Osteopathy and Acupuncture for sciatica

Anyone who has ever suffered with sciatic pain will know how painful and debilitating it can be. It is caused by the compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve. This is a nerve located deep in the buttock that runs down the leg. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in body running from the back of your pelvis, through your buttocks, back of legs and ending at your feet.

Irritation or compression to the sciatic nerve can arise from many causes, examples are:

• herniated (bulging) disc in the lower back
• bony growths on the spine
• arthritis in the low back or hip
• tight muscles in the buttock
• trauma to the lower back

At Estuary Clinic we treat sciatic related problems frequently utilising both gentle osteopathic manual therapy techniques and acupuncture. A full musculoskeletal and orthopaedic examination is taken to identify the true underlying cause of the sciatic irritation. Treatment of the related joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons is then undertaken to reduce the pressure on the sciatic nerve. This is done with a series of hands-on manual techniques tailored to each case. Sciatica can often resolve quickly with appropriate management and self-care.

Our treatment approach:

• Identify the cause of sciatic irritation.
• Use hands on techniques and acupuncture to reduce the pain and relieve compression and irritation to the sciatic nerve.
• Identify postural and biomechanical factors and any muscle imbalance that may contribute to nerve irritation.
• Address these factors through gentle manual therapy adjustment techniques (such as mobilisations, stretching to joints or other tissues like muscles and fasciae) and give appropriate exercise and lifestyle advice.