Sciatica In Franklin, WI
If you are experiencing pain on one side of your body that runs from your lower back down to the rear and back of the leg, then it’s possible that your pain could be due to sciatica. As many as 40 percent of people will experience sciatica at some point in their lives. This condition often occurs as a result of a pinched or herniated disc or the developed of a bone spur on the vertebrae of the spine. Less common causes of sciatica include compression of the nerves due to a tumor or nerve damage due to chronic health conditions like diabetes.
Older adults, those who are overweight and those whose jobs consist of heavy manual labor are more at risk for developing sciatica. Sciatica pain varies greatly. Some patients describe the pain as only a dull aching while others may feel a sudden, electrical pain. Sitting for long periods of time may also aggravate your symptoms.
Besides the classic pain symptoms you may also notice muscle weakness, numbness or tingling in the affected side. If you have sciatica you will typically experience pain on only one side of the body.
While those with more mild conditions may see a marked improvement with rest and simple lifestyle changes, those with more severe or prolonged symptoms that last over a week should see us right away for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. While a thorough medical exam is all that is needed for a diagnosis, we may also need to run certain imaging tests if you complain of serious pain or if your symptoms have last several weeks.
Some of the treatment options we offer for sciatica includes prescription medications, therapeutic exercises, massage therapy and steroid injections. Since over-the-counter pain relievers aren’t strong enough to help all cases, we may prescribe a stronger anti-inflammatory, narcotic or muscle relaxant to ease symptoms.
We can also show you certain therapeutic exercises to help stretch and strengthen certain muscles will also improve mobility, posture and flexibility. These exercises are often recommended after your symptoms have subsided as a way to prevent future injuries. Massage therapy is known to promote better circulation, which in turn speeds up the healing process, helping to alleviate sciatica-related pain. Through manipulation of certain muscles in the back, we are able to loosen tight, sore muscles and provide significant relief from your sciatica symptoms.
