KEEPING ACTIVE AND WELL

It is important for the patient to stay both physically and mentally healthy while they wait for their surgery as this will help them get the best results from their treatment in the long term.  There are many online tools and resources available to help them keep active and to support their mental health.  Some specific treatments that might help patients include:

Pain Medication and anti-inflammatories          Painkillers and anti-inflammatories can help significantly in terms of allowing people to cope with their daily activities, remain mobile and getting a good night’s sleep. Use of any pain relief medication should be carefully controlled.  Steroid injections can help to ease the pain of osteoarthritis but the likelihood of a steroid injection working can be highly variable depending on the damage to the knee or hip.  Steroids also mask a patient’s symptoms but without addressing the actual underlying cause of the symptoms, thus fooling the patient  into thinking that their knee or hip is better, when it is not resulting in further damage occurring to the joint.

Physiotherapy and Chiropractic            Physiotherapy or chiropractic are recommended by NICE as part of the treatment pathway for knee and hip arthritis.  Appropriate treatment prior to surgery can improve a patient’s mobility and build strength and fitness levels and increasing the likelihood of a successful outcome from the replacement joint surgery.

Non-impact cardio fitness exercise       Exercise programmes can be helpful providing the patient with specific exercises and hands-on supervised guidance.  Cardio fitness exercise is something the patient can do for themselves.  The best exercises for patients with arthritis are those that are light and gentle on the joints such as walking, cycling and swimming.  Performing regular cardio exercise causes the body to produce endorphins helping to raise the patient’s natural pain threshold.

IN SUMMARY

With NHS waiting lists for knee and hip replacement surgery getting longer,  there will be a greater need for patients to consider alternative treatment options in order to delay the need for surgery,  to help them cope while waiting for surgery and to ensure that they are in the best possible shape when they undergo their operation.

USEFUL LINKS

whileyouwait.org       Provides additional information, support and resources to help patients while they are waiting for hospital care.

escape-pain.org  Provides a group rehabilitation programme for people with chronic joint pain that integrates educational self-management and coping strategies with an individualized exercise regimen.

Sciatica is a result of injury, irritation, or pressure to the sciatic nerve. It causes discomfort, numbness, weakness, and/or tingling in one or both legs. Sciatica is not a medical condition but a symptom of a medical problem, so it is important to get a diagnosis of the underlying problem before starting on treatment. We offer diagnosis and treatment for sciatica at our chiropractic clinics in Chester and North Wales. This article is a brief discussion of the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sciatica.

Symptoms

The sciatic nerve is the nerve that runs from the lower spine down to the back of the legs. It is  responsible for controlling the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg. It also supplies sensation to the back of thigh, part of the lower leg, as well as the sole of the foot. The symptoms of sciatica depend on its severity and people describe them as anything from a mild tingling sensation, through a a dull ache to a severe burning sensation.

The pain may radiate from the lower back down to the back of the thigh and the back of the leg. Some patients’ symptoms are severe enough to cause immobility. The symptoms often occur on one side and some patients feel a sharp pain in a part of the hip or the leg and numbness in other parts. The problem may also affect the calf or the sole and cause weakness to the affected leg.

Sciatic pain can be worse at night. The symptoms may be aggravated by certain activities such as sitting or standing; sneezing, coughing and/or laughing. Bending backwards may exacerbate the problem, especially if spinal stenosis has caused the sciatica. Bending forwards may aggravate it if it is caused by a disc herniation.

Treatment

Because sciatica is a symptom of another medical problem, it is important to know the cause. Piriformis syndrome, disc prolapse, lumbar facet irritation, spinal stenosis, spinal tumour and prostate cancer can all cause sciatica. Most cases of sciatica are not anything serious, but it is important to rule out underlying pathology.

In the short term you can achieve pain relief by applying heat or ice to the painful area or taking over-the-counter pain relievers. It is important to keep moving and we do not recommend bed rest. Your GP may offer you stronger pain relief. If the pain does not subside then you should seek a consultation with a chiropractor. 

For a diagnosis, short term pain relief and a full rehabilitation programme to get to the root of the problem we recommend that you seek chiropractic help at one of our clinics in Chester or  North Wales.