Sciatica Back Pain



Sciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body. It controls muscles in the back of the knee and lower leg and provides feeling to the back of the thigh, part of the lower leg, and the sole of the foot. When people have sciatica, they have pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling. It can start in the lower back and extend down the leg to the calf, foot, or even the toes. It’s usually on only one side of the body.

Physical therapy is beneficial for people with sciatica because it can help reduce pain, improve physical function, and help prevent recurrence of symptoms. A physical therapy program may also teach how to improve posture, and often has a home exercise program to assist with long-term physical health.

The therapist may teach you various exercises designed to improve muscle strength and flexibility. A physical therapy program is individualized and takes into consideration the health and history of a person. The physical therapist may help someone learn how to incorporate ergonomic principles in daily living activities to better protect the spine. Learning simple changes in daily movements go a long way to help prevent future sciatica episodes.

NIH: National Library of Medicine

Learn more:

Physical Therapy to Relieve Sciatica [Internet] Source: https://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/sciatica/physical-therapy-relieve-sciatica

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