When you feel any sort of pain in your leg, such as nerve pain, it can make you want to lie down all day until the pain fades. Unfortunately, though, life doesn’t stop for pain. The good news is that a physical therapist can help to alleviate nerve pain that you’re experiencing in your leg, including pain that’s caused by sciatica.

Sciatica is a type of pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back and down the back of each leg. It can be caused by a herniated disc or bone spur from the spine that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. 

If sciatica is causing persistent or worsening nerve pain in your leg, it can interfere with your ability to comfortably carry out your daily activities, impacting your overall quality of life. The good news is that the right physical therapy methods can make a difference.

We’ll talk about physical therapy treatments that can help alleviate nerve pain in your leg as well as how to know when it’s time to seek physical therapy for the pain. We’ll also discuss how Lattimore Physical Therapy can help, and why we are the best option for your nerve pain treatment.

6 types of physical therapy treatment to help sciatic nerve pain in your leg 

Sciatica is a common type of pain, with approximately 40% of people in the U.S. experiencing it at least once in their lifetime. When an issue is that common, there is plenty of knowledge shared throughout the health care industry that can help address it. If you ask a health care provider about how to treat ongoing nerve pain in your leg from sciatica, they are likely to recommend physical therapy as one of the first courses of action.

A physical therapist will assess your sciatica symptoms as well as the strength, flexibility, range of motion and overall function that may be impacted by the nerve pain. They can use that insight, combined with their expertise, to design a personalized treatment plan based on the severity of your symptoms, medical history and physical capabilities.

Here are six methods your physical therapist may include in your treatment plan to relieve nerve pain in the leg caused by sciatica:

• Stretches — Nerve pain in your leg can be alleviated by reducing the stress placed on the sciatic nerve. That’s why stretches are a pillar of many physical therapy treatment plans for patients with sciatica. Your physical therapist can guide you through stretches, such as the cobra stretch and the forward pigeon pose. The goal is to loosen up tense muscles that may be compressing the nerve and causing leg pain. 
• Strengthening exercises — When there isn’t enough support for your spine, it can lead to nerve issues in your legs because your movements can put excessive pressure on your sciatic nerve. Exercises that strengthen your lower back, core and leg muscles can help alleviate this issue. Your physical therapist will show you how to perform safe and effective strengthening exercises that can help your nerve pain, such as nerve glides and clamshells. 
• Aquatic therapy — Low-impact aerobic exercises can play a large role in alleviating nerve pain from sciatica. They can ensure that you’re not putting excessive strain on the affected tissue that could worsen the compression while still being active. A common low-impact exercise is aquatic therapy. The water’s buoyancy enables you to complete exercises that may be too painful to complete on land. Plus, the resistance from the water can work to strengthen your leg muscles for a decreased risk of future issues. 
• Soft tissue manipulation — Manual therapy is an important aspect of all physical therapy treatment. It refers to hands-on techniques that allow your therapist to manipulate the affected tissue to alleviate pain and improve mobility. For nerve pain in the leg from sciatica, your physical therapist will likely use soft tissue manipulation. This treatment involves using massage-like movements on your legs to break up tight tissue and release tension. 
• Graston Technique® — Another type of therapeutic technique often used for sciatica is the Graston Technique. This treatment involves using specialized stainless steel tools to find and alleviate restrictions in the soft tissue that can be impacting your sciatic nerve and leading to leg pain. The blunt, rounded instruments can also be used to help relax the surrounding tight muscles for increased mobility. 
• Spinal decompression — When it comes to issues that stem from the spine, such as sciatica causing nerve pain in your leg, spinal decompression can make a significant difference. It’s a type of traction therapy, meaning that it works to separate the spinal vertebrae to relieve pressure. It involves using a manual lumbar traction table to gently stretch your spine to alleviate the stress placed on your sciatic nerve. 

When to know that it’s time to seek physical therapy for sciatic nerve pain in your leg

Your legs get put through a lot of work on a day-to-day basis, whether you’re standing on your feet at work all day or running errands. That’s why it’s important that you don’t try to brush off nerve pain in your leg if you’re experiencing a sciatica flare-up. But how do you know when it’s time to seek physical therapy treatment? Here are a few signs that you should book an appointment:

• Your nerve pain is interfering with your mobility.
• The pain is becoming more severe.
• You’re experiencing leg muscle numbness or weakness.
• It’s impacting your gait, or your body position while walking, increasing your risk of falling.
• At-home treatments aren’t helping, such as cold and hot therapy or medication.

The benefits of being treated for sciatica with physical therapy include:

• Reduced risk of future issues or injury
• Less dependency on pain medication
• Overall improved function of your legs
• Education about your sciatica symptoms
• Lifestyle adjustment recommendations that can reduce stress on your sciatic nerve
• Learning exercises that you can perform to help future flare-ups 

Lattimore Physical Therapy can help relieve nerve pain in the leg caused by sciatica

Sciatica can cause pain and discomfort in your lower back as well as every part of your lower extremity. With the right physical therapy methods, you can alleviate the symptoms to reduce their impact on your overall quality of life.

At Lattimore Physical Therapy, we carry out an evaluation in your first visit with us. We assess the severity of the nerve pain in your leg, the related sciatica symptoms and the overall function of the affected area. Then we can determine which methods will be the safest and most effective for your issues as well as your physical therapy goals. With a personalized treatment plan, our physical therapists can help alleviate your sciatica and help you return to your everyday activities.

We also stand out from other physical therapists in your area, as we have a fully certified COMT in nearly every location. A COMT is a physical therapist with a Certification in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy. For patients with sciatica, working with a COMT can make a significant difference if they are being treated with manual therapy techniques like soft tissue manipulation. It’s always a plus to have someone who has put in the extra effort to be as knowledgeable as possible for such an effective treatment.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment to address the nerve pain in your leg.