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Sciatica & Low Back Pain
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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 known. We offer
all of these treatments.
Fast access to a health professional such as an
osteopath, who can give
you a full examination, a diagnosis and
expert advice & treatment can be essential to speedy
recovery.
The Wellfield Clinic
cured a problem that I had been struggling with for
a while, in just two visits.
I had previously spent a lot of money elsewhere but
to no avail. I highly recommend them and I know many
others who have benefited from their expertise. J
R Cardiff
Sciatica
Sciatica or sciatic pain is normally described as a
pain in the leg or buttock that is caused by the low
back.
It is generally easier to split sciatic pain into
two groups; referred pain and nerve root pain.
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.
Nerve root pain
is normally more severe. It can be 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.
Osteopaths are trained to diagnose and treat this
type of condition. 40% of our patients
come to us suffering with sciatica and back pain.
Getting an early expert opinion from someone like an
osteopath can be very helpful. We are always willing
to discuss your problem and your treatment options
over the phone so call us for a chat. 029 2019 0040
I had been suffering
with lower back pain for over a year and after
visiting the Wellfield Osteopathic Clinic on only 3
occasions I was amazed
that the pain disappeared! I couldn't recommend them
enough, truly exceptional. N P Cardiff
Low Back Pain
Low back pain can be a very painful and distressing
condition that will affect most people at some point
in their lives. It is most prevalent between the
ages of 35 and 55 with the incidence decreasing
after that. The important thing to remember is that
the vast majority of low back pain is benign, should
not last very long and will eventually get better. Expert
advice and guidance can help reduce recurrence and
duration.
Osteopaths are experts in the field of back pain and
contribute to the development of most of the current
guidelines on the management of low back pain at
Welsh, UK and European levels, all of which advocate
the use of manipulation. However this is not the
only technique that osteopaths may use acupuncture,
mobilisation, soft tissue techniques, such as massage,
articulation, exercise and good management advice
are all key in helping back pain sufferers get back
to normal as quickly as possible and help reduce
future occurrence.
There can be many reasons for
the onset of back pain; the three most common of
these 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 and management of the condition.
There is normally a genetic component to this type
of back pain so one or both of your parents may be a
back pain sufferer. 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. 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 full recovery is usual. However a very small
percentage may need to be referred for surgery.
Facet joint and sacro-iliac 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 nerve impingement. 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.
General advice
is to remain active and in work. However this is not
always possible and your osteopath may need to
provide you with an off work certificate or provide
advice for modified work and life activities. We
will generally advise people to do "little and often".
Moving around more often will stop your back from
seizing up and help the blood flow through the area,
this will normally reduce your healing time. If you
cannot move about or go to work then a couple of
days rest is really the most you should take and if
in doubt you
should always get the opinion of an appropriately
trained health professional.
Obviously it is very difficult to be specific so if
you have any questions or queries please call the
clinic. |
