Osteopathy for Nerve Pain
If you have ever experienced nerve pain or even know someone who has, you will appreciate how incredibly painful it can be. Nerve pain can come from many sources in the body, and not all nerve pain looks the same. From pins and needles to a severe deep ache, nerve pain is one of the symptoms that as practitioners we consider most serious.
What is nerve pain?
Nerve pain or ‘neuralgia’ is pain arising directly from the nerves in the body. Often the nerve itself is not damaged but is being compressed or irritated by another structure in the body like a disc that has bulged or a canal that has narrowed.
Neuralgia can result in some of the worst pain possible and is often associated with nausea, anxiety and even depression.
What can cause nerve pain?
Nerve pain can arise from many causes but for the purpose of this article, we will limit our discussion to mechanical neuralgia.
Mechanical neuralgia is nerve pain arising from compression, irritation or tension on/of the nerve from another mechanical structure in the body.
These conditions are often a result of an injury or damage to a structure and in the injury process, the nerve or its pathway have been affected. As a result of this, often when we are treating nerve pain, we are not treating where the nerve pain may be or its ‘referral pattern’ but will concentrate on treating the source of the nerve pain.
Common mechanical causes of nerve pain
- Sciatica or lower lumbar radiculopathy
- Cervical nerve radiculopathy
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
Can nerve pain be treated?
In short, yes. As with all symptoms it depends on the cause of the nerve pain, however nerve pain caused by a mechanical source responds well to manual therapy techniques and care. Occasionally the cause is too stubborn or the body is not able to repair the damaged tissue, in these rare cases we work closely with your general practitioner to find the best pathway of treatment and management for you. This may include cortisone injections, epidurals, or in severe cases surgery.
We're ready when you are
MPR Health proudly offers a wide range of Osteopathy services & treatments covering back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, hip pain, headaches, upper back pain, sports injuries, work-related injuries and ergonomic assessment.
