What is Sciatica and Disc Injury?
Sciatica is pain felt along the path of the Sciatic Nerve - which runs from the lower back, through the glutes, down the back of the leg and into the foot.
It's often talked about as a separate diagnosis - but its actually more a symptom of a few potential causes.
Commonly, its a result of a disc injury in the lower back. That means the outer membrane of the disc has become damaged and is causing compression on the nerves that form the Sciatic Nerve.
That sounds pretty scary and dangerous, and while sometimes it is, this disc damage can often be reversed or managed without needing surgery or invasive procedures.
Sciatica pain can also be felt if there is no disc injury - this type is usually from a muscular cause, like the Piriformis muscle becoming overly tight and pressing onto the Sciatic Nerve. It can also be felt if there is some irritation in the Sacroiliac Joint.
Symptoms include nerve pain along the Sciatic Nerve - it might be felt the whole way down to the foot, or just a part of the way, or just in the glutes and/or lower back. Nerve pain can feel like sharp, shooting pain; tingling and pins & needles; burning; numbness or loss of feeling. The symptoms are usually worse when you sit down or stand up, or spending a long time in one position.
There are special tests we can do in the clinic that can help us determine if your pain is likely to be coming from a disc injury, other structural injuries, or muscular causes.
It's often talked about as a separate diagnosis - but its actually more a symptom of a few potential causes.
Commonly, its a result of a disc injury in the lower back. That means the outer membrane of the disc has become damaged and is causing compression on the nerves that form the Sciatic Nerve.
That sounds pretty scary and dangerous, and while sometimes it is, this disc damage can often be reversed or managed without needing surgery or invasive procedures.
Sciatica pain can also be felt if there is no disc injury - this type is usually from a muscular cause, like the Piriformis muscle becoming overly tight and pressing onto the Sciatic Nerve. It can also be felt if there is some irritation in the Sacroiliac Joint.
Symptoms include nerve pain along the Sciatic Nerve - it might be felt the whole way down to the foot, or just a part of the way, or just in the glutes and/or lower back. Nerve pain can feel like sharp, shooting pain; tingling and pins & needles; burning; numbness or loss of feeling. The symptoms are usually worse when you sit down or stand up, or spending a long time in one position.
There are special tests we can do in the clinic that can help us determine if your pain is likely to be coming from a disc injury, other structural injuries, or muscular causes.
What kinds of treatments help Sciatica and Disc Injury?
The techniques I've found that work the best for people with Sciatica and Disc Injury are gentle mobilisations, soft tissue work like Myofascial Release, and cupping to help decompress the area where the nerve is being irritated. Dry needling can also help make quick changes to the muscle tension in the postural muscles of the spine and also in the glutes and Piriformis. Taping to support the lower back is very effective in most people for pain relief and reducing the irritability of the injury between treatments.
Gentle exercise and movement can also be a really useful part of your treatment plan - specifically I like to get people in to the pool because the water takes a lot of pressure off the weight bearing areas of the spine. Our closest Hydrotherapy pool is at Knox Leisureworks in Boronia.
Gentle exercise and movement can also be a really useful part of your treatment plan - specifically I like to get people in to the pool because the water takes a lot of pressure off the weight bearing areas of the spine. Our closest Hydrotherapy pool is at Knox Leisureworks in Boronia.
Get your treatment plan started!
Lets start with your Initial Consultation and Treatment.
A typical treatment plan for Sciatic and Disc Injury depends on the severity of the problem area.
Muscle-related Sciatica can often resolve in one or two targeted sessions with some take home exercises.
Disc Injury treatment plans generally involve weekly or fortnightly appointments, with the aim of extending the time between treatment as the injury begins to recover. People with a Disc Injury may need to work collaboratively with a Chiropractor for the best results to help manage muscles through Myotherapy and structure and alignment with the Chiropractor.
I like to do a follow up for any kind of Sciatic pain about 7-10 days after the Initial treatment, and determine how well your body has responded to the treatment so we can tailor the recovery plan for you.
A typical treatment plan for Sciatic and Disc Injury depends on the severity of the problem area.
Muscle-related Sciatica can often resolve in one or two targeted sessions with some take home exercises.
Disc Injury treatment plans generally involve weekly or fortnightly appointments, with the aim of extending the time between treatment as the injury begins to recover. People with a Disc Injury may need to work collaboratively with a Chiropractor for the best results to help manage muscles through Myotherapy and structure and alignment with the Chiropractor.
I like to do a follow up for any kind of Sciatic pain about 7-10 days after the Initial treatment, and determine how well your body has responded to the treatment so we can tailor the recovery plan for you.
See what others have to say
"I have been seeing Mel since May 2015.
I began seeing her after an injury to my lower back which ended up being bulging discs and nerve damage to my left leg. As this is very uncomfortable she managed to relieve some of my pain at the time. I saw her once a week.
Today I am in so much better shape than what I was a couple of months ago. In saying that Mel has helped me so much and has seen me at my worst and best. I am very grateful to have met her. I see her every two weeks and relieves any pain in my body." Rachel (who now only requires an appointment every 4-5 weeks to prevent her disc injury from flaring up!)
"I've had sciatica on and off for a few years now. When it comes back, I book in with Mel for a few sessions and it clears up pretty quickly. When its really bad she tapes my back and that makes a big difference." David
I began seeing her after an injury to my lower back which ended up being bulging discs and nerve damage to my left leg. As this is very uncomfortable she managed to relieve some of my pain at the time. I saw her once a week.
Today I am in so much better shape than what I was a couple of months ago. In saying that Mel has helped me so much and has seen me at my worst and best. I am very grateful to have met her. I see her every two weeks and relieves any pain in my body." Rachel (who now only requires an appointment every 4-5 weeks to prevent her disc injury from flaring up!)
"I've had sciatica on and off for a few years now. When it comes back, I book in with Mel for a few sessions and it clears up pretty quickly. When its really bad she tapes my back and that makes a big difference." David
