Sciatica Treatment at Chelmsford Osteopathy Clinic
What is Sciatica?
Do you ever experience a feeling of pain, tingling or numbness in your lower back, down one leg or both? If so, this could be a condition known as sciatica.
Sciatica is not an actual diagnosis, but a description that refers to pain which runs along the sciatic nerve from the lower back, into the buttock and further down the back of the leg and into the foot. It is a common condition that affects many people with different intensities, from mild discomfort to symptoms such as pins and needles, an electric sharp shooting pain, tingling, intense burning, numbness or weakness in the lower leg.
The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body and sciatica is the term given for when this nerve becomes pinched, compressed, impinged or irritated along its natural pathway and can often made worse by sitting or standing still for long periods of time. Sometimes the sciatic nerve can simply be reacting to inflammation in that area.
Common causes of sciatica include terms you may or may not have heard before, such as:
Piriformis syndrome
Deep Gluteal Syndrome
Disc Herniation
Disc degeneration
Spinal Stenosis - A term for the narrowing of the passage where the spinal cord travels down the spine
Spondylolisthesis - A condition where one vertebra slips forward of another and compresses the sciatic nerve.
Why consider osteopathy for sciatica?
Fortunately, the evidence* on treating sciatica confirms that manual therapy can be considered as a non-invasive, non-pharmacological intervention in its management.
One of the key reasons osteopathy should be considered for treating sciatica is due to its holistic approach to healing and where we view your body as one whole connected system that should work in harmony. Unfortunately, sciatica often results from structural imbalances or dysfunctions in the spine, pelvis, or surrounding tissues.
Here at the clinic, assessing the root cause of your pain is our first priority. Once we have discovered the underlying cause, we can help treat it by using a variety of gentle hands on manual techniques, such as soft tissue manipulation, joint mobilisation, stretching and exercises that are primarily focused on alleviating sciatic nerve compression, pain relief and restoring improved function and mobility to the affected areas.
Osteopathy can also help stimulate the body's natural healing mechanisms. It achieves this by improving blood flow, lymphatic drainage, and neural function, which enhance the body's ability to heal itself. This natural approach not only provides relief from sciatica symptoms but also supports long-term wellness and prevention of recurrence.
In most cases, your sciatic pain can be managed and improved with osteopathy and complemented with self-care measures such as exercise and lifestyle modifications.
So if you are suffering from any type of activity or sports related pain, or know anybody who is, please do not hesitate to contact the clinic at info@Chelmsfordosteopathyclinic.co.uk or call 07440 498109 to book an appointment.
