Case Study Sciatica for 10 Years

Your Spinal Health Case Study

Female in her mid 60’s. 

Initial Complaint: Sciatica for 10 years. Pain into the Right shoulder. 

Initial Treatment: Tired. Pain recurred. Very sore right hip (due to compensating with one leg longer than the other for many years); this generally resolves within the matter of a few seconds! 2 visits a week for 3 weeks was advised. 

4 Week Review: Right shoulder and lower back pain. Feels like walking better. Pressure around the hips. Generally better. Prescribed shoulder relaxation exercises. 

8 Week Review: some muscle tightness. Moving on the right side of the body, up and down. Now isolated pain in the Right glute. Had a fall in the bath resulting in left rib pain. 

12 Week Review: Right piriformis muscle pain. Given exercises to help for this. Now just residual. Comes in every 4 weeks for maintenance. 

Therapist Notes: Often when a client has sciatica or nerve issues that run down the front or back of the leg, the muscles around tense to protect the area. This causes more nerve issues that just progress over time. As the muscles start to relax over the weeks, the symptoms reduce, and allows us to isolate a specific location, till the pain eventually goes away.