Sciatica is a common condition that causes pain to the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back down through each leg. It can be very painful and make it difficult to walk or sit for long periods of time.
If you’re suffering from sciatica, we have good news – there are ways you can relieve your symptoms and get relief fast!
Our osteopathic treatment is designed to target the source of your pain and help reduce inflammation in order to provide lasting relief.
We offer a range of treatments including hands on therapy such as massage, joint manipulation, dry needling, postural advice, and exercise programs so we can find an approach that works best for you.
What is sciatica?
The sciatic nerve originates at the base of the spine and travels along each side of the leg into the foot, making it the longest and largest nerve in the body.
A common condition that affects the sciatic nerve is sciatica. The term ‘sciatica’ describes the symptoms of pain which radiates from your lower back down through the buttock and into the leg.
It can cause tingling sensations in your foot or toes as well as intense pain and heat sensitivity.
Sometimes the pain is accompanied by numbness or weakness of muscles on one side of your body.
It’s not just your sciatic nerve that’s involved in sciatica – often other parts of your back are affected too.
Common causes of sciatica
The causes of sciatica can vary from a minor injury, a muscle imbalance, a herniated disc, a pinched nerve, pregnancy, or obesity to a more serious spinal problem that requires surgery.
Sciatica can also be caused by arthritis of the lower back.
The onset of sciatica can occur suddenly or gradually. The cause determines the onset. For example, a disk herniation can cause sudden pain whereas spinal arthritis develops gradually.
Symptoms of sciatica
Pain in your buttocks, lower back, and legs. Sciatic pain typically begins in your buttocks and may extend through your entire leg to your foot, sometimes even extending to your heel. If you have sciatica, this sort of pain is likely to be accompanied by other symptoms like tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness.
Numbness and tingling sciatica can cause a pins-and-needles sensation in your buttocks, hips, thighs, and legs. This feeling often begins in the back of your leg (in your calf or thigh) before spreading to your foot. You might also feel a “weird” sensation deep inside the affected hip or leg.
Muscle weakness. You may have great difficulty climbing stairs, walking up slopes, or rising from low seats. This is because sciatica can cause muscle weakness in your legs and feet, making it difficult for you to balance properly. Your buttock muscles may also be weak, making it difficult for you to rise from a sitting position.
Bowel and bladder control problems are another symptom of sciatica because the condition can cause weakness in your leg muscles, leading to poor blood circulation. Loss of feeling or tingling in your feet can also affect your ability to walk properly and balance, which can further affect your bladder control.
The symptoms of sciatica often become worse when leaning backward or forward, sitting for long periods of time, getting up from a seated position, climbing stairs, or lifting heavy objects.
How can osteopathy help sciatica?
When we treat patients with sciatica, we assess all aspects of the body including posture (how you stand or sit), movement patterns (how you walk), and muscle imbalances (what muscles are tight or weak).
It is worth mentioning that a piriformis injury, particularly one sustained by runners or other endurance athletes, can mimic sciatica due to the proximity of the sciatic nerve to the piriformis muscle. Our osteopathic assessment will determine if this is in fact your situation or not.
We then create an individualised treatment plan that addresses each patient’s specific needs so they get better faster!
Our goal is to help our patients achieve their best possible quality of life by reducing their pain levels through effective treatments while teaching them how to prevent future episodes from occurring again!
This means less time out of work/school/home which equals less money spent on medical bills!
Final thoughts
If you’re looking for an effective treatment to help relieve your sciatica symptoms, look no further than Foundation Health osteopathy and massage clinic!
Our experienced team of osteopaths will work with you one-on-one to find a solution that works best for your body.
We have helped countless patients just like you get relief from their sciatica pain without having to resort to surgery or medication!
If you’re looking for pain relief from chronic or acute sciatica, book an appointment with one of our expert osteopaths today!
