Sciatica : County Osteopaths : Cranial Osteopathic Clinic : Joanna Young, Lynette Topham & Jonathan Mussen : Osteopath Worcester, Malvern, Birmingham, Droitwich, Pershore, Bromsgrove, Evesham, Tewkesbury, Kidderminster, Redditch, Halesowen, Stourbridge

Pain, tingling, numbness, weakness or any odd sensation that is felt in the back of the leg, the side of the leg, the foot or the toes may well be sciatica.

The area of the leg or foot affected indicates which part of the sciatic nerve is being irritated or compressed. The nerve compression / irritation may be caused by an inflamed lumbar joint, an inflamed sacro-iliac joint (the pelvic joint where the dimples are above your buttocks), by excessive buttock muscle tightness or by a slipped disc.

The treatment required depends on the cause so you should see an Osteopath or another practitioner who is expert in diagnosing the causes of sciatica. As you get better the symptoms often move out of your leg or foot and into your lower back, this is a good sign - it is called centralising. The sciatic nerve can take a long time to settle once irritated but any pain should be brought under control with treatment, exercises and careful management.

There are other complaints which can cause pain, tingling, numbness, weakness and other odd sensations in your legs and feet. An Osteopath or other qualified expert would recognize these and would refer you to your Doctor if they suspected anything that needed medical attention.

Severe weakness in the foot should be reported directly to your Doctor as soon as possible.

Sciatica is what is usually called a trapped nerve. Trapped nerves in your neck cause similar symptoms to sciatica but in the arm and hand. The possible causes are the same; an inflamed joint in the neck, a slipped disc, or excessive muscular tension. As with sciatica a trapped nerve in the neck may not go unless treated by an expert in diagnosing and treating spinal complaints such an Osteopath.

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