Nerve root irritation, otherwise known as sciatica is a condition whereby commonly the nerve roots that exit from the spine become irritated. These nerve roots within the lower back join to make the large sciatic nerve. There are many different forms to how and why these nerve roots become irritated or inflamed, common causes include either bulging discs, disc herniations with associated inflammation in the area, or from a degenerative process within the spine called spondylosis, which can result in osteoarthritis and bone spurring. Two main methods occurs to why/how this happens; an acute associated traumatic event i.e. lifting awkwardly or repetitive low level trauma over time.
Treatment for sciatica
Here at Dynamic Osteopaths in Solihull and Birmingham our approach to the treatment of sciatica is simple - to decompress the spinal area that is causing the irritation and therefore causing the symptoms, thus via means of manual treatment. It is often asked how our approach differs from the chiropractic treatment for sciatica and low back pain, due to the fact that osteopaths and chiropractors are both very similar in there medical training and uses of treatment modalities. Well to answer this question, yes, osteopaths and chiropractors both use spinal manipulation as a primary form of treatment for various cases of back pain, however, through well valued experience we have found that our approach at Dynamic Osteopaths is to treat and decompress the region via means of intermittent traction (gentle, effective treatment), and 3-dimensional traction - mobilisation techniques. These techniques are specifically designed to reduce inflammation and reduce tissue sensitivity. This is primary used initially to treat the tissue causing symptoms, following this, treatment techniques are then specifically used to challenge the predisposing factors that may be causing the initial irritation.
Within the practice of Dynamic Osteopaths, we normally predict for the ‘average’ sciatica a cause of 4 (5/6 max) treatments.
For further friendly advice feel free on contact us at: info@dynamicosteopaths.com
www.dynamicosteopaths.com
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