Physiotherapy or chiropractor?
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Physiotherapy in my opinion. I don't trust chiropractors, I think they can do a lot more harm than good.
I sometimes suffer with mild sciatica, sleeping on too soft a bed on holiday can bring it on, and I get it down one side if I get a bad cold, viral infections seem to set it off. Always down the same side too.
Trying to keep active and stretching exercises help.
Geoff Cotton to the G&D please!.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I occasionally suffer and tend to find that gentle core strength exercises (stretches, assisted squats, leg raises, etc.) help when it starts to flare up. I have tried chiropractors and it's 50/50 as to whether it helps or makes it worse. Only had physio for a shoulder / arm issue so can't comment for sciatica but would tend towards this route given past experience. YMMV naturally.
Physio has worked wonders for my wife with sciatica. I don't trust chiropractors at all. Had two experiences, both less than brilliant.
My wife would suggest physio initially and poss regular massage (latter is her field) but it's about the sciatic nerve getting trapped then regular exercise/movt will help - poss a course of exercise suggested by a physio?
It depends what the issue is. I’ve had physio treatment, and Osteopath treatment, both excellent (I won’t go go to a Chiropractor again, as I haven’t found one that gave me any confidence). I have been in a long term relationship with an excellent, highly qualified/experienced senior physio, and I’d still recommend an Osteo for a lot of things.
For me the outcomes are based on what you know - if you haven’t got x-rays, CT, or MRI, then you are guessing, and in most cases so is your health care professional of choice.
Most things go away in 8-12 weeks with or without treatment - that’s one of the reasons people sing the praises of whoever they have been seeing - but in most cases it probably didn’t matter who they saw.
It's just a matter of time...
I had a prolapsed disc about 17 years ago & recovered eventually without need for surgery, helped by osteopath.
Regular exercise & stretching works for me to manage the situation & maintain core strength/stability.
Having said that I did my back in last week - been poor with my exercises for about 6 weeks (due to work commitments) and paid the price!
Currently being helped out by an osteopath as my back is in spasm - hopefully 3 or 4 sessions will put me straight, as I am leaning sideways from the hips at the moment!
I should then be able to get back to gentle exercise / stretching & then back to normal.
So, I would say osteopath & (or) physio (not chiropractor) if severe - followed by daily exercise + stretching before & after bed.
I’d also add, that my ex, the physio, would regularly see our Osteo - a lot more than I did in fact.
I have a recurring prolapsed disc (generally bulging disc and a source of regular pain or restricted movement) in my neck, and two flattened discs in my spine. After around 18 months of opiates, and using a TENS machine at work each day, and regular physio treatment, they sent me to the surgeon to have a consultation prior to spinal fusion 3 months later. Thankfully some Osteo treatment and light personal rehab outside of the physio got me relatively pain free and mobile again without resorting to the drastic surgery.
I would recommend some mobility exercises, and strengthening both core and supporting muscles.
My situation was caused by accidents (fairly serious motorcycle/car RTA, and years later failing from a balcony onto my back at the bottom of a flight of stairs) and the injuries from them rather than wear and tear.
If possible, treat the cause.
It's just a matter of time...
I`ll echo the previous comments regarding MRI, CT and X-Ray. There's an element of informed guesswork without this key diagnostic information.
I have tried both and for me personally the chiropractor helped in the short term but the physio was by far the best option in the long term. I am currently on pregabalin and keep up with the stretches and lunges to improve my core strength. The pain continues though :-( Next step is to invest in a decent mattress.
For me my first back problem with sciatica ended in surgery. However that was 13 years ago and no problem since.
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Had similar problems about 6/7 years ago and went to a physio who looks after Northern Ballet dancers and also ran pillates sessions , did the trick without recourse to surgery.
What did your GP say?
99% physio
Ask your gp
Buy 'Treat Your Own Back' by renowned physiotherapist Robin McKenzie to learn the causes of sciatica and a range of exercises to help put it right.
This was the only thing that worked for me after years of suffering and I've been symptom-free for years now.
Chiropractic is quackery.
In my experience most people need to improve their core strength and tone. In many cases the lumbar curve is over-exagerrated, the muscles of the lower back tight & relatively strong. There's an imbalance compared with the muscles supporting the pelvis & spine anteriorly. Takes a lot of commitment but it's worth putting the effort in. You don't need to be doing 100 sit ups, it's more subtle than that. I often do it when I'm driving the car. For example, focus in on the lower abdominal muscles & contract them, feel the front of the pelvis tipping upwards. Not referring to the OP here but many of them could do with losing a bit of weight too.
I'd recommend Pilates one to one. Alexander technique maybe. Plenty of drug free & surgery free options to try.
Thanks for all the replies,
I saw my GP a week or so ago and it was him who recommended a chiropractor, but having no experience of chiropractors and limited experience of "sports physios" I thought that the forum would be a good place for advice, on that basis I'll find a physio.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
What worked for me was using a running machine at a brisk walking pace.
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Yes, I have always found walking helps too.Originally Posted by RS404
Osteo worked a treat for me and a friend I recommended it to.
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got the same problem on left side tablets don't work also have bought one of those beds that one of the Williams sister's tennis advertisers Tempur Hybrid Elite Mattress just been told these boards work wonders looking to buy a second hand one
https://teeter.com/blog/inversion-be...sciatica-pain/
See a proper physio and get an assessment, i thought i had sciatica, after an assessment it turns out it is hip impingement that's causing the pain and the issue is mechanical, so only a hip replacement will fix it. They wrote up a report, sent it to my GP who then forwarded it on to a specialist, that's the problem with GP's, they are by name general, so unless you're lucky, they can struggle to diagnose this type of thing properly in a 10 minute assessment.
It's worth the check, because misdiagnosis will end up with you maybe causing more damage than good.
Interested and a little surprised by the negativity towards chiropractics. I'm sure there are some less effective ones than others, as with all disciplines, but in my experience over twenty years of occasional visits, for various reasons including sciatica, I've had nothing but effective treatments. My current practitioner is excellent and uses physio as well as the usual adjustments which keeps me on track. Some people swear by osteos, or physios, but I wouldn't dismiss chiros out of hand.
I've been living with moderate lower back pain for more than 50 years and have tried numerous treatments with marginal results.
"Sciatica" is a particular cause of lower back and leg pain, caused by a herniated disc or spinal bone spur pinching the sciatic nerve, usually resulting in pain on only one side of the body.
Treatments recommended by the Mayo Clinic include:
- Take over the counter anti-inflamatories.
- Apply a cold compress for 20 minutes on/off for a few days, followed by heat therapy, or heat/cold.
- Perform proper stretching exercises for the lower back and hamstrings.
- Seek professional physical therapy to improve core strength and posture.
- Request a prescription for a muscle relaxant.
- Request a steroid (cortisone) injection into the affected pinched nerve area for relief for up to several months.
In addition to these recommendations, I have found that massages, and electrical stimulation on a "flexible table" can also provide temporary relief. I also bought a Stamina Inline Traction Control System that I occasionally use to stretch out my back.
I've periodically used a chiropractor, but don't think it really helped me - - but everyone's problem is different.
Hope something here helps.
Had this problem last month, the pain is unreal, I was recommended to go for Chinese acupuncture. I was unsure at first but I barely walked in there in so much pain and on the way out I was skipping, the pain came back on day 2 but faded away fast, I would recommend giving it a go to be honest.
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PM SENT
Neither helped me particularly. A "standing desk" and core strengthening exercises have given more effective relief.
I would recommend Traditional Chinese acupuncture - although I confess i have a bias as that is my trade.
regardless of what you choose, get some local recommendations. no two therapists work in the same way. Find out what they will do in a session and how long a session is.
I find adding electrical stimulation to the needles makes a big difference, as does the addition of heat.
Try also laying on your back, bring knees to chest and rocking slightly. This opens out the lower back. for long term prevention, I would advise investing in a foam roller and gently rolling the lower back, buttocks and hips every other day.
A good physio should probably be recommending both of these when appropriate.
Massage to get things a little looser, exercises to help strengthen the core, a bit of acupuncture and some taping to help correct poor posture helped me. Ultimately though, whatever you find to help the pain you need to work out what’s causing it. For me it was years of laptop use and carting bags around with poor posture, plus a really soft mattress.
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