Physical Therapy for Sciatica Recommended by Experts
Physical Therapy plays a very important role in helping sciatica patients, who are suffering from chronic low back pain. Physical Therapy for Sciatica is specialized and for each patient there should be doctor-directed programs. It is not right for the patients to plan their own exercise programs, because professionals would have a better understanding of the limitations and special needs of back pain.
Two Steps
Basically there are two vital steps for Physical Therapy for Sciatica. In the first stage the patient should be educated and trained in correct movement. For this purpose heat or electro-therapies like therapeutic ultrasound or low-energy lasers are sometimes used, but they may not always be beneficial.
Secondly, if the back pain continues to persist after 5 weeks, Physical Therapy for Sciatica is used for rehabilitation. This includes the use of exercises for the patient, in which the spine in kept in neutral positions during all daily activities.
Purpose of Exercises
There are many exercises which help in the Physical Therapy for Sciatica. In any case active exercise is important for sciatica relief. Patients should therefore engage in a regular program of gentle strengthening and stretching exercises. In this way they can recover quickly from an attack of sciatica and it can also help to prevent future attacks.
Expert Advice
To recommend Physical Therapy for Sciatica a physical therapist, certified athletic trainer, chiropractor, physiatrist or a spine specialist should be consulted. They are the right people who can treat back pain and leg pain associated with sciatica. Of course it is important to get an accurate diagnosis for the cause of sciatica pain, as the recommended exercises will depend on the cause.
When a chiropractor or an osteopath implements a certain manipulation of Physical Therapy for Sciatica, he knows exactly the type of manipulation, the amount of force, the direction of the manipulation and the frequency of application when he manages patients suffering from sciatica. Combining this treatment from the expert with various exercises also recommended by him can be very effective.
Physical Therapy for Sciatica is especially very effective after a surgery. Sometimes, if the patient experiences a great deal of pain relief after the surgery, he tends to consider physical therapy as unnecessary. But after any spine procedure muscle function is at its best and exercise will definitely expedite recovery and reduce potential future problems. The aim of such training for Physical Therapy for Sciatica is to provide enough practice and repetition so that the function of the muscles is automatic and can perform well during all other activities and exercises.
After receiving recommendations for Physical Therapy for Sciatica, the exercises must be done regularly and correctly. The patients should pay a lot of attention to the posture and body mechanics in order to be benefited from the therapy. If they continue with a program of gentle exercise and stretching, it will naturally help their current problem. But in the long run it will be good for overall back health and reduce back problems in the future.
