Physical therapy can offer a number of treatments for patients who are experiencing numbness and tingling. There are a number of modalities that Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation’s physical therapy team performs to reduce the symptoms and sensations caused by numbness in specific parts of the body. When there is pressure on the sciatic nerves, patients may experience numbness in the lower back that may travel down the leg into the foot. Sciatica numbness can affect leg strength, sometimes preventing patients from walking at a normal pace. Sciatic numbness can be relieved through physical therapy by increasing circulation and blood flow. Some exercises that have been useful in treatment of numbness in the lower back are knees to chest, hamstring stretches, and child’s pose.
Massage therapy and stretching can help loosen and decrease compressed nerves in the sciatica. Massage therapy and stretching, especially the hamstring, can loosen the piriformis, a muscle in your leg meant to stabilize, and decrease pressure on the sciatic nerve making it easier to walk at your regular pace.
