Osteopathy for Sciatica and Neuralgias Surrey

True sciatica is a condition where something compresses on the sciatic nerve, which gives a characteristic pain down the back of the thigh and at times into the back of the outer calf and foot, with or without back pain.

The compression can be caused by inflammation following an injury such as a torn muscle, a disc herniation (slipped disc), muscle spasm, spinal degeneration, a tight piriformis muscle (either under stretch or shortened) and sometimes a tumour or damage by disease, i.e. diabetes.

Typically sciatica only affects one side of the body. In addition to pain presented in the pattern mentioned above, there can often be a reduced sensation, tingling or weakness in the affected leg. Common aggravating symptoms are sitting, coughing, bearing down on the toilet, lifting, and bending forward.

Your Osteopath will often be able to help your recovery, depending on the cause, especially if the pain is mild to moderate or if it is more painful than within a recent time of onset. If you lose complete feeling in the affected leg, there is a major weakness, or there is a loss of bowel and bladder function, then you should promptly visit A&E or call NHS 111

This is like sciatica, but the pain is at the front of the thigh, or sometimes the inside of the knee and lower leg. The femoral nerve originates higher up the lumbar spine than the sciatic nerve and is not as common as sciatica. Damage to the femoral nerve can produce pain and a change sensation in the groin and the front of the thigh and the knee as well as weakness in the knee and leg. This can be accompanied by a dull aching pain in the genital area.

As with sciatic pain, your osteopath will assess you first to help rule out anything more serious, then, alongside some hands-on treatment, will also prescribe some exercises for you to do at home.

The brachial plexus is a collection of nerves predominantly found under the collar bone, which originate from the lower neck to the upper back and largely provide communication to the arm. The area can be compressed from trauma, tightly contracted muscles, rib dislocation, a fracture, or a tumour.

This can lead to pain and loss of sensation down the arm with or without weakness.

 Again, depending on the cause, our osteopaths will help with your recovery and refer you if not.

This is where the Median Nerve is compressed in the wrist, leading to pain, weakness and reduced sensation in the palm of the hand, wrist, and fingers with the thumb, 2nd to 4th fingers and palm. It is commonly caused by repetitive stress injury or trauma and is also common during pregnancy.