fbpx
LinkedIn

Sciatica

Sciatica is the name given to any sort of pain that is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It runs from the back of your pelvis, through your buttocks, and all the way down both legs, ending at your feet. At Reflex Spinal Health our team of Chiropractors & Osteopaths treat a wide range of conditions including sciatica.

Signs and symptoms

When the sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated, it can cause pain, numbness and a tingling sensation. The pain radiates from your lower back and travels down one of your legs to your foot and toes. The pain can range from being mild to very painful. It may be made worse by sneezing, coughing, or sitting for a long period of time. Some people with sciatica may also experience muscle weakness in the affected leg. People with sciatica can also have general back pain. The pain associated with sciatica usually affects the buttocks and legs much more than the back.

What Is This Condition?

In the vast majority of cases, sciatica is caused by a herniated or “slipped” disc. This is when one of the intervertebral discs that sit between the bones of the spine (the vertebrae) is damaged and presses on the nerves. Another common cause of sciatica is Piriformis syndrome. Piriformis syndrome is named after the piriformis muscle. This muscle is located in the pelvis, connects to the thighbone, and assists in hip rotation. The sciatic nerve runs beneath the piriformis muscle. This muscle is susceptible to injury from a slip and fall, hip arthritis, or a difference in leg length. Such situations can cause cramping and spasm to develop in the piriformis muscle. The spasm causes pinching of the sciatic nerve leading to inflammation and pain.

Less common causes include spinal stenosis (a bony narrowing of the nerve passages in the spine often associated with Osteoarthritis in the spine), a spinal injury or infection, or a growth within the spine (such as a tumour). You can minimise your risk of developing a slipped disc or back injury that could lead to sciatica by adopting a better posture and lifting techniques at work, as well as stretching before and after exercise, and exercising regularly.

Who Gets This Condition?

  • Sciatica can affect any age
  • Usually caused by a herniated or “slipped” disc
  • Elderly may have Spinal Stenosis
  • Poor posture may cause damage
  • Spinal injury through trauma may cause Sciatica
  • Very rarely linked with infection or tumour growth
  • Call 999 IF you lose bowel and / or bladder control

What is the Treatment for This Condition?

A combination of things you can do at home – such as taking over-the-counter painkillers, exercising and using hot or cold packs – may help reduce the symptoms until the condition improves.  At Reflex Spinal Health our excellent team of chiropractors and osteopaths prefer to see patients suffering sciatica pain presenting sooner rather than later.  Chiropractic and Osteopathy both utilise highly specific manual techniques for patients with sciatica. We act as a catalyst to speed up the natural history of the condition so that you get relief faster.

In the more persistent cases, we may advise you to follow a structured spinal rehabilitation exercise programme, have injections of anti-inflammatory and painkilling medication into your spine, and/or take stronger painkiller tablets.  If this is the case we will refer you back to your GP or consultant.  In rare cases, surgery may be needed to correct the problem in your spine.

Chiropractic and Osteopathy for Sciatica

First thing to know is that neither chiropractic nor osteopathy can repair a herniated or “slipped” disc.  Once this damage has occurred it is permanent.  However, about 15% of the population have disc damage that they are unaware of due to lack of pain.  What disc damage will cause is a loss of function in the spine at that level causing other structures to carry more than their fair share of load. Our aim is to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve whether a herniated disc or a spasm of the piriformis muscle causes it. To do so, we obviously will work on your low back but that’s not all.

As part of our concept of the body as a unit, we might need to work on the whole spine, the pelvis and even your limbs.  We look at the body as a whole, rather than just where the symptoms are.  As such we may assess the whole body as we care for you, and use only the most effective options out of a range of treatments for this chronic condition.

In addition, we might also give you some advices about posture or some exercises to strengthen your body to make sure your don’t do any relapse. If you want to learn more about it and meet our fantastic clinic team in Caversham, Reading, please call Reflex Spinal Health at 0118 946 2100 today!

Reflex Spinal Health

17 Church Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire RG4 7AA

  • +44 118 946 2100

About Us:

Reflex Spinal Health are a passionate, dynamic spinal health team. We are committed to help as many in our community of Reading, Berkshire and South Oxfordshire to enjoy the vitality of great health, to reach their health goals and feel truly alive! Our chiropractors and osteopaths offer the highest standards of care in a superb environment.

Privacy Policy

Cookie Policy

Web Design by Lifeblood Marketing