Living with Back Pain or Sciatica: How Physical Therapy Can Provide the Treatments You Need

Back Pain and sciatica can be debilitating conditions that impact your ability to live a normal life. If you have chronic back pain or sciatica, you are not alone. It is estimated that around 80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Fortunately, Physical Therapy treatments can be extremely beneficial to manage your pain, abolish it and return to your daily routine.

What is Back Pain?

Back pain is a common condition that affects millions. It is a generic term used to quiet literally define “pain in the back.” However, there are various shades to back pain. It can range from a dull ache to sharp shooting pain that makes it difficult to move. The impact of back pain is also dependent on the source of the pain, i.e., whether it is stemming from muscles, tendons, sacroiliac joint, referred pain from the organs, degenerative conditions like arthritis or herniated discs.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a specific type of back pain that stems from the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down to the legs. Any compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve can result in pain, numbness, and tingling sensations in the back and legs. Sciatic nerve compression or irritation can stem from disc herniations, spinal stenosis, degenerative conditions, muscle spasms or strains, issues at the sacroiliac joint and even pregnancy.

How Can Physical Therapy Help?

Physical therapy is an effective treatment option for both back pain and sciatica. Your Physical Therapist will first identify the source of the back pain or the sciatica. Once the source is identified, an individually tailored treatment plan is created and implemented to address the underlying causes of the pain. Some of the most common treatments used in physical therapy for back pain and sciatica include:

• Manual Therapy: This involves hands on techniques like massage, joint mobilizations and manual stretching to reduce inflammation/irritation, restore motion and facilitate healing.
• Progressive Graded Exercises: A carefully crafted treatment plan with progressively challenging exercises with specific movements and muscle activation can help strengthen weakened muscles to reduce pain.
• Education: Your Physical therapist can address limitations identified during the evaluation on posture, habits and body mechanics for lasting relief and preventing future episodes of recurrence.

Having a physical therapist as a part of your recovery team is critical in getting back to doing the things you love. Don’t suffer in silence. Contact us today 212-706-7480 or walk in at 12 E 44th St, Fl 5, New York, NY 10017; to schedule an appointment and start your journey towards a pain-free life.