Sciatica Treatment Mt Gravatt
Personalised care and treatments for sciatica.
Living with Sciatica?
Sciatica can have a large impact on your everyday activities. It can cause varying degrees of pain and affect your level of movement.
But the good news is that rehabilitation programs have the potential to target the underlying cause, improve mobility, reduce muscle tension, and relieve sciatic pain.
With a holistic approach including physiotherapy, naturopathy, and acupuncture, our team can support you with a range of treatment options.
Causes of Sciatica
Sciatic nerve pain involves very long nerves, one travelling down each side of your body. Because it is widespread and has several branches, there are many issues connected to irritation or injury within the body that may be the reason for sciatic nerve pain.
The most common reason is a herniated disk or bone pressure on the nerve roots in the lumbar spine. Other possible causes for sciatica include:
- Injury to the region
- Degenerating discs
- Foraminal or spinal stenosis
- Osteoarthritis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Growths, such as cysts or tumours
- Conus medullas syndrome
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Pregnancy
Sciatica Symptoms
Symptoms of sciatica can range from mild to severe.
The pain typically occurs when undertaking movements such as lying on your back and raising your legs, bending, coughing and sneezing, or when sitting for an extended time. This pain can begin at the affected area and radiate down the leg on the side the nerve is affected, potentially affecting your lower back, buttocks, thigh, and calf. The pain is often described as like an electric shock or a burning sensation.
Other symptoms that may occur with sciatica include:
- Numbness in the affected area.
- Parasthesia (pins and needles).
- Weakness in your leg or foot.
- Urinary or faecal incontinence in severe cases.
The Pinch of Prevention team will design a treatment plan tailored to your needs and goals, working with you holistically from the first appointment.
Sciatica Treatments
There is a range of treatment options that can be utilised when you have sciatica. Our holistic team provides the opportunity to undertake a treatment plan that incorporates a variety of appropriate techniques and exercises.
Physiotherapy
You may be worried about moving when you have sciatica, but gentle movement is important. We can guide you through an exercise program for rehabilitation, as well as gentle manual therapy for symptom relief and functional improvement.
Your physio Mt Gravatt may also be able to help you prevent future injury or irritation. It is important to have strong lower back and abdominal muscles to promote adequate spinal alignment and posture, which our physios can help by creating a program that helps you get stronger. They can also help with guidance regarding posture and supportive ergonomics.
Naturopathy
Depending on why your sciatica has developed, naturopathy may help to reduce tension and tightness in the region with the aim of helping you find some relief without medication.
Acupuncture
The use of tiny needles inserted in specific areas of the affected area may also help relieve muscle tension and tightness, decrease inflammation and may improve circulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will sciatica improve on its own?
Sciatica may resolve without treatment. However, it may be a slower path to improvement, and you may cause issues if you are unsure how to deal with the condition. Seeking professional support may be beneficial in many cases. In severe sciatica, treatment may be the only way to find relief due to the need for manual therapy, medications, or surgery.
Are there risk factors for sciatica?
There are a variety of risk factors due to the broad range of reasons why sciatica may occur. These may include:
- Insufficient core and back strength.
- Poor posture.
- Sitting for long periods, lifting heavy items, or bending repeatedly.
- Having poor form when lifting heavy items.
- Normal wear and tear in the spinal region.
- Having a current or past injury.
- A higher body mass index (BMI).
- Diabetes.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Smoking.
Are there complications or long-term consequences of sciatica?
In most cases, sciatica improves. In rare cases, the sciatica may be so severe that serious damage to the nerve is involved. This may lead to chronic muscle weakness in the foot, which is called drop foot. There may also be ongoing numbness in the affected leg due to permanent damage to the nerve.
Why Choose Us for Back Pain Care?
At the Pinch of Prevention clinic, we are dedicated to supporting our patients towards a better quality of life.
Experienced Therapists
Our team is highly qualified and experienced to provide comprehensive and holistic care for a variety of issues.
Personalised Care
Sciatica can be a result of a range of underlying factors, so it is important that a one-size-fits-all approach is avoided. We can tailor your treatment plan to meet your requirements and target outcomes.
High Quality Resources
We have access to up-to-date, quality equipment and tools to deliver reliable care.
Book Your Appointment
Sciatica can be hard to live with, but we are here to assess, diagnose, and treat you. If you are experiencing the pain and difficulties associated with sciatica, please contact our friendly team to organise an appointment at your earliest convenience.