Back Pain & Sciatica
Back pain is the 5th most common reason people visit their doctor and 9/10 adults suffer with it at some point. While you can go a long way to limit back pain/sciatica occurrence with core strengthening, stretching and self-spine mobilisations (eg. Pilates), often treatment is required. Many suffers find painkillers only mask symptoms and physiotherapy has limited effect. Manipulative therapy (osteopathy, chiropractic) is often the next port of call; while this can certainly be helpful (especially if a nerve is pinched and/or vertebrae are fixated) I find clients usually get much more relief with a soft-tissue bodywork approach. Painful ‘trigger points’ in the muscles/fascia/ligaments cause the majority of back pain which I treat with trigger point therapy. Tight muscles & fascia (connective tissue) are addressed with deep tissue massage, advanced stretching and myofascial release. Muscle imbalances, postural problems & structural abnormality are corrected with structural integration and mobilisations. Advanced massage techniques followed by mobilising the spine can also usually ‘free up’ pinched nerves and fixed vertebrae, limiting the need for manipulative therapy.
Sciatica is also a symptom (pain referring down the leg from the lower back) not diagnosis and can have a number of causes. A soft tissue approach followed by stretching & mobilisations is usually very effective at addressing the various forms of sciatica.
Alton Advanced Bodywork is Kipp Clark; an Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist and specialist in Chronic Pain Treatment who treats clients in Alton, Fleet, Hampshire and Surrey.
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