Sciatica
Symptoms
Sciatica is pain felt in the buttock and leg, which sometimes travels all the way down to the ankle and foot. It may be associated with low back pain, numbness, pins and needles, and weakness in the leg or foot.
Sciatica
Causes
Fundamentally, sciatica is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve exits the spinal column through a ‘lateral canal’. Anything that narrows that lateral canal puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. For example:
Sciatica
Some common causes of Sciatica
Disc Bulge
The discs are the shock absorbers between the vertebrae. The disc is comprised of a fluid filled core, around which lies an outer ring of fibres. If enough fibres in the outer ring tear (through a one-off explosive force, or cumulative low grade forces), the disc can bulge (or ooze, rather like toothpaste out of a tube.) If the disc hits the nerve, it causes sciatica.
Osteoarthritis, Spondylosis & Wear and Tear
Bone is laid down in response to physical stress, so as we age, little bony protrusions called osteophytes can form on our vertebrae. If these grow into the lateral canal, the sciatic nerve can get pinched.
Piriformis Syndrome
Spasm in the piriformis muscle in the buttock can trap the sciatic nerve as it travels through, causing sciatica.
How do we treat this condition?
We build you a bespoke treatment plan
We tailor-make a treatment plan for you, cherry picking from the range of treatments we have in our tool-kit.
We will always discuss the type of treatment with you before your treatment plan begins.
We personalise your plan, for example, some people don’t like needles, while others find them a great help. Some people love the ‘crack’ of a manipulation, others don’t.
