Popular Conditions

Slipped Disc / Sciatica

Your disc is like a car tyre. When the wall of a car tyre is damaged, you may see a bulge in the tyre (Herniated disc). However imagine there is jelly in the tyre. This means should the tyre burst the jelly would burst out under pressure (Prolapsed disc). Both these events are known as slipped discs. These are the most common types of slipped discs. There are other types of slipped disc too, but they are all based on these principles. Slipped discs can cause severe pain or amazingly very little pain.
Right at the base of your spine there is a nerve about as thick as your own index finger. This nerve supplies your leg. It is the SCIATIC nerve. This is largest nerve in the body and can cause all manner of problems if it is irritated in any way. Simply put Sciatica is irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve (from inflammation, slipped disc, etc).

If you have any of the following symptoms Osteopathy maybe best for you. The combined symptoms of Slipped Disc and Sciatica might include:
*any of the above (see “Standard Back Pain” above)
*sudden stabbing pain in the back
*pain that makes you ‘freeze’
*you may not be able to support your own body weight
*you may be ‘bent double’
*the pain can be very frightening
*you may feel sick or nauseous with the pain
*the pain may go into your leg
*you may not be able to straighten your leg
*pin and needles may be present – possibly in your toes
*you may feel a ‘gripping’ pain around your ankle or foot.