Have you ever experienced aching pain in the back / buttock area that radiates down your leg? You may have sciatica. Sciatica is a common condition that affects up to 1 out of 10 people, typically between ages 25-45.

Symptoms

Sciatica is typically felt as a dull aching pain to the low back / buttock area, that can at times be sharp, depending upon movement. It is generally on one side, but at times can be on both sides. Other symptoms can include numbness and / or tingling, radiating down to certain areas of the leg.

Causes

Sciatica is an entrapment and irritation to the sciatica nerve, which passes from the lower spine, down through the buttock and supplies the back of the leg down to the foot. Typically, sciatica is caused by poor mechanical movement of the hips, pelvis or lower back. This causes abnormal strain and stress to the gluteus and hip rotator muscles. Certain people are more predisposed to sciatica, because their sciatica nerve pierces through the piriformis muscle in the buttock, which makes it more susceptible to irritation.

Pain Relief

The good news is that over 90% of those suffering with sciatica will get better with conservative treatment, especially physical therapy. Physical therapy focuses on improving the mechanical movement of the hip joints, pelvis and spinal joints to relieve pressure on the sciatica nerve. Furthermore, since many muscles are impacted and often weakened, physical therapy helps to restore normal muscle function. This balances the spinal, gluteal and leg muscles.

Try these 5 natural ways to relieve your sciatica: 

• Improve your posture – One of the long-term causes of sciatica is poor posture. Make sure that you have a lumbar support in your work chair and in your car that you can take with you to different places. Look at the way your computer and desk area is setup. Avoid soft couches and recliners. Physical therapists are experts in ergonomics and can teach you the proper posture setup for workstations and home activities.
• Change your position frequently – Sitting puts direct pressure on the sciatic nerve. Therefore, it is important to change positions frequently. Consider getting an adjustable standing desk if you have to spend most of your day sitting at a computer. If you are suffering from sciatica, try lying down for 10 minutes, standing for 10 minutes and sitting for 10 minutes. Rotate this throughout the day as much as you can.
• Try magnesium – magnesium is thought to sooth irritated nerves and many of us have magnesium deficiencies. Try a good magnesium and calcium supplement to soothe pain. However, if you are on medications, consult your physician first.
• Improve your hip strength and flexibility – The gluteal muscles support the normal walking motions we perform everyday. They become weak and tight with prolonged sitting, especially at a desk job. This causes severe strain on the smaller hip muscles around the sciatic nerve, when walking or standing.
• Get your body mechanics checked – Most of us do not realize that we have made an adaptation in our normal movements, because of limited joint motion or muscle weakness. Our body is amazing at adapting to problems, however, it can only do this for so long, until abnormal strain and stress occurs. Having a thorough biomechanical movement analysis by one of our trained physical therapists, will pinpoint the exact problem that is causing your sciatica. This allows us to formulate a treatment plan that will help you naturally restore your movement, function and quickly relieve your pain.

For more information on how you can avoid low back pain and sciatica, call us today to speak with one of our physical therapy experts. We can put the spring back in your step and restore your ability to move pain free.

In this world of looking beautiful, posture plays a big role in how we look at people. Think about the last time you saw your posture in the mirror and how you immediately corrected yourself to look taller, slimmer, fitter. We fight the good fight against gravity 24 hours a day and it is up to our muscles and skeletal structure to keep our posture in proper alignment. It is important to note that bad posture is associated with many health problems.

Poor posture contributes to:

• Back pain and neck pain
• Headaches and migraines
• Changes in breathing patterns affecting your blood chemistry
• Poor digestion
• Difficulty walking
• Poor balance
• Lack of endurance
• Poor athletic performance

Why you slouch

You have different muscles in your core and deep spine that help you maintain a more upright posture. These muscles are used for long duration contractions to keep your body properly aligned. However, like with all muscles, the less you use them, the more they atrophy and the less they can do their job. With today’s sedentary lifestyles, sitting at work, driving in the car, watching TV, etc., these muscles become weaker and weaker.

What you should do

• Be more aware of your posture throughout the day and take frequent breaks to move around, be taller, re-adjust your seat.
• Work on exercises that strengthen your core muscles and your mid back muscles.
• Do stretching exercises with your back on a wall or lying flat on the ground, moving your arms overhead.
• Walk or run everyday, trying to be as tall as possible while doing so.
• Be more conscious of your breathing during the day. Take deep breathes in a better posture, which helps to mobilize your spine.
• Evaluate your workspace. Is it set up correctly? Is your computer in front of you or off to the side? Is your chair high enough?
• Avoid soft couches and recliners for long durations, these cause poor posture.
• Sleep on your back or side with pillows between or behind your knees depending on your position. Try to sleep as flat as possible with one pillow behind your head if possible.

Why you should see a physical therapist

When it comes to posture and the movement mechanics of your body, no one is more qualified than a physical therapist to help you. In physical therapy we evaluate your body mechanics, posture, strength and mobility to evaluate what is needed for you to have better posture. We then custom tailor a plan that will pinpoint what you need to improve your posture, and relieve your pain quickly. We teach you the right exercises to perform that will put you on the path to a pain free life with terrific posture! Call us today to learn more about how we can help you walk tall, pain free.

Do you have sharp pain in a particular part of your arm or leg? It may be a herniated disc. However, it could be another problem. Herniated or bulging discs are often blamed for radiating pains, numbness and tingling in the extremities, but they are often not the culprits.

Herniated discs are caused by the gradual or traumatic tearing of the rings that make up the discs. The rings are much like the cross section of a tree trunk, with a jelly like nucleus in the middle. Discs are the shock absorbers between each vertebra in your spine. Their purpose is to provide stability, support and shape.

All those times you lifted heavy objects poorly or got slightly injured, feeling a sore back or neck, means you could have done micro-tearing of the discs. Over time, this repetitive injury can lead to the nucleus of the disc oozing backwards and out into the canals where your nerves exit from your spine, to different parts of your body.

Herniated discs can occur in all parts of the spine, but typically occur in the lower lumbar levels (L3-S1) or mid cervical (neck C3-C6) levels. Discs swell over night and you can actually gain ½ inch of height, so symptoms are typically worse in the morning.

Here are some common herniated disc symptoms:

• Gradual numbness or tingling in a specific part of an arm, hand, leg or foot
• Specific pain in the leg or arm, can be sharp and typically worse in the mornings
• Difficulty with moving or bending in the mornings
• Possible weakness in the leg, foot, arm or hand
• Pain is more one sided

Things to consider:

• You can have a bulging disc or herniated disc without symptoms and many people do. It doesn’t mean you need to have surgery.
• Most herniated and bulging discs can be conservatively treated with physical therapy without ever needing surgery.
• MRIs can show a positive herniated or bulging disc in more than 30% of the population without ever having symptoms. Therefore, just because you have a herniated or bulging disc on an MRI, it doesn’t mean that it is the cause of your symptoms.
• Sciatica is an impingement of the sciatic nerve, typically deep in the buttock. This can often mimic the symptoms of a herniated disc.

What to do

If you are having radiating pain in the arm or legs, it is best to first see a physical therapist. In most states, you can now see a physical therapist directly without having to go to a doctor first. Physical therapists are medical specialists in analyzing spinal and body movement. We can discover what is the root cause of your pain and treat it naturally, without the need for medication, injections or surgery. By restoring proper movement and strength through specialized techniques many back pains, neck pains and other musculoskeletal problems can be completely treated.

If you are concerned about a possible herniated disc causing your symptoms or have a friend that has the above symptoms, call us today to speak with one of our physical therapists. Discover how we can help you have a pain free and active life.