Osteopaths are experts in the field of Back Pain and Sciatica Osteopathy & Acupuncture are both safe and effective for all. You can usually get an appointment within days, not weeks or months. Call Now: 01633 553148
The National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE) advocate the use of manipulation, acupuncture and exercise as some of the most effective treatments for back pain. We offer all of these options.
Sciatica is usually described as a pain in the leg or buttock that has its origin in the low back. This is what osteopaths treat. we are prevented from saying we treat sciatica even though we can say that we treat pain in the leg caused by the low back which is the clinical definition of sciatica.
It is generally easier to split sciatic pain into two groups; referred pain and nerve root pain.
Nerve root pain is normally more severe than referred pain. It is often felt as a shooting pain in the leg that can extend below the knee and can travel into the foot or ankle. It can also be accompanied by pins and needles and occasionally numbness or weakness. More often than not there is little or no low back pain. Nerve root pain is usually due to direct pressure on to one of the large nerves in the back.
Referred pain usually accompanies low back pain and is often felt as a vague or aching pain in the buttock or thigh; it does not usually travel below the knee and does not usually have associated pins and needles and numbness.
The three most common causes of back pain are disc problems, facet joint problems and sacro-iliac joint problems.
Disc problems can occur throughout your life, coming and going at different periods. They generally last weeks to months, depending on the level of damage. There is normally a genetic component to this type of back pain. A very small percentage of people with disc problems may go on to prolapse the disc (slipped disc) which can cause it to impinge on a nerve and cause excruciating leg pain (Sciatica).
The back pain can often go and you may be left with just the leg pain, this can take six weeks or more to abate but most people make a full recovery.
Sacro-iliac & Facet Joint problems can be just as painful and debilitating as disc problems. However they usually don't last as long and don't normally have the same complications such as sciatica. They usually occur less often and are normally better within six weeks.
Occasionally back pain can become chronic. This does make it harder to treat but in most cases we can restore more normal function and make life more bearable for the chronic low back pain sufferer.
There can be many other causes for low back pain such as muscle sprains and ligament strains, to name but a few. However, these are quite rare and your osteopath will endeavour to find the cause of your pain and either treat or refer for imaging, such as X ray or MRI scans, or to the most appropriate health professional, although this is not normally necessary. Osteopaths are trained to diagnose and treat this type of condition. 40% of our patients come to us suffering with sciatica and back pain.