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back-pain

Back Pain

About Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common conditions the general public suffer from, with approximately 80% of the population experiencing some form of lower back pain in their lifetime. Our chiropractors at the Newport clinic treat and help a large number of these patients every day.

There are numerous reasons why an injury to the lower back can occur, for example: damage to the surrounding joints, muscles, ligaments, discs or nerves. Sometimes simple movements such as bending over to put your socks on can trigger low back pain. However, it is usually a build-up of multiple factors which cause general ‘wear and tear’ to the spine. These factors include poor posture, psychological stress and weakened core muscles.

Here at Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic in Newport we deal with many patients who suffer from acute and chronic low back pain. The Royal College of General Practitioners and The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) have provided guidelines recommending chiropractic treatment as an effective treatment method for dealing with low back pain.

pregnancy-pain

Pregnancy Pain

Pregnancy Pain

It is perfectly safe to receive chiropractic care during pregnancy, and here at Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic, we ensure that all our treatment programmes are tailored to meet your specific needs and preferences. It is very common that during pregnancy women will experience joint, muscle or nerve pain, and also prior to childbirth these pains and discomfort may continue or even worsen. Providing gentle treatment to pregnant women as a way of relieving their pain or discomfort is something that our team of practitioners are experienced in.

The early stages of pregnancy put an increased stress and strain upon the body, for example, enlarging breast tissue puts a greater strain upon the muscles and the ribcage, and even morning sickness can cause extra strain as a result of greater stress being placed upon the ribcage and the spine. Gentle treatment of the joints, stretching techniques and soft tissue work in the rhomboids, trapezius, pectoral and intercostal muscles are methods of treatments used by our teams as a way of providing relief from any symptoms that the patient may be experiencing.

During the second trimester, further strain and stress is placed upon the body as further changes occur, causing increased pressure on pain sensitive structures. In this trimester the uterus rises and the abdomen enlargement becomes more prominent. The posture alters as a new centre of gravity is found, increased weight is placed on the heels and the natural curves of the spine are often accentuated. Treatments provided by our chiropractors at our Newport clinic include joint manipulation, mobilisation and muscle work, these can help in assisting the body with adapting to the changes occurring during this time.

In the third trimester the abdomen rapidly enlarges. Much of the enlarging uterus is borne by the surrounding musculature and pelvis including the rectus abdominalis muscles, the perineum, the pelvic floor and the pubic synthesis. The hormone relaxin is also released to help relax the interuterine ligaments but this subsequently allows other ligaments to relax. The hormonal changes that occur at this time can lead to discomfort and strain upon the joints due to altered movement patterns. To assist in decreasing the strain on the joints and muscles our chiropractors will individualise a treatment to suit the patient. As the pregnancy begins to reach its full term, chiropractic treatment can help to maintain good sacroiliac function; this can be very helpful and is very important for the preparation for labour and delivery.

The conditions and symptoms discussed above are the normal changes expected and experienced during pregnancy, however we are also trained and experienced in treating specific pregnancy related complaints. These conditions include persistent rib and chest pain, low back and pelvic pain, sciatica and symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). A physical assessment alongside an in depth history of your condition and progress will be taken by our team before a discussion of the treatment options takes place.

sciatica

Sciatica

Low back and leg pain:

Low back pain and leg pain can commonly occur together. All of our Newport chiropractors deal with patients suffering from sciatica. Sciatica by definition is any sort of pain that is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve.

There are a number of complaints and conditions which can cause sciatica:

Disc Herniation

A lumbar spine disc herniation causing pressure on lumbar or sacral nerve roots is the most common cause of sciatica. Disc herniations occur when you get small tears within the fibrous part of the disc (the annulus fibrosus) allowing the viscous material (nucleus pulposus) to gradually migrate outwards. Disc herniations generally occur gradually over time due to age related changes within the disc. However, traumas, lifting injuries and even sneezing have been implicated as a cause.

Piriformis Syndrome

This occurs in certain individuals (approximately 10%) where the musculature in the buttocks, namely the piriformis muscle, compresses the sciatic nerve. In these cases it is important to release the piriformis muscle to help alleviate and ease the sciatic pain.

Spondylolisthesis (slippage of vertebrae)

Spondylolisthesis occurs when a spinal vertebra slips forwards or backwards out of position. When this movement is severe enough it can generate pain in the form of sciatica.

Spondylolisthesis is most commonly caused by degenerative wear and tear of the spinal joints. However, it can occur in younger people especially if their activities include excessive bending of the spine, for example trampolining or gymnastics.

Signs and symptoms of sciatica:

– Leg pain which radiates from your lower back and travels down one of your legs to your foot and toes

– Numbness and tingling along the same region

– Pain may be aggravated by coughing, sneezing or sitting/standing for long periods

– Occasionally muscle weakness on the affected side

They may present with general back pain accompanying the sciatica, although the sciatic pain most commonly affects the buttocks and legs much more than the back. Here at our Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic in Newport we see patients regularly who are suffering from sciatica and use a wide variety of treatment techniques, which may including soft tissue work and dry needling.