Sciatica and trapped nerve treatment in London, North London, Enfield
If you have pain running downwards from your back into your leg, you may be suffering from sciatica, though some people experience sciatica pain down the side or at the front of their leg.
Sciatica can cause pain in the back, buttock, thigh, calf, and foot – in any one of these areas and sometimes all of them. This usually stems from inflammation close to the lumbar spine, in your low back, which affects the nerve roots situated there.
With sciatica, everyday activities such as walking, sitting, and driving can be very uncomfortable. Sometimes lying or sitting may relieve the pain, but for others, this can make it worse. Our therapists are trained to recognise different forms of sciatica and can advise on how much to rest or stay active.
The further down your leg the pain travels, the slower recovery will usually be. We, therefore, give people realistic time frames for recovery when necessary.
Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic for Sciatica treatment
We frequently treat sciatica patients and have extensive experience with a variety of trapped nerves conditions. In addition to treatment, our physiotherapists and osteopaths will give you useful advice to improve how you sit at home or work, ensuring you and your spine are more comfortable and pain-free in the long term.
We are happy to give you advice on which therapy is best suited for you, contact our friendly team for further guidance and information
Why Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic for your Sciatica?
Highly qualified and experienced staff who continuously update their training and knowledge through courses and in-house training
Professional yet caring and friendly environment, with well-equipped treatment facilities
Choice of male or female therapists
Advice and exercises tailored to you to help you stay fit and healthy beyond treatment
Open six days a week including evenings
What causes Sciatica?
Due to spine inflammation, the nerves around the spine can become irritated and sometimes compressed – known as sciatica. When nerves get irritated, they can send pain down the leg or foot, and cause other symptoms such as pins and needles or numbness. As the root of the pain lies in the lower back, treatment will usually be directed at that area.
Some common causes of sciatica are listed below. Although this is not a comprehensive list, most people we treat fall into these categories.
Common Causes of Sciatica
Lumbar disc problems
Our spinal discs act as shock absorbers in our spines, cushioning our every movement. Sometimes, usually due to prolonged poor sitting postures, these discs can become inflamed and their natural shape distorts, causing them to bulge outwards and press on the nearby nerves.
This type of sciatica is most common if you work long hours at computers, especially if you do not use an ideal chair and computer set up. For treating lumbar disc problems, as well as providing specialised exercises to restore disc health, our therapists may use other pain-relieving treatments such as massage and manipulation as well as advising on correcting your sitting posture at work and when relaxing.
Spondylosis
In older people, the spinal discs, which lie between each vertebra, naturally become thinner and lose their height. This brings the vertebrae closer together, decreasing the space for the nerves, and can result in episodes of sciatica.
Although these episodes can sometimes take several weeks to settle, the pain does usually respond to treatment and the natural healing abilities of the body. Advice about rest and exercise as well as other pain-relieving treatments such as electrotherapy, massage and acupuncture can all assist.
Sprains of the lumbar spine
In some cases, we simply sprain a muscle or a ligament in our spines, for example by trying to lift something that is too heavy, or doing too much heavy work in the garden. This type of sciatica tends to settle more quickly provided the right measures are taken in good time. Your therapist will help you gently stretch your back and re-strengthen, as well as to learn better techniques for doing these activities more safely.
Facet joint inflammation
Sometimes our spines seize up and we feel locked and unable to move in certain directions. This can occur due to inflammation in the facet joints, which are small joints connecting each bone in the spine (the vertebrae). If they become inflamed and stiff, they can cause sciatica as well as stiffness.
Your therapist may help your spine unstiffen and relieve pain by using specialised manipulation and massage, as well as exercises and electrotherapy.
Piriformis syndrome
Sometimes the muscles in your buttock and pelvis can become abnormally tight. This can be due to unresolved lower back issues, poor sitting postures, or muscle imbalance from poor exercise programmes.
The piriformis muscle, located in the buttock area, is a common muscle to tighten up and sometimes this can irritate the sciatic nerve which runs nearby or through the muscle – the course of this nerve varies from person to person. Treatment includes specialised massage techniques, stretches, electrotherapy, and also acupuncture is often helpful to release tension in the muscle and relieve pain.
Which treatments at the Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic would help?
When you contact us we will advise you on a suitable therapist for your condition; we have a team of therapists and may recommend a particular therapist to suit your needs.
Chartered Physiotherapy for sciatica
At Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic, we commonly treat sciatica and are well-placed to help you with any issues you may be having.
Our physiotherapists will first carefully assess your problem, and then treat sciatica with a variety of treatments.
Osteopathy for Sciatica
Our osteopaths are trained to an extremely high standard in the treatment of sciatica. With an emphasis on hands-on treatment, your osteopath will assess your sciatica in relation to your whole body. They will assess you carefully and provide a range of treatments for you including expert joint manipulation and massage when required.
Your osteopath can adjust your treatment according to your preference, as some people prefer very gentle techniques. As well as their expert hands-on treatments, our osteopaths may also provide these additional treatments:
During treatment we aim to find the cause of your pain, whether it is poor posture, bad lifting or handling techniques or sports technique, to ensure you remain pain-free in the long term.
Cranial osteopathy for Sciatica
Sometimes cranial osteopathy is included in sciatica treatments. This is a light, gentle treatment which can be very helpful especially if you have a history of injury – such as a fall, or if you are elderly or sensitive.
This treatment involves very light touch of the body, often the head and spine as well as the area of pain. It is a very comforting and relaxing treatment and for some people provides good pain relief.
Acupuncture for Sciatica
Acupuncture may also be suggested, which can boost the pain relieving benefits of osteopathy treatment.
What happens in my first physiotherapy or osteopathy appointment?
First, your therapist will take your medical history and examine you carefully. They will check for any malalignment in your back or difficulty in standing straight. Your back movements will be checked to see if you are having difficulty with, for example, bending forwards.
Other important tests will then be gently carried out to check for nerve problems, muscle involvement and spinal joint conditions. We will explain all the results to you, along with a plan for getting you back to your best.
At Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic we gear treatment to your needs – you may aim to be well enough for work, to go on a holiday, or be match fit for a sport.
Your treatment will start in your first session and may include massage, manipulation, electrotherapy, heat treatments and appropriate exercises and advice.
Follow up Sciatica treatments
At each follow-up session you will be briefly re-examined and asked questions about how you feel your progress is going. Feel free to ask your therapist any questions which still concern you and your recovery.
The rest of the session will focus on your treatment, which will be adjusted to optimise your recovery.
- In the early, acute stages, your treatment may include more pain-relieving treatments such as hands-on treatment, electrotherapy and acupuncture.
- As you progress, more emphasis is placed on strengthening exercises, and massage to help clear unresolved tension points in the muscles and build resilience against future strains.
- You will also be advised on how quickly you can get back to your activities, based on how your progress is going.
Are you ready to recover? Get started with our professional care and treatment for your Sciatica.
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