Back pain and lower body pain affects every aspect of your life and its overall quality. One common issue that causes pain in the lower body, specifically through your hips, buttocks and leg, is sciatica. Sciatica occurs most often when a bone spur, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spine), or a herniated disk compresses part of the sciatic nerve. However, sciatica isn’t always the cause of lower body pain. Another condition known as sacroiliitis, which is more difficult to diagnose, can present similar symptoms but is actually caused by inflammation in one, or both of your sacroiliac joints. These joints are located where your pelvis and lower spine connect. Let’s take a closer look at each condition, how to tell them apart, and how to treat each through effective outpatient therapy.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Sciatica?
A classic sign of sciatica is a radiating pain that begins in the lumbar (lower spine) region and continues through the buttock and back of your leg. Sciatica typically only occurs on one side of the body. The pain caused by the impact on the sciatic nerve can present itself in a variety of ways. From minor and mild pain to sharp pangs and burning sensations, even numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness, sciatica symptoms can vary from person to person.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Sacroiliitis?
Constant pain in the lower back and buttocks is a key sign of sacroiliitis. This pain can also radiate into the groin, legs, and feet. Stair climbing, running, prolonged standing, and bearing more weight on one foot than the other can all aggravate an inflamed sacroiliac joint.
What are the Key Differences between Sacroiliitis and Sciatica?
While each condition has similar symptoms, there are a few ways to distinguish between them. The pattern of the pain that is being experienced is a differentiator. Sciatica will begin in the lower back following the path of the sciatic nerve. SI joint pain will also begin in the lower back and remain off to one side (similar to sciatica), but it will not strictly follow any specific nerve path. Sacroiliitis pain will also typically not extend beyond the knee.
How Can Outpatient Therapy Help Treat Sciatica and SI Joint Pain?
If you are suffering from sciatica or sacroiliitis, the condition and its underlying symptoms can be effectively treated with ice, medication, stretching, and most importantly physical therapy.
In the Baton Rouge area, Lane Regional Medical Center offers a variety of outpatient therapy programs that utilize the most effective therapy techniques performed by some of the area’s most skilled therapists.
