st retches for sciat ica are designed to resolve restrictions in the joints and muscles that contribute to your pain. The initial assessment wi l l help your therapist establ ish what’s known as a “directional preference,” meaning what helps the patient feel and move better. Strong core muscles can provide pain relief because they support the spine, keeping it in alignment and facilitating movements that extend or twist the spine with less chance of injury or damage. The core comprises muscles in the lower back, abdominals (stomach), gluteus (buttock), and hip muscles. Physiotherapy is much more budget-friendly for the average person, especial ly when symptoms are addressed early. When physiotherapy treatments are performed at the star t, the need for expensive diagnostic tests or invasive surgeries typical ly becomes obsolete. WHEN SHOULD I SEE A PHYSIOTHERAPIST? A good rule of thumb is to come in for a consul tat ion as soon as you begin to notice sciatic pains – from there, your physiotherapist can let you know what the best course of action wi l l be! If the pain goes from dul l to severe or travels fur ther down the leg, there are strong indications that physiotherapy intervention is needed. The severity of pain you feel can change depending on how compressed your sciatic nerve becomes. The more compressed it is, the more painful it wi l l be and the more l ikely you wi l l experience weakness in the leg. Sciatica symptoms may include shooting pains down one leg or persistent numbness in the lower leg and foot. Severe pain, chronic pain, or persistent numbness or weakness along one side of the body are signs that physiotherapy is needed. Incontinence may also indicate that your sciatica is getting worse and immediate attention is needed. If your sciatic nerve
becomes compressed in the area that controls your bladder and/or bowel function, you may lose control of those functions. This is very rare, but it is considered a medical emergency where surgery is needed, and if performed within 24 hours of symptoms star ting, complete resolution is l ikely. WHAT TO EXPECT IN PHYSIOTHERAPY Your phys iotherapi st wi l l per form a thorough phys i ca l examination and provide you with solutions that work based on their findings. Typically the best way to resolve your sciatica pain involves directional preference and strengthening exercises. We wi l l star t with pain management and restoring mobi l ity to al low you to resume normal activities around your home. Next, we wi l l focus on progressing your strength and dynamic stability exercises designed to restore more vigorous activity and function. Our therapists also incorporate postural corrections and body mechanic instructions to stimulate your job’s everyday demands, and recreational pursuits have on your body. Each visit you wi l l spend one-on-one time with your therapist, and they wi l l use hands-on techniques that get the joints, muscles, and nerves moving again. In addition we wi l l also design a comprehensive exercise and education program to get you back to comfor tably doing what you want to do. CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT Contact The Physiotherapy Center LTD. today to learn more about our physiotherapy methods for treating sciatic aches and pains. If you are ready to get rid of your sciatica symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’ l l get to the root of the issue so you can get back to l iving your l ife comfor tably! Sou rces : h t t ps : //www. ncb i . n lm. n i h . gov /books /NBK507908/ • h t t ps : //www. ap t a . o r g/ ar ticle/2020/10/08/sciatica-study • https://www.ncbi .nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar ticles/PMC5516132/
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