Relieve All Those Pains in Your Back with Physiotherapy in Edmonton, AB
Ready to Live Life Free of Back Pain?
According to the Physiotherapy Association, back pain is the most commonly reported pain in the United States. In fact, one out of every four Americans has experienced back pain in the last three months! Fortunately, physiotherapy offers non-invasive solutions to help you find back and sciatica pain relief in Edmonton, AB. Do you ever wake up in the morning and immediately notice back pain? If this is the case, you may have sciatica. While back pain and sciatica are similar, there are some differences that are frequently overlooked.
Upper, middle, and lower back pain are the most common locations for general back pain. Sciatica pain, on the other hand, can radiate down the back, buttocks, thigh, and even the legs.
If you wake up with back pain or have been experiencing pains in your back, buttocks, or thighs, our physiotherapy services in Edmonton, AB can assist you.
Don’t rely on medications to help you mask your pain if you are living with back pain or sciatica!
Our physiotherapists at Silverberry Physiotherapy will get to the bottom of your pain so that they can help you find long-term back pain and sciatica relief in Edmonton, AB.
In many cases, our treatments may even eliminate the need for potentially harmful painkillers such as opioids, as well as invasive surgical procedures.
Call us today to set up an appointment so you can start experiencing effective and long-lasting relief!
What can PT treatments do for me?
While back pain and sciatica are both painful and unfortunate conditions, both can be successfully treated with physiotherapy in Edmonton, AB. Our physiotherapists will develop a personalized treatment plan for you based on your diagnosis.
To help loosen the sciatic nerve, our physiotherapists will recommend specific leg stretches as part of your sciatica treatment plan. This quickly restores the nerve’s natural health and will work to alleviate your symptoms.
Back pain can appear and disappear, but it is a wise decision to treat it as soon as you notice it! If this is not done, it can lead to poor joint movement, core weakness, and muscle coordination, all of which can lead to future injuries.
The first stages of your physiotherapy treatment plan will be geared toward providing immediate pain relief. Following that, your physiotherapist will broaden your treatment to include therapeutic exercises and stretching to strengthen your core muscle group. This improves your strength and range of motion, reducing the risk of re-injury to your spine.
Your physiotherapist will also show you how to use ergonomic techniques to protect your spine while doing everyday tasks like sitting at a desk or driving.
Common conditions resulting in back pain
Sciatica is medically known as “lumbar radiculopathy.” The majority of people who develop this condition are between the ages of 30 and 50.
People with sciatica frequently lose hip and pelvic flexibility, causing the hip and gluteal muscles to tighten. As a result, the mechanics of the spine are altered, and the sciatic nerve compresses as it travels through these tissues.
Sciatica can be caused by a number of injuries to the sciatic nerve, including arthritis, bone spurs, or any other injury to the nerve.
The majority of the time, general back pain develops as a result of an injury. This could be due to repetitive strains, such as leaning down several times throughout the day to pick up a toddler, or a more serious, sudden trauma, such as a car accident.
Herniated discs, as well as other underlying conditions, can cause severe back pain and radiculopathy in your thigh, leg, or foot.
Degenerative disc disease is also a common cause of back pain as we age. Those living with this condition typically experience dull, aching pain in their lower back, as well as difficulty standing or walking for long periods of time.
There are numerous reasons why you may be experiencing this type of pain, and seeing a physiotherapist is the best way to find out for sure!
What’s the difference between back pain and sciatica?
Sciatica
Sciatica is a specific type of back pain that is pretty easy to diagnose, although it is reported as being highly uncomfortable. People with sciatica experience pain along the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in your body.
The sciatic nerve begins at your lower back and then splits at the base of your spine to extend further down to your buttocks, legs, and finally ends at the bottom of each foot.
The sciatic nerve can become compressed or irritated, which causes a “shooting,” “stinging,” or “burning” sensation in your lower back, buttocks, legs, or feet.
Back pain
“Back pain” is a very broad term that can be caused by an array of different conditions. For example, you may experience back pain due to having poor posture, a motor vehicle accident, or an injury sustained while lifting something heavy. You could also have back pain from poor posture.
Back pain can be described as acute, meaning it is short-term, or chronic, meaning it is long-term (typically lasting for three months or longer).
The treatment plan that our physiotherapist sets up for you, will depend on how you developed the back pain, in addition to its exact location and your past medical history.
Get started on a treatment plan today
Do you have any of the aforementioned symptoms of back pain or sciatica? If this is the case, you can seek immediate assistance at Silverberry Physiotherapy. Our physiotherapists are eager to help you get back on your feet!
To schedule an appointment, please call us at (780) 450-3435 or click here.
Back Pain and Sciatica FAQs
Is walking good for sciatica?
Yes. Short, comfortable walks can help many people with sciatica maintain mobility and gradually return to normal activity. While we understand that you may be tempted to rest, prolonged inactivity can actually contribute to stiffness, weakness, and reduced activity tolerance. It’s important to begin with distances you can manage without a significant or lasting increase in leg symptoms, then progress gradually. If walking causes pain to travel farther down the leg, increases numbness or weakness, or leaves symptoms substantially worse afterward, contact our team for an evaluation.
Can you have sciatica without lower back pain?
Yes. Sciatica can cause pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the buttock, thigh, lower leg, or foot, even when the lower back does not hurt. This is because sciatica occurs when a nerve root in the lower spine becomes irritated or compressed, so depending on the cause, you might not feel any symptoms in your back at all.
How long does back pain or sciatica usually take to improve?
Many episodes of non-specific lower back pain improve within four to six weeks, although recovery varies with the cause, symptom severity, general health, and activity demands. Sciatica may take several weeks or months to settle because an irritated nerve can recover more slowly than a mild muscle strain. Our team can assess your symptoms and provide you with a personalized timeline based on our findings.
How can I reduce the risk of recurring back pain or sciatica?
No strategy can prevent every recurrence, but maintaining regular physical activity, building trunk and lower-body strength, and increasing lifting or work demands gradually may reduce future problems. Avoid relying on one “perfect” posture; changing positions throughout the day is generally more practical. Our physiotherapists can also assess your lifting technique, mobility, strength, and job or sport-related demands, and then create a long-term plan to help you remain active and manage early symptoms.
Why does sciatica often feel worse when sitting?
Sitting may increase loading through structures in the lower spine and keep the hips bent for an extended period, which may aggravate an irritated spinal nerve in some people. Symptoms can also worsen with a slouched posture, prolonged driving, or prolonged sitting without changing position. If you regularly notice sciatica symptoms while sitting, try changing positions regularly, using a supportive chair, and taking brief walking breaks. Our team can also provide you with more personalized self-management strategies.