I will explain a little about why the pain in your leg with sciatica has little to nothing to do with an actual problem in you leg. I’ll also give some options for people with sciatica in and around Lee’s Summit to start feeling better.

WHAT IS SCIATICA?

Sciatica is one of the most common things I see (and fix) in my practice. Usually, it goes like this… a person started having soreness in their back or maybe in their butt. Over a period of hours up to weeks, the pain gradually spread and is now running down the back of their leg. It often hurts to sit and to bend forward and it is usually very limiting with things like lifting up their kids, running, and even sitting still at the computer.

Most of the time, people just try to wait it out, hoping the pain will go away. They may try pills and some just resort to sitting on a heating pad all day. A few may even try to go to the chiropractor where they may get temporary relief, but the pain always returns. A few ultimately end up seeing me, which is when they can finally start getting the relief they were hoping for.

WHAT CAUSES SCIATICA?

See, ‘sciatica’ can actually be caused by multiple things. It’s my job to perform a thorough evaluation to determine which of these things are actually causing their pain so that sepcific thing can be addressed. That’s why other treatments often don’t work in the long term… because they didn’t address the real underlying problem.

One of the most common causes of sciatica is trigger points in the gluteal (butt) muscles. These can either directly cause radiating pain (called ‘referral pain’) or from the tightened muscle rubbing on the sciatic nerve (thus, the ‘sciatica’ term), causing it to become irritated. Usually, the longer either of these continues, the more the pain spreads and the more intense it becomes.

Physical therapy is vital to address these underlying causes and get people back to doing the things they love to do. It’s more than just exercise, though the movements are the most important part of keeping the pain away once we get it gone using the hands-on techniques required. We’ve got lots of tricks up our sleeves to help you get back to living your LIFE! Don’t suffer any longer than you have to.

For more information, visit https://ascentptkc.com or request our FREE Sciatica Guide at https://ascentptkc.com/free-sciatica-report. If you want to learn about availability in and around Lee’s Summit or talk directly with a Doctor of Physical Therapy for a free phone consult, fill out the form right here.