Your symptoms may worsen over time with moderate sciatica, or they may go away on their own. You suffered an injury that caused sciatica to form. Your doctor may also run a number of tests to rule out any other underlying conditions.

If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to consult with both your primary doctor and your physical therapist to discuss a treatment plan for easing your pain and getting you back to your normal function. If your sciatic nerve becomes compressed in the area that controls your bladder or bowel function, and you may lose control of those functions. Symptoms may include severe shooting pain, weakness or numbness on one side, or the inability to move your feet.

The more compressed it is, the more painful it will be. The severity of pain you feel can change depending on how compressed your sciatic nerve becomes. You notice your pain getting worse instead of better. Physical therapy can provide you with the treatment you need to alleviate your aches and pains. If your symptoms worsen, be sure to consult with your primary physician. If your home treatments are having a little-to-no effect in reducing your pain and restricted motion, or if your symptoms persist for more than a week without improvement, you should seek the aid of a physical therapist. These are some commonly used at-home treatment methods for pain management, but they, unfortunately, do not always work. You might already be trying these basic home remedies to help alleviate some of your sciatica pain, but when using ice and heat compresses alternately, or sleeping with a pillow between your knees, for example, no longer relieves discomfort and stiffness… there’s a problem.

What you’re doing at home to manage pain stops working. Contact Wright Physical Therapy to schedule an appointment. If you’re struggling to live a normal, comfortable life as a result of sciatica, know that the solution to your pain is just a call away. It can be hard to determine whether or not your symptoms are in need of specialist intervention, but Wright Physical Therapy put together a list of the three most prominent signs to seek a physical therapist. People living with sciatica typically describe their discomfort as “shooting pains,” typically down one side of the body. While sciatica does not always require physical therapy treatments, it can help relieve your pain and speed up the healing process.ĭid you know that the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the human body? It stretches from the lower back down to the legs, ending at the feet.

Sciatica test