4 Moves For Sciatica That Hit The Spot
There’s a good chance that you or someone you know has experienced “sciatica” issues. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 40% of the population in the U.S. will experience sciatica symptoms at some point in their life. The sciatic nerve is made up of multiple nerve roots that travel from the back into the lower leg. You have one sciatic nerve on each side of your body, making it common for people to have symptoms on one side and not the other. Since the nerve travels from the back and down into your leg, there can be multiple areas in which the nerve can be affected, causing similar symptoms. For this reason, it is important to identify the root of the problem causing the source of pain. Click here to learn more about the sciatic nerve and symptoms of sciatica.
Can Dry Needling Help Sciatica Pain?
You or somebody you know has probably had an episode of low back pain that radiates into one or both legs. This is commonly referred to as sciatica. The sciatic nerve travels from the low back through the hips, glutes, and down into your lower leg. These symptoms are usually caused by disc involvement at a specific segment of the spine applying pressure to the nerve or a tight muscle a bit farther down the line, compressing the nerve.
What is Sciatica and Can Physical Therapy Help?
The sciatic nerve is a large nerve comprised of smaller nerves that originate in the low lumbar and sacral regions of the spine. The sciatic nerve starts in the low back, travels through the buttock, and into the back of your leg. It has branches that travel all the way to the foot. Sciatic symptoms may include pain, numbness, tingling, cramping, burning and weakness in the muscles of the affected leg. There are many reasons why the sciatic nerve may be symptomatic including a herniated disc, narrowing of the nerve space in the spine, or tightness in hip muscles.
Suffering from Sciatica? Physical Therapy Can Help
Pain, numbness, and tingling down the leg is both something I treat daily and something I myself have experienced. Feeling concerned that these symptoms are here to stay and there is little you can do about these symptoms is common. Fortunately, physical therapy can be very effective in treating these symptoms most of the time. I am pain free and many of you suffering with sciatica-type symptoms can be too. (more…)
