MSK/Osteopathy in Central London

Benefits of Sciatica Treatments

Discover how targeted treatments for Sciatica can reduce discomfort, restore mobility, and improve your overall quality of life—whether through physical therapy, medication, or lifestyle changes.

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What are the Treatment Options for Sciatica?

Treatment aims to relieve pain, restore mobility, and improve posture and spinal health over the long term.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Osteopathy & Physiotherapy: Manual therapy to reduce nerve irritation, relieve muscle tension, and restore movement in the lower back and legs.
Exercise & Rehabilitation: Strengthening and stretching exercises to improve posture, core stability, and spinal alignment. Tailored rehab programs are designed to prevent recurrence of sciatica.
Postural & Ergonomic Advice: Advice on how to sit, stand, and sleep in ways that reduce pressure on the lower back and sciatic nerve.
Hot/Cold Therapy: Ice or heat packs to reduce inflammation, swelling, and muscle spasms.
Lifestyle Modifications: Support for weight management and staying active with low-impact exercises like walking or swimming.

Medication (if prescribed by your GP):

Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as paracetamol or NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen)
Muscle relaxants to ease muscle spasms
Prescription pain medications, such as nerve pain medication (gabapentin) for more severe cases
Corticosteroid injections for temporary pain relief and to reduce inflammation

Surgical Options (rare and only for advanced or unresolved cases):

Surgery is rarely required for sciatica but may be necessary if conservative treatments do not provide relief or if there is significant nerve compression.

Potential surgical options include:

Discectomy: Removal of the portion of the herniated disc that is pressing on the sciatic nerve.
Laminectomy: Removal of part of the vertebra to relieve pressure on the nerve.
Spinal Fusion: Fusing two or more vertebrae to stabilise the spine, typically used for conditions like spondylolisthesis.

We collaborate with spine specialists and orthopaedic surgeons for referral and advanced surgical interventions if needed.

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