Back Pain and Sciatica
Back Pain and Sciatica
Back pain and Sciatica is what I treat more of than anything else at my Glasgow clinic. I spend much of my time assessing back pain and treating it, due to its high incidence. Although back pain and sciatica are common, it doesn’t mean it’s normal for it to occur.
There are many structures in the low back which may give pain to other parts of the body. The pain and stiffness can become worse if not identified and treated. Government statistics state that “Up to 70% of people will experience back pain in their life” and “that around one in three men and one in four of women in some age groups suffered for the whole year with back pain.”
Osteopathic techniques such as osteopathic manipulation (the clicking) and osteopathic articulation (moving and wiggling joints) is often an effective first line of treatment in correcting the mechanical problems causing your back pain. They are helpful in preventing your pain and discomfort becoming more persistent. These techniques together with appropriate rehabilitation exercise prescribed for you are considered the best way by the National institute of clinical excellence (NICE) to stop your back pain and sciatica reoccurring in the future
Back pain and sciatica can become a thing of the past with careful assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehab that you get in my central Glasgow Clinic
Up to 70% of people will experience back pain in their life” and that “around one in three men and one in four of women in some age groups suffered for the whole year with back pain.”
Back problems are often misunderstood. Most cases of acute low back pain are classed as ‘simple low back pain’ or ‘non-specific low back pain’. Simple low back pain means that the pain is not due to any underlying disease that can be found. In some cases the cause may be a sprain or strain or maybe even spasm of a ligament or muscle.
In other cases the cause may be a minor problem with a disc between two vertebrae, or a minor problem with a small ‘facet’ joint between two vertebrae. However, the causes of the pain are impossible to prove by tests and so it may be impossible for a doctor to say exactly where the pain is coming from, or exactly what is causing the pain.
The longer you put it off, the harder it will be to get going again. Simple does not mean that the pain is mild – the pain can range from mild to very bad. Typically, the pain is in one area of the lower back, but sometimes it spreads to the buttock or thigh. The pain can be eased by lying down flat, and is often made worse if you move your back, cough, or sneeze. So, simple back pain is ‘mechanical’ in the sense that it varies with posture or activity.
Problems with your back can cause pain in areas you may not associate with coming from your back. Leg pain and buttock ache, groin pain or tingling in the toes can all come from the base of the spine. This is why a back strain can be mistaken for a hamstring strain. Conversely, a problem elsewhere in the body may give you back pain. A problem with your hip or ankle, for example, may cause you to walk differently leading to a pain in your back.
Don’t be another back pain statistic. Because of my training and experience I’m ideally suited to helping you.