Sciatica Treatment in Sydney: How a Sciatica Massage Specialist Can Help
Updated: June 2021
Do you sometimes feel a shooting pain down your leg when you sit for too long? Or, get a dull ache in your lower back when you twist to reach something quickly? This isn’t discomfort that is just ‘part of life’, it could be a symptom of “lower back pain” or pressure on the sciatic nerve. If you feel discomfort regularly, consider visiting our team of chiropractors, who are familiar with soft tissue techniques similar to what is commonly referred to as a “sciatica massage”, in Sydney.
What is sciatica?
Essentially, sciatica describes nerve pain down your leg that stems from irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. One of the largest in your body, the sciatic nerve is formed when five nerve roots meet in your lumbar and sacral spine (in your lower back). Over time, this nerve suffers everyday wear and tear which can result in pain at varying levels of severity.It’s important to point out that sciatica is a symptom of another underlying condition. This can commonly be a degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis, but it’s important that you explore your condition specifically with your chiropractor or medical professional before the cause of your discomfort is determined.
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
Firstly, no two sciatica pain episodes are alike. So, you might have a different pain experience each time the nerve is irritated. Sciatica is classified by pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve – that’s from your lower back, along your buttocks, and down your thigh. Even as far as your leg and foot. It could feel like:
A dull ache, or
Tingling, or
A burning sensation, or
Shooting, stabbing pain.
You will only feel it in one leg and often trigger it when you are completing a particular movement. For example, sitting, or trying to stand from sitting, bending, twisting, or even – coughing!
How can a Chiro help?
Chiropractic care focuses on optimizing the function of your spine. Therefore, after consulting your concerns and history of the issue, your chiropractor will apply a range of evidence-based techniques to assist your body in returning to full movement. Commonly, we will apply Motorised Flexion Distraction Therapy (MFD-T) to a sciatic complaint. This is a traction based sciatica treatment (in Sydney) that applies pressure to the selected spinal area. By placing the affected disc into a pressure position, the muscle, ligaments or disc can be gentle stretched to restore function and relieve pain without the need for highly invasive surgery. It works by repetitively “cycling” the back through stretch and relaxation phases. This has been shown to increase the negative pressure in the disc, helping to “pull” the herniated disc back into the disc. This vacuum effect also improves the circulation - an important step for healing. Another method that is less abrasive but more of a temporary solution would be a sciatica massage in Sydney. A reliable sciatica specialist in Sydney will help you get on the right track towards recovery.
Learn more
At Sydney Spine and Sports Clinic, we put you first. We believe in offering chiropractic care that enables you to make informed and educated choices about your health. If you are suffering pain or injury and would like to talk to us about how we can help you get mobile and active again – get in touch right here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The best treatment is to diagnose why the patient has sciatica (pain down the thigh and leg from the back) and then apply a specific treatment protocol to diminish the pressure or irritation on the sciatic nerve.
Our CBD clinic has a specialised table (called Motorised Flexion-Distraction) which gently tractions the spine and discs and also moves the back repeatedly and passively, which has been shown to help in decreasing pressure on the low back discs and spinal nerves.
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Manual practitioners don’t “fix” anything. Our treatment approach is to identify why you have sciatica in the first place, and then put a plan into place to improve the function of the lower back discs, which will hopefully diminish pressure and inflammation.
The “permanent fix” will be to modify daily activities, so that you are not causing nerve irritation or entrapment. Rehabilitation (getting your back stronger) is also crucial to assisting in providing a longer-term solution
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Either will work. GPs or Chiropractors can both assess your sciatica complaint. The most important aspect of any treatment is to make a correct diagnosis of the problem, rule out any potential contraindications or underlying pathologies, and then apply the correct treatment.
GPs can also assist you in getting a Medicare rebate, through an EPC (Enhanced Primary Care) referral.
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Chiropractors, Physiotherapists and Osteopaths are the best practitioners to consult for your sciatica complaint. GP’s can also be very helpful.
The most important aspect of any treatment is to make a correct diagnosis of the problem, rule out any potential contraindications or underlying pathologies, and then apply the correct treatment.
If you need to see a specialist, your GP can assist in referring you to a Neurosurgeon, Orthopaedic Surgeon or Neurologist.