Sciactia vs. Back Pain: What You Need to Know
Plus: How Aquatic Therapy Can Help with Both
No one likes dealing with back pain. While you might be able to ignore the occasional twinge of discomfort, most of the time, back pain can impact how you sit, stand, and sleep.
But sometimes you think you’re dealing with ordinary back pain only to have other symptoms show up, like numbness or tingling in your legs. And that’s where things can really start to get tricky.
The truth is, back pain can stem from several possible causes and contributing factors. And sometimes, your back pain is accompanied by sciatica, a nerve-related symptom. Getting the right diagnosis is the first step toward the right treatment, such as aquatic therapy at First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center.
Breaking Down Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common medical complaints in the world. This pain affects the muscles, joints, and ligaments of the back and can range from a nagging discomfort to a debilitating pain that hinders mobility and independence.
Sometimes, back pain indicates an underlying condition, such as spinal arthritis. More often, though, it’s a sign that the tissues in the back have become sensitized. This sensitivity often develops due to:
- Lifting a heavy object or a sudden movement that exceeds what your back is currently prepared for.
- Staying in one position for too long, whether sitting or standing, which can lead to temporary stiffness and discomfort
- A lack of variety in how you move, which may make certain structures more sensitive to daily stress.
- Degenerative changes in the spinal discs
How Do You Know It’s General Back Pain?
General back pain generally causes:
- Dull or aching pain in the lower back
- Stiffness, especially after rest
- Pain that stays in one area
- Discomfort that improves with movement
You can contrast these symptoms with sciatica, which is a much more specific sensation.
What Exactly is Sciatica?
The term “sciatica” often gets used to describe any lower-body pain. However, it specifically refers to symptoms that occur when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated or compressed.
This nerve runs from the lower back, through the hips, and down into each leg. For this reason, sciatica often starts in the lower back but then radiates into the legs, something you don’t experience with general back pain.
The most common cause of sciatica does involve the back, however. In most cases, sciatica involves a bulge or disc herniation that temporarily irritates or compresses the sciatic nerve root.
How Do I Know It’s Sciatica?
Sciatica has several telltale symptoms that occur along the path of the sciatica nerve:
- Sharp, shooting pain that travels down one leg
- Tingling or “pins and needles” sensations in the leg
- Numbness or weakness in the leg or foot
- Pain that worsens with sitting or bending
How Aquatic Therapy Helps Back Pain and Sciatica
While sciatica and back pain are distinct conditions, there’s one treatment option that can help with both: aquatic therapy.
Water has several unique properties that make it easier for people to build strength and improve mobility without stressing their joints, including their spine. At First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center, we’ll tailor your aquatic therapy program to your needs, whether you’re dealing with general back pain or sciatica.
Aquatic Therapy for General Back Pain
Aquatic therapy for back pain focuses on reducing muscle tension, improving spinal range of motion, and strengthening the core and postural muscles. It’s a great choice for back pain because it allows you to move without aggravating your back.
Techniques we might suggest include:
- Water walking
- Core stabilization exercises
- Stretching in supported positions
- Guided movement patterns to improve posture
Aquatic Therapy for Sciatica
For sciatica, our goal is to reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve while restoring movement. The buoyancy of the water helps decrease spinal compression, which can relieve sciatica symptoms so you can focus on working through your treatment plan.
When addressing sciatica with aquatic therapy, we might use:
- Controlled leg movements in water
- Pelvic tilts and spinal alignment exercises
- Gentle stretching of tight hip and leg muscles
- A gradual strengthening program designed to avoid nerve irritation
Back Pain Or Sciatica? Or Team Can Help
No matter what back-related concern you’re dealing with, aquatic therapy offers a low-impact way to reduce pain, restore mobility, and safely build strength. Our gently-heated pool offers a way for you to reap the benefits of exercise-based treatments without pushing through pain.
If back pain or sciatica is holding you back, schedule an evaluation at First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center today. Our team will work to identify the cause of your pain and create a plan to help you move forward with confidence.
Return to PT at First Colony!
Miss feeling your best? Come back to First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center & Sports Therapy Center and let us help you get there—schedule your appointment today!
Are you looking forward to starting running again after a long winter? At First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center, our therapists understand running injuries, and we will make sure you run pain-free this spring!
Runners are often misled into believing unproven solutions to avoiding pain and injury. Not many people know that the number-one risk factor for runners to sustain an injury is having had an injury in the last 12 months.
The other most common risk factors are:
- Running experience of 0–2 years
- Restarting running after extended rest
- Overtraining (i.e., more than 40 miles per week)
To ensure you can get back to running or increasing your mileage without pain or injury, start with an injury evaluation and a biomechanical assessment to identify any factors that could contribute to pain or injury.
Our therapists will take a thorough history to understand your training schedule, previous injuries, and overall health status. We use this information to create an individualized program to alleviate pain and get you back to running without limits.
Patient Testimonial
“I’ve been doing aquatic physical therapy here since the New Year. Different physical therapists/aides have run the pool sessions so far and everyone is attentive to your needs and knows what they are doing. They are always consulting your treatment file and updating it if an exercise needs to be adapted, and checking if you’re doing okay during the hour of therapy. And they even ask if you prefer a certain type of music played! The pool is clean. I haven’t tried their “land therapy” yet, but as it’s usually the same therapists, I wouldn’t hesitate to try. Nice people!”
-Linda P.
Healthy Recipe
Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia Turkey Sandwich
Packed with savory flavor, this sun-dried tomato focaccia turkey sandwich layers tender turkey with rich, herby notes for a truly satisfying bite. It’s the perfect balance of hearty and fresh, making it a delicious go-to for lunch or a quick, elevated meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf of Trader Joe’s sun-dried tomato focaccia
- one 7-ounce package deli turkey
- 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
- one handful of greens – sprouts, microgreens, spinach, etc.
- a few pieces of thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup pesto
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toast the focaccia in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Mix the pesto and the mayo together in a small bowl to make a pesto mayo. Keeping the bread flat on a cutting board, turn your serrated knife sideways and slice horizontally through the center of the loaf. (You don’t want to flip the top and lose those yummy crumbles.) Keeping the top piece flat, set it aside. Layer the sandwich with pesto mayo, turkey, tomato, greens, red onion, and finish with dollops of pesto mayo. I dollop the top layer of pesto mayo directly on top of the greens and onions so that I don’t have to flip my top piece upside down to spread it on the bread. Gently press your top piece back on top of the sandwich. When it’s nice and secure, use a large knife to cut through the sandwich. I usually cut it down the middle and across 3 times for a total of 6 pieces. Serve and enjoy! This is sandwich goals.
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Our purpose at First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center & Sports Therapy Center is to leave a greater impact on the community around us. In order to achieve our goal we want to change as many lives as possible as we become a beacon of positivity in our community.
