St Cross Osteopathic Clinic

Osteopaths at St Cross Osteopathic Clinic are happy to treat patients with any condition listed above.

Sucking Difficulty

A baby having difficulty feeding may be suffering from a nerve compression. Cranial osteopaths would be quick to look at the area at the base of the skull to determine if the nerve was affected. From an osteopathic perspective, a child that has or had difficulty latching-on to its mother's nipple during the first few weeks after birth is a potential indicator that there may be some compression of an important nerve that controls the tongue. Whilst the sucking problem may clear up after a few days or weeks, the issue of compression of the hypoglossal nerve - or indeed other nerves - may not actually be resolved fully in the intial period after birth. A detailed patient history for a child should certainly cover this issue even if the condition for which treatment is being sought is rather different.

Sciatica

Sciatica is caused by damage to one or more intervertebral discs which bulge causing compression of the sciatic nerve. This compression sends pain shooting down the leg on one side of the body, even as far as the foot. If, in the worst case, one of the nerve roots is irritated the condition can cause extreme pain, numbness and loss of muscle control. A damaged nerve root can take many weeks or even months to recover and, even then, residual numbness may take as long as a year or more to fully subside. Osteopaths treating sciatica will use very gentle techniques to address the bulging disc without irritating the nerve root. Experienced professionals will try to relieve any pressure on the root of the nerve, however this is an extremely delicate procedure as the treatment may risk exacerbating the underlying problem.