Doctors may find it challenging to manage chronic or long-term back pain. Back pain can be treated without surgery using techniques such as spinal manipulation, physical therapy, acupuncture, and lifestyle changes.
Back pain & sciatica are common occurrences, with an estimated 80 percent of adults experiencing low back pain at some point in their lives. Doctors or physical therapists may not recommend surgery for back pain & sciatica relief in some cases, depending on the cause.
Sciatica is a type of back pain caused by a common nerve problem. Working with a physical therapist can help relieve back pain and improve your health, whether you’re suffering from general back pain or sciatica.
Contact our Lake Charles, LA office immediately if you suffer from back discomfort. Our highly trained physical therapists will design a specific treatment plan for you, concentrating on your recovery to alleviate back pain and sciatica. Physical therapy treatment may even be able to remove the need for dangerous painkillers like opioids or an invasive surgical procedure.
Understanding About Back Pain And Sciatica: Their Differences
Back Pain
Back pain is a term that refers to a variety of symptoms caused by a variety of diseases. For example, back discomfort might occur due to bad posture, a car accident, or a lifting injury. Your physical therapist’s treatment strategy will be determined by how you developed back pain, its particular location, and your medical history.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a type of back pain that is described as very painful. It is, however, relatively simple to diagnose. Sciatica is a disorder in which the sciatic nerve, the biggest nerve in the body, is inflamed.
What Causes Back Pain & Sciatica?
Sprain & Strain:
Back pain can be caused by injuries to the ligaments, muscles, and tendons that support the spine and joints. When you lift something and twist at the same time, this is a common occurrence. It may also occur as a result of car accidents or sports injuries.
Arthritis:
This type of arthritis produces stiffness, edema, and inflammation in the joints. When your cartilage and bones break down, you get this type of arthritis. This is particularly common in people in their forties and fifties.
Degenerative Disc Disease:
The natural wear and tear of the discs between the spine’s vertebrae are known as degenerative disc disease. The discs’ height decreases and the nerve passages become narrower (spinal stenosis). Spinal stenosis can compress the sciatic nerve roots as they leave the spine.
Piriformis Syndrome:
Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle, a tiny muscle deep in the buttocks, tightens or spasms. The sciatic nerve may be irritated and compressed as a result of this. Piriformis syndrome is a relatively uncommon neuromuscular disorder.
Treating Back Pain & Sciatica With Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can effectively cure both back pain and sciatica. Your physical therapist will devise a therapy plan for you based on your diagnosis. Physical therapy treatments in the early stages will focus on pain alleviation, including ice and heat therapy, manual therapy, modest exercises, or posture correction.
Physical therapy aims to find exercises that treat sciatica by lowering nerve pressure. Every training routine should incorporate stretching activities to improve muscle flexibility and cardiovascular exercises (such as walking, swimming, and water aerobics).
Your doctor can refer you to a physical therapist who will work with you to create a stretching and aerobic exercise program tailored to your needs and suggest other exercises to strengthen the muscles in your back, abdomen, and legs.
Physical therapy might help you get rid of back and sciatica pain. If you’re looking for back pain or sciatica relief, make an appointment with one of our physical therapists at Partners in Physical Therapy in Lake Charles, LA. We will assist you in getting back on the path to recovery as soon as possible, no matter how terrible the pain is.
