You feel a burning that shoots from your lower back and travels down your leg, and this happens anytime you stand up after sitting down for a while. If this scenario sounds familiar, you may have a condition called sciatica. This is when the sciatic nerve root in the lower spine is irritated or compressed, and having this condition means you need to become familiar with the symptoms of and treatments for sciatica. 

Sciatica symptoms

When people are trying to find out more about sciatica symptoms and treatments, the symptoms are the best place to start. The scenario above outlines one common symptom of this lower back condition, and this symptom is pain. The pain of sciatica may be unlike any pain you’ve felt before. The pain often feels more like a burning sensation, and it can feel like it’s moving from your lower back, over the buttocks and down the legs. 

Sciatica can also cause you to feel tingling or numbness in your legs. This is because the normal nerve impulses sent to the legs through the sciatic nerve are being reduced or interrupted. This nerve issue can also lead to weakness in your leg muscles, and the weakness you feel can make it harder to do normal activities like walking. 

Treatment options for sciatica

Once you’re more familiar with sciatica symptoms, it’s time to learn about treatments for these symptoms. Rest is one of the most commonly used treatments for sciatica. However, physical therapy can also help speed up your recovery from this issue. 

Manual therapy is a physical therapy technique, and it’s often used to treat sciatica. This technique involves therapists using their hands to improve the movement of muscles and joints in the back. It can also be used in combination with instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) to break down scar tissue in back muscles, ligaments and tendons. By reducing scar tissue in these areas, tension on the spine can be reduced, and this can help decrease sciatic nerve compression.

Other physical therapy techniques commonly used for sciatica treatment include: 

• McKenzie method
• Therapeutic exercise
• Total motion release

Continuum Wellness can help with sciatica symptoms and treatment

Choosing Continuum Wellness to help with your sciatica symptoms and treatment could be the best decision you make. Our team is well-versed in how sciatica and its symptoms can affect the body. We’re also experienced at creating personalized physical therapy plans to treat this condition, and our plans are intended to help you reduce pain and recover from sciatica faster. 

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.