Sciatica

Sciatica 

As an osteopath many people walk into my treatment room and tell me that they have sciatica, but what actually is it?! 

The definition of sciatica is irritation of the sciatic nerve which is formed by the nerve roots of L4-S3: 

The Sciatic nerve

The symptoms of sciatica include:

• Low back pain
• Pain in the area supplied by the sciatic nerve: buttock, back of thigh, back/side of calf, ankle, foot
• Pins and needles, numbness or weakness in the area supplied by the sciatic nerve

Sufferers may not have all of these symptoms and they may not be present in all of the areas supplied by the sciatic nerve. Nerve pain is usually an intense, unremitting, gnawing ache, accompanied by sharp electric shocks on certain movements (so not too pleasant!). 

Causes of sciatica

There are many causes of sciatica however I see these 2 commonly in practice: 

Intervertebral disc herniation/ prolapse

If a disc in the lower part (lumbar) of the spine is herniated or prolapsed (slipped disc) then the injured disc material, or the inflammation created, can press on the nerve roots which supply the sciatic nerve, causing sciatica. 

Piriformis syndrome

In some there is an anatomical variation of the piriformis muscle, which lies deep in the gluteal region, where the sciatic nerve actually passes through it. If this is the case then if the piriformis muscle is in a continual contracted state then the sciatic nerve is squeezed or compressed causing irritation. 

When low back pain and leg pain coexist is it always sciatica?

No!

Here are just a hand full of other causes:

• Referral from a lumbar spine joint problem
• Sacro-iliac joint inflammation 
• Irritation of a different nerve
• Muscle pain 

Can osteopaths help with sciatica?

Yes!

If you suffer from what you think is sciatica we can give you a professional diagnosis, treatment and advice that is specific to you - remember no two peoples problem is the same!

Stop living with pain and get in contact!

www.rockinghamforestosteopaths.co.uk

07977367222

Thoracic spine manipulation is always helpful!

Many people who have visited osteopaths will have been familiar with the treatment given to Andy Murray at Wimbledon a few days ago:

Andy was complaining of shoulder pain but the therapist appeared to be manipulating Andy's thoracic spine. So why did he do this?

Many of the muscles that control the shoulder attach onto the thoracic spine. Also full shoulder girdle movement requires thoracic spine mobility. Therefore increasing the movement available in the thorax (by using manipulation) the shoulder has to do less work and the muscles are able to do their jobs properly. 

Releasing the thoracic spin via manipulation can be beneficial to many other problems! 

Neck pain is often contributed to by a stiff thorax; making the muscles of the neck work harder and become tired and achy. Similarly the lower back often compensates for poor thoracic mechanics, possibly eventually leading to intervertebral disc injuries. 

Furthermore there are very important nerves that exit from the thoracic spine - it is thought that manipulation, not only has a positive affect on joint and muscle function, but also on the nerves in the local area. So thoracic manipulation could have a widespread positive influence on areas of the body supplied by those nerves. 

If you think that osteopathic treatment may be able to help you get in contact with Rockingham Forest Osteopaths today! 

07977367222
www.rockinghamforestosteopaths.co.uk
charlotte@rockinghamforestosteopaths.co.uk

Why you shouldn't sleep on your front

I took this photo whilst on holiday earlier on this year (yes I realise how sad that makes me!), does this mans spine look happy.... No!

His lumbar spine (low back) is arched backwards which approximates his joints and basically squishes them together. His neck is in an even worse position - arched backwards and forced into full rotation. This man slept like this for at least an hour and I'm pretty sure he would not have felt good when he woke up.

Forcing your joints into these positions is not good for them! Our joints like space - prolonged extension (arching backwards) causes the joint surfaces to come closer together, this squeezes out the joint fluid and leads to irritation. 

This mans position is an extreme example of what happens when you sleep on your front (unless you use 2+ pillows, which you need to stop, now!). Even if you wake up in the morning and don't feel stiff in your neck or low back, which is unlikely, you could be causing problems for yourself in the future. Potentially a lack of nutrition to your joints, caused by prolonged extension, could lead to the development of early wear and tear. 

So can you change? Yes! Our sleeping position is a habit and we can change it! Try going to sleep on your side and put pillows in front of your body so that if you try to roll onto your front the pillows will stop you. Another, more extreme, method is to tape a beer bottle cap to your belly button (stay with me!) so if you lie on your back or side you are fine but if you roll onto your front the bottle cap will dig into you, causing you to wake up and change position. 

Changing your sleeping position is such an easy way to protect your spine and may prevent a few trips to your osteopath! 

Gardening tips

Gardening tips

At this time of year osteopaths start to see a growing number of patients who have injured themselves gardening. It may not be the most extreme way to injure yourself but it is very common and painful!

Here are a few handy tips to protect yourself from injury in the garden: 

1. Whether weeding, potting, digging or anything else always stop every 15 minutes to stand up, walk around and stretch. This will prevent your muscles from tiring from being in a prolonged position. 

2. Make sure you have the right equipment! Trying to dig a hole with a fork will take much longer and be much harder on your body than doing it with a spade. 

3. Use a kneeling pad. Kneeling on the ground will soon make your knees sore, it can also contribute to inflammation within the joint and behind the knee cap; doing this repetitively over time could lead to the development of osteoathritis. 

4. Don't do too much too soon! If a runner doesn't train for 4 months do you think they'd be able to run a marathon? Don't expect your body to be able to cope with 5 hours worth of gardening in one go. Split your work load over a few weekends to take the pressure off of your body. 

5. Try to maintain a good posture. Even a fit and healthy person will get low back ache if they spend too long bending forward over something. Try to keep your spine in a straight, neutral position whether you are standing or kneeling. 

6. If something is too heavy don't try to lift it on your own; ask someone for help or split the object into two (if possible!). Also remember to lift correctly - squat down, pick the object up close to your body and keeping a straight back use your legs to push you up. 

7. If you do injure yourself get in to see your osteopath as soon as possible! 

Happy gardening!

What is the click?!

Ever wondered what the clicking sound is when a joint is manipulated? And why does it help? Read on to find out. 

Many osteopaths, and other manual therapists, use joint manipulation techniques to bring about therapeutic change. The aim is to restore normal function of the joint which, hopefully, brings about a reduction in reported symptoms. 

Before manipulating osteopaths will gauge whether the technique is suitable for the individual patient, if it is then they will carefully assess the range of movement of a joint and if it is restricted then they may chose to manipulate. The osteopath will gain consent before using this technique as some patients may not like it and very occasionally they may suffer associated side effects. 

All manipulatory techniques involve creating tension within a given joint; using either short or long levers. This tension is created by the structures within the joint (capsule, cartilage) and outside of the joint (muscle, ligament). The tension brings about the formation of a gas bubble within the joint (synovial) fluid. When an external force is applied (a high velocity low amplitude thrust) the gas bubble pops creating the audible 'click', 'pop' or 'crack'.

So what is the point of doing this?

There are many theories to what happens during and after joint manipulation, these include: 

• relaxing tight muscles that are related to the joint by causing a sudden stretch to them that affects there nerve supply
• releasing adhesions within the joint which cause restriction
• releasing any trapped material within the joint such as folds of joint synovium or cartilage

These factors all contribute to bringing about an improved function of the joint which many people find to be an effective technique in osteopathic treatment. 

If you like to find out more on this subject please read this paper http://www.ncor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Audible_sounds_sm.pdf. 

Manipulation, along with other osteopathic techniques, may be able to help you! If you want to find out more don't hesitate in getting in contact with Rockingham Forest Osteopaths. 

Osteoarthritis (Wear and Tear)

There are many types of arthritis but by far the most common type that osteopaths see in practice is osteoarthritis, which affects around 8.5 million people in the UK.

So what is it?

Osteoarthritis, commonly referred to as wear and tear, is a condition that affects joints and usually develops over a period of time. In a healthy joint there is cartilage on the bony surfaces to aid joint movement, prevent bony damage and provide shock absorption, in osteoarthritis this is the first thing to be affected. The body’s constant maintenance of the cartilage slows and it begins to thin until eventually the joint ends up as bone on bone. The body tries to compensate by growing bone (osteophytes) in places where there should be cartilage.

This whole process is painful! The irritation of joint surfaces causes inflammation and swelling, also the muscles associated with the joint tighten up in order to try to protect it.  Wear and tear in one joint (or a few joints) can cause you to move differently and cause problems elsewhere.

What joints does it affect?

Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint but most commonly it affects joints that have been overused, suffered trauma or are weight bearing. In practice the areas that I see most commonly affected are the neck, low back, hips and knees.

Who does it affect?

Usually osteoarthritis develops in people over 50 however it may be earlier if a joint has suffered a trauma or overuse. It is also to do with your genetics, more common in women and if you are overweight.

What can be done about it?  

Unfortunately osteoarthritis cannot be reversed, however it can be managed and prevented from getting dramatically worse. Standard medical treatment may involve pain management, lifestyle changes, exercise programmes, steroid injections and perhaps eventually joint replacement.

Osteopaths can help manage symptoms of osteoarthritis with manual treatment by loosening tight muscle around the joint, improve fluid drainage away from the joint, improve joint mobility and ensure that other areas are functioning properly so that the affected joint does not have to overwork.

A diagnosis of osteoarthritis or wear and tear does not have to result in a down hill path! Don’t let pain stop you doing what you love; we can help!

Please get in contact: 07977367222 charlotte@rockinghamforestosteopaths.co.uk