Can Physical Therapy Resolve My Recurrent Sciatica for Good?

When you feel sciatica pain in your lower back, hips, buttocks, or legs, it’s not necessarily an injury or trauma in those parts of your body that are the source of the problem. Sciatica occurs due to compression or irritation of your sciatic nerve and sends symptoms flaring up along the path of that nerve in your body.

The team of orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists at South Texas Spinal Clinic of San Antonio and South Texas excel at identifying and resolving sciatica pain. In our experience, physical therapy often proves effective as a noninvasive, nondrug-based, patient-controlled pain relief option, even for recurrent cases of sciatica.

Could physical therapy be what you need to escape your sciatica pain for good? Here’s what you need to know about physical therapy for sciatica.

Sciatica: one-time or recurring nerve pain

Your sciatic nerve extends from your lower back down through your legs on both sides. Various factors cause pressure, irritation, or inflammation of this nerve, sending pain signals back to your brain that leave you suffering from chronic, recurring discomfort that could last for days, weeks, or even months. 

Acute sciatica flare-ups can seem to resolve, only to flare up again without warning.

Some risk factors make individuals more prone to sciatica. For instance, swelling related to an injury or to pregnancy results in temporary sciatica for some people. And, both too much strenuous activity and not enough healthy stretching and exercise can make you more likely to deal with sciatica symptoms.

Physical therapy and sciatica

Physical therapy offers a noninvasive, all-natural way to resolve sciatica problems. Once you learn the right combination of stretches, exercises, physical positions, and strength-building exercises, you can prevent recurrent sciatica outbreaks.

Physical therapy for sciatica involves moving your joints, developing your balance, and increasing strength in key areas like your core. Other elements of your physical therapy may involve changes to how you work, get athletic, or position your body when at rest.

Regular, gentle stretching and exercise can resolve sciatica symptoms and reduce the frequency of flare-ups. Daily or twice-weekly workouts can save you from a lot of sciatica pain.

Many exercises that help most with sciatica, like lying knee-to-chest stretches, can be done from the comfort of your home without any need for expensive equipment.

Setting up your sciatica prevention physical therapy routine

Partner with the South Texas Spinal Clinic team; our spinal health experts can recommend the best physical therapy routine to address and prevent your sciatica symptoms. We consider your unique lifestyle needs, health goals, and physical condition when developing your physical therapy plan.

Your provider at South Texas Spinal Clinic ensures that you understand how to perform your physical therapy exercises and offers ongoing supervision and support as you start to experience improvement due to following your treatment plan.

To find out if simple physical therapy exercises could end your sciatica suffering, contact South Texas Spinal Clinic. Schedule your initial consultation appointment online or over the phone today.