Living with Back Pain and Sciatica
Back pain is one of the most common afflictions out there. It becomes even more common as we grow older, and very few people haven’t experienced some point in their lives. Oftentimes, when clients experience pain the last thing, we are interested in is trying to figure out exactly what type of pain we are feeling. This is understandable, as something that hurts is something hurts, but when it comes to pain in the lower back it can be essential to making sure you get the treatment. One of the most important distinctions to make is back pain versus sciatica. In this article, we’ll cover some of the differences between back pain and sciatica, as well as treatment options available for each. For those experiencing these pains now, we at Action Physical offer top tier physical therapy services that can aid you tremendously on your road to recovery. If you have any questions about what we may do to help, feel free to contact our offices and schedule a consultation with one of our expert team members.
Back Pain
Back pain is the more commonly known of the two injury types. Back pain can be the result of numerous causes. Hernias, accidents, and exercise are all common forms of back pain. Back pain can also be caused by the degeneration of discs in the back from aging. Oftentimes, this development is exacerbated by poor habits, such as posture, poor weightlifting techniques, or working daily in a chair with poor lumbar support. With such a diverse range of causes, the treatment methods for them are accordingly varied. In many cases, back pain can be healed with time and the correction of whatever behavior was causing. This is frequently accompanied by physical therapy, which is integral to restrengthening the injured back and working to prevent future injuries. In the most severe forms of back injury, invasive surgery can be called for by your medical professional to treat the issue.
Sciatica
Sciatica, although oftentimes feeling similar to back pain, is a specific type of lower body injury caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. This pressure is most frequently caused by a herniated disk or bone spur in the spine. While lower back injuries affect only the upper, middle, and lower back; Sciatica radiates pain through the back, down the buttocks and thighs, and occasionally lower into the leg. Treatment for ASciatica is generally fairly similar to treatment for back pain treatment. Like back pain, treating Sciatica depends largely on the severity of the injury. For the least severe cases, ice and time are the first methods to see if the body can heal itself naturally. When this doesn’t work, physical therapy and other noninvasive procedures like chiropractic treatment techniques. For the more severe cases, medicine can be prescribed to alleviate pain while recovering. In the most severe cases invasive surgery may be needed to remove a bone spur or reset the herniated disc back into its proper place. Regardless of which injury type you have, building healthy habits for after you recover is essential to preventing future injury. Stretching, proper posture, more supportive chairs, and proper technique are all useful to accomplishing this goal.