(2.5 minute read)
One of the common questions patients ask me is if an osteopath can provide treatment of nerve pain in Bristol.
I’ve been treating patients suffering from nerve pain at my Henleaze clinic for many years.
Estimates suggest that up to five million people in the UK suffer from some form of nerve pain.
It usually impacts older people, with NHS statistics highlighting that up to 1 in 10 people aged 55 and over have some form of nerve damage.
Most cases of nerve pain that come from a musculoskeletal origin can be helped with Osteopathic management.
As a Bristol osteopath, I'm well-placed to diagnose and treat nerve pain deriving from a mechanical source. And yes, nerve pain does come in different forms and from a variety of origins.
Osteopathy can help treat some (but not all) of these. Where I am unable to provide effective treatment of nerve pain in Bristol, a patient will then be appropriately referred.
Types of nerve pain
Nerve irritation/compression
This is very unpleasant, and the pain tracks down the route of the nerve. It will cause pain but also likely interfere with muscle activity to the area that is affected.
It’s important to identify where the problem is (often distant to the pain) and what is causing it.
A common example might be a disc herniation pressing or irritating the nerve.
Chemical irritation of a nerve
When we suffer an injury, our body produces inflammation (fluid that gathers at the injury site to protect it), causing swelling, and this stimulates the healing response.
But the inflammatory cells can be a chemical irritant to a nerve. This can cause nerve pain in the area the nerve is supplying, such as an arm or leg.
Pain referral via a nerve
This is when one area is injured, and a local nerve transmits information to the brain.
However, if that nerve supplies other areas, the brain may perceive the pain in a different place, thus, the pain is referred or attributed to another area.
This is common in joint problems such as shoulder or hip issues.
Can osteopathy treat nerve pain?
A good osteopath in Bristol will be able to work out why a nerve is affected and causing pain.
It could be mechanical damage, and osteopathy can usually help.
But referred pain can come from other areas of the body such as internal organs, or nerve pain/damage can be due to underlying diseases, such as diabetes or MS.
An osteopath will ascertain through careful questioning and diagnosis whether they can help or whether they should refer.
Can nerve pain be prevented?
If the nerve pain is mechanical, the answer is often yes.
I’m a huge advocate of prevention being better than cure, and when it comes to the treatment of nerve pain in Bristol there are steps patients can take.
One effective method is to utilize Maintenance Osteopathic Treatments (MOT) that can spot potential nerve pain issues before they become more serious or disabling.
If you're booking an osteopath in Bristol for the first time, read this.
To make a booking at my Henleaze osteopathy clinic for the treatment of nerve pain in Bristol, visit here.