Back Pain, Sciatica & Disc Problems

Back pain affects almost everyone at some time, causing restricted movement and untold misery, stress and discomfort. It also causes millions of people to take valuable time off work, causing companies enormous sums in sick pay and lost production.

What causes back pain?

Chiropractic manipulation ('adjustment') has been recognised as highly effective in treating back pain, and the Royal College of General Practitioners issued guidelines for GPs in 1996 which recommends manipulation within six weeks of the onset for relief of back pain.

Chiropractors are trained to identify the specific cause of your back pain, and once you have been treated, they will advise you of an appropriate maintenance care plan.

The bones of your spine protect the spinal cord; if they lose their normal motion or position, this can irritate the nerve roots that branch from the spinal cord to the organs and tissues of your body. Sciatica is a general term describing pain in the sciatic region, which extends from the base of the spine down the back and side of the leg. Unless there is a specific injury to this region , pain here is 'referred' from other areas. (The irritation of a nerve in one area can sometimes lead to pain , known as 'referred' pain, in other parts of the body). The nerves that supply the sciatic region come from the lower back.

In order for the spine to be flexible , the vertebrae are joined together by soft tissue structures known as discs and ligaments. Each disc is made up of two parts - a central soft core and outer rings of tough cartilage. The disc allows movement and also helps to absorb shock. A 'slipped disc' is the rather inaccurate term used to describe the condition , often in the lower back or neck, where trauma or 'wear and tear' have caused damage to the outer rings of cartilage so that the core is squeezed outwards. This can eventually result in a bulge which can press on the spinal cord, the nerve root or the nerve itself. It can cause excruciating pain, either in the back or referred elsewhere - for example the lower leg or foot. Your Chiropractor will adjust the relevant joint to mobilise the spine to reduce the inflammation around the spinal cord or nerves.