Question & Answer Forum

Sciatica is the result of a problem in the low back that can develop from aging or from a spinal injury. These conditions are not passed on genetically, as patients may mistakenly believe. There is no current medical evidence to suggest that sciatica is handed down from generation to generation.

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common condition in children often referred to as "growing pains" of the knees. Osgood-Schlatter disease is the result of rapid growth and pulling of the tendons around the growth plate of the knee in adolescents. Gentle osteopathic treatment of Osgood-Schlatter is best accompanied with rest. By avoiding irritating activities, the inflammation usually subsides. Occasionally, a knee brace or even a cast is used, but this is usually not necessary.

Glucosamine is an amino acid that is naturally produced in the body. Glucosamine is a precursor to a molecule used in the formation and repair of cartilage. Treatment with glucosamine is based on the idea that oral consumption of the substance may increase to rate of formation of new cartilage by providing more of the necessary building blocks. The recommended dose of glucosamine in 1500mg each day for one to two months. Ongoing treatment if often continued if results are favorable.

In order to get the proper treatment for RA, you need to make sure you have the proper health-care team. Your primary doctor for treating RA should be a rheumatologist (ROO-ma-tall-o-jist), a physician with special training in arthritis and other disease involving diseases of the bone, muscles and joints. Your rheumatologist will coordinate with your GP. Other team members may include a physical therapist such as an Osteopath, an occupational therapist, a nurse, a psychologist, an orthopaedic surgeon, a physiatrist, and a social worker.

Hip arthritis symptoms tend to progress as the condition worsens.

What is interesting about hip arthritis is that symptoms do not always progress steadily with time. Often patients report good months and bad months or symptom changes with weather changes. This is important to understand because comparing the symptoms of hip arthritis on one particular day may not accurately represent the overall progression of the condition.
The most common symptoms of hip arthritis are:

* Pain with activities
* Limited range of motion
* Stiffness of the hip
* Walking with a limp

Evaluation of a patient with hip arthritis should begin with a physical examination and X-Rays. These can serve as a baseline to evaluate later examinations and determine progression of the condition.

Understanding what is causing your knee pain must be understood in the context of the pain. How old are you? Was there a traumatic event? Where is the pain located? Did the symptoms develop immediately or over time?

Once these questions are answered, your Osteopath can begin to investigate the symptoms. Putting the symptoms together with the history often leads to a diagnosis.

Plantar fasciitis is a common, painful foot condition. Patients, and sometimes doctors often confuse the terms plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. Plantar fasciitis refers to the syndrome of inflammation of the band of tissue that runs from the heel along the arch of the foot; a heel spur is a hook of bone that can form on the heel bone (calcaneus). About 70% of patients with plantar fasciitis have been noted to have a heel spur that can be seen on X-Ray.

Sacroiliac joint inflammation tends to respond well to conservative therapy. The first step in treatment is to avoid the activities that cause symptoms. For athletes, this may mean avoiding their sport to let the inflammation subside. Second, an anti-inflammatory medication can help to minimize the inflammation. It is important to understand that the anti-inflammatory medication is not given as a pain medicine, but rather to decrease the inflammation. Therefore, stopping the medication before your Osteopath tells you to stop can prevent proper treatment. Even if the pain goes away, the anti-inflammatory properties of these medications may still be effective. The next step in osteopathic treatment is to help strengthen the muscles around the SI joint and low back and help increase flexibility around the joint.

Depending on the size of the herniated disc and the condition of the patient, treatments may be conservative or aggressive. The usual treatment is to proceed conservatively. After diagnosing the problem, usually a period of rest is advised. It is important that rest takes place initially, but that gradually you return to activities. Often a few days of relative inactivity will help tremendously. Initial treatments are aimed at minimizing inflammation around the nerve with anti-inflammatory medications and stabilizing the lumbar spine with osteopathic therapy and strengthening exercises.

The most common cause of elbow pain is lateral epicondylitis, also called tennis elbow. Patients with lateral epicondylitis have pain over the outside of the joint and difficulty gripping objects. Interestingly, most patients with lateral epicondylitis are not tennis players! Your Osteopath will be able to talk you through possible treatment options.

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that causes loss of motion in the shoulder joint. Often patients experience trauma to the shoulder prior to the onset, and sometimes there is no known cause.

Treatment primarily consists of pain relief (drug therapy) and physical therapy (osteopathic treatment). Exercises and stretching for frozen shoulder serves two functions:

* to increase the motion in the joint

* to minimize the loss of muscle on the affected arm (muscle atrophy)

I cannot adequately emphasize the importance of therapy and exercises, as these are the key to successful frozen shoulder treatment. Your Osteopath may also incorporate ultrasound, ice, heat, and other modalities into the rehabilitation for frozen shoulder. GP administered cortisone injections are also commonly used to decrease the inflammation in the frozen shoulder joint. Usually up to three injections can be given, spanning several weeks. After three injections, if improvement is not seen it is unlikely that more injections will alter the course of frozen shoulder treatment.

Osteopathic treatment throughout pregnancy can help the body adapt to the changes which are taking place. Gentle osteopathic treatment may help to relieve the aches and pains caused by the growth of the baby and the mother's reaction to this. Advice from your Osteopath can help you change your posture and learn to hold your body correctly through pregnancy.

Osteopaths can also help to ease other side effects of pregnancy such as heartburn, indigestion, constipation and pain in the buttock. Some patients, too, report reduced morning sickness after osteopathic treatment.

Whiplash is condition caused by injury to the soft-tissue structures of the cervical spine, or neck region. Usually whiplash is a strain of the muscles or sprain of the ligaments that move and support the spine and head. Often whiplash occurs after a sudden, unexpected movement of extension and flexion of the neck, most commonly during a car crash. This can also be the result of sleeping or holding the neck in an awkward position.

Most episodes of back pain last a few days, and have completely resolved within a few weeks. If you have new back pain, you should contact your Osteopath to see if you need further evaluation. There are also a few warning signs that may indicate a problem that needs immediate evaluation:

* Your back pain persists beyond a few days
* Your back pain awakens you at night
* Your have difficulty controlling your bowels or bladder
* You have a fever, chills, sweats, or other signs of infection
* Any other unusual symptoms