Lower Back pain Specialist and Sciatica Relief in the Greater Phoenix Area
Serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, and Fountain Hills
Lower back pain takes many forms. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the most common type, non-specific lower back pain, affects between 60% and 70% of people in industrialized nations. Sciatica, a debilitating lower back pain caused by issues with the sciatic nerve, affects between 10% and 40% of people. Simply put, lower back pain is a common challenge that many face in their daily lives.
Lower back pain can prevent people from doing even the most basic activities. Something as simple as rising from a seated position can cause pain due to back issues. What’s more, any activity that requires sustained standing can lead to debilitating flare-ups. Lower back pain also affects work performance, making it a concern for employers and staff.
These effects are so pronounced that the WHO names lower back pain as the world’s leading cause of work absence and activity limitation. In fact, it leads to over 149 million lost workdays per year in the United States alone.
In short, lower back pain is a significant problem. However, it’s not a problem that people have to endure. With the appropriate physical therapy, it’s possible to reveal the root cause of this type of pain. From there, creating a customized physical therapy plan can help lower back pain sufferers regain their strength and start rebuilding their lives.
Difference between back pain and sciatica
It’s easy to confuse back pain and sciatica. After all, both conditions lead to similar results. Constant aching and pains shooting through the lower back are common to both, making it difficult to determine which of the two a patient has without medical intervention. However, it’s essential to know which condition the patient suffers from to ensure the therapists take the correct physical therapy approach.
The difference lies in the sciatic nerve, the longest in the human body. This nerve originates in the lower spine and splits in two when it reaches the legs, with each part of the split nerve running down to the feet.
The sheer length of the nerve can make sciatica symptoms more varied than those of common lower back pain. Beyond pain felt in the back, sciatica can also cause weakness, tingling, and numbness in the legs. Furthermore, sciatica is a complicated condition that can affect specific body parts. For example, somebody may have pain in their left foot due to issues with the sciatic nerve in that part of their body, yet they may not experience any pain in their back. Conversely, they may experience lower back pain with no issues in either leg.
Back pain differs because it’s a more general term used for a broader range of physical symptoms. In this sense, we can consider sciatica a type of back pain. However, the term back pain can define any acute and chronic pain that affects the back.
Reasons You’re Experiencing Back Pain and/or Sciatica
There are several reasons why someone might experience lower back pain or sciatica.
Typically, sciatica is the result of a structural issue in the body. Problems such as bone spurs and disc herniations put pressure on the nerve. This pressure restricts the nerve’s function, leading to pain whenever a movement applies more pressure.
Because back pain is essentially an umbrella term for any condition that causes pain in the back, its causes are more varied. Structural issues and degenerative diseases affecting the spine can lead to consistent aches. It can be axial pain that results from strain placed on the muscles surrounding the spine. Additionally, radicular pain, which is inflammation, disc compression, or any other issue that causes pinching of the spinal nerve, is also categorized as back pain. Sciatica is a type of radicular pain, though it’s not the only type of radicular pain that leads to issues with the back.
We are experts in treating back pain and sciatica
Unfortunately, back pain is not simple. A patient must first understand the specific issue causing the pain before alleviating it. For instance, starting a physical therapy program designed for axial pain can do more harm than good if someone has radicular pain due to a pinched nerve. The complexity of back pain stresses the need for diagnosis by a professional who understands the various types of back pain.
That’s where Liberated Rehabilitation comes in. Our professional physical therapists work with clients who experience all types of back pain. We have the experience needed to help patients understand the specific issues that cause their symptoms. We also have the expertise required to create in-home physical therapy plans tailored for the patient’s circumstances.
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