The cause, treatment and prevention of Sciatica

Sciatica

Written by Dr. David Howard – B.Sc. (Clinical Sci.), M.H.Sc. (Osteopathy), B.App.Sc (Human Movement) from Pascoe Vale Osteopathy located in Pascoe Vale, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

back painSciatica is a set of symptoms rather than a specific diagnosis. The symptoms are generally buttock pain and a sharp pain down the back of the thigh and sometimes into the calf.  Occasionally, when severe, there may be numbness, muscular weakness and tingling in the leg.

The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body. It originates from 5 smaller nerves from the spinal cord in the lumbar spine (lower back) and passes through the pelvis, buttock and into the leg.

The symptoms of sciatica are produced by pressure onto the nerve which decreases its ability to function and causes pain. There are many different causes of sciatica as there are many different parts of the body where it can become compressed.

Here I will outline a few of these causes:

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Causes, treatment and prevention of headaches

Headaches

Written by Dr. David Howard – B.Sc. (Clinical Sci.), M.H.Sc. (Osteopathy), B.App.Sc (Human Movement) from Pascoe Vale Osteopathy located in Pascoe Vale, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Headaches are one of the most common issues seen at Pascoe Vale Osteopathy. Headaches can range from a dull ache to debilitating migraines requiring hospitalisation.

Headaches affect 66% of men and 80% of women. 5% of adults actually experience a headache every day. Headaches may not be a serious disease but they greatly affect our everyday life, work and play.

What can cause headaches?

There are many different types and causes of headaches:
Eye strain
Toxic
Hormonal/menstrual related
Alcohol induced
Post traumatic (i.e. after a  bump to the head)
Migraine
Sinus headache
Jaw/Temporomandiubular joints (TMJ)
Whiplash
Dehydration
Due to serious disease such as a brain tumour (rare)

But the most common is the ‘cervicogenic’ headache (meaning from the neck) or ‘tension’ headaches.

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