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Osteopathy for Nerve Pain

Written by Stephen Sacks – Medically reviewed by Stephen Sacks – Last updated July 11, 2024

Nerve pain, also known as neuralgia or neuropathic pain, is a painful burning, stabbing, or shooting sensation felt along the nerves. The pain is caused when damaged nerve cells send the wrong signals to the pain centres in your body. It could present at varying intensity levels along any part of the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves along the arms, legs, extremities, and organs.

Nerve pain stands in contrast to nociceptive pain, the type of pain with a clearly identifiable cause such as a cut or a burn. The causes of nerve pain are largely internal and can be difficult to diagnose in certain circumstances, not surprising if you consider that there are several hundred conditions and diseases that damage nerves. 

Osteopathy is one of several options available to those suffering from nerve pain. Our hands-on techniques improve alignment and healthy functioning of the musculoskeletal system, alleviating pressure on nerves, reducing pain, and facilitating healing and recovery. 

If you’re suffering from nerve pain, contact Stephen Sacks Osteopathy at 020 3865 9044 or make an online booking. I provide effective and affordable treatment for nerve pain stemming from:

  • Nerve impingement: also known as a pinched nerve. 
  • Sciatica: pain radiating from the lower back down the legs.
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand, wrist, and arm.
  • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: pain, numbness, and tingling in the neck, shoulder, and arm.
  • Peripheral neuropathy: pain, numbness, and weakness in the arms and legs.
  • Postural Strain and Repetitive Strain Injuries: nerve pain due to poor posture or repetitive motions.
  • Headaches and migraines: caused by nerve damage or irritation in the neck or upper back.
  • Facial Pain: mild to severe pain on the side of the face and jaw.
  • Chronic Pain Conditions: pain management for conditions such as fibromyalgia.

Please contact me in Harley Street or Highgate to discuss your nerve pain.

Causes of nerve pain

Understanding nerve pain first requires an understanding of ‘nerves’. If our bodies were cities, nerve cells would be the communication networks, telephone wires, and internet cables. These communication lines are essential for the city to function as they allow the control centre (brain) to monitor, control, and communicate with the different parts of the body. 

When nerve cells are damaged, they generate or distort electrical impulses that the CNS misinterprets as pain, weakness, numbness, tingling, or a combination of these effects.

What causes nerve damage?

Cuts and lacerations, burns, blunt force impact, and other physical injuries can damage nerves. Even if the injury and other tissues heal, physical nerve damage may cause persistent pain. Physical nerve damage may cause pain in a different part of the body.

  • Viral and bacterial infections, such as Shingles and Lyme disease.
  • Chronic conditions, such as diabetes, MS, RA, and more.
  • Genetic disorders, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)
  • Autoimmune disorders, such as Lupus or Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

When the surrounding tissues exert too much pressure on a nerve, it can cause pain and numbness. Examples of this include herniated discs and carpal tunnel syndrome. In both cases, nearby tissues press on nerves, causing pain and discomfort.

Unfortunately, even the healthiest people’s nerve cells degrade with time. This natural ‘wear and tear’ might be exacerbated by conditions typically associated with advanced age. It’s also common to see weakening muscles result in poor posture, which in turn leads to nerve strain.

Vitamin B12 is essential for the production of myelin, the ‘protective covering’ that surrounds and insulates the length of the nerve cell. Other vitamins and minerals also play a role in maintaining healthy nerve cells.

Our nerve cells are sensitive to a wide range of chemical compounds. Platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, alcohol, industrial solvents, heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides, and some medications may all directly harm nerve function.

How to find treatment for nerve pain

Due to the varied causes of nerve pain, there are several medical professionals to consider when seeking treatment for nerve pain. For many, the journey starts with their primary care physician or family doctor, who is likely to prescribe analgesics and/or refer you to a specialist for further treatment or diagnosis.

Specialist medical professionals that deal with nerve pain include neurologists, pain management specialists, osteopaths, physical therapists, rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, and psychologists and psychiatrists. Depending on their sphere of expertise, each professional will use the diagnostic and therapeutic tools and treatments at their disposal. It’s also important to note that nerve pain might respond well to a mix of treatments. This could include a combination of medication, hands-on manipulative therapy, home exercise, and even psychological counselling.

If you’re suffering from nerve pain, it’s important to not make up your mind about the causes and best course of treatment before consulting with specialists. While pharmaceutical and surgical treatments are sometimes warranted, in many cases, patients see a remarkable reduction in pain levels with non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical therapies, including osteopathic, physiotherapeutic, and psychological treatments. These techniques present a lower risk to the patient’s well-being and are often a more affordable and desirable option.

Suffering from nerve pain and not sure who to turn to?

Contact Dr. Stephen Sacks to find out how osteopathy brings effective and immediate pain relief from nerve pain.

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Why choose an osteopath for nerve pain?

Osteopathic treatments are an excellent early choice for the treatment of nerve pain. Our methods are non-invasive, non-surgical, and non-pharmaceutical reliant, and provide effective pain management for many of the conditions mentioned in this article. 

Realistically, many cases of nerve pain stem from conditions or situations that can be remedied with hands-on manipulative therapy and a change(s) in lifestyle. When compared to pharmaceutical treatment and surgery, this presents a much safer option that mitigates the risk of an adverse reaction or something going wrong under the knife.

Admittedly, there are certain conditions that osteopathy alone will not address. Conditions like fibromyalgia, viral and bacterial infections, autoimmune disorders, and others respond best to medications; however, patients that supplement these treatments with osteopathic therapy reap additional rewards. These could include faster healing and recovery, reducing pain from degenerative conditions, improved mobility, and more. In fact, it is not uncommon for osteopathy patients to see multiple specialists at a time, especially when dealing with chronic conditions.

Stephen Sacks osteopathy for nerve pain

As a registered osteopath with years of experience in helping my patients improve their quality of life, I am confident that I can help you diagnose and treat the causes of unexpected stabbing, shooting, and burning pains in your body. 

Although I see patients suffering from all kinds of nerve pain, either as their primary medical practitioner or as part of a larger team, I most frequently treat patients for nerve impingement or ‘pinched nerves’. Radiculopathy (injured or damaged nerve roots where they leave the spine) causes paresthesia (pins and needles), weakness, and shooting pains along the nerve, often extending into the arms and legs. 

Joint and soft tissue manipulation, along with techniques that mobilise and ‘stretch’ nerve cells, help to release the pressure at impingement sites and release neural tension. This can bring relief from the pain and discomfort of a pinched nerve in as little as a single session, with around six sessions typically needed for a full recovery. 

View this video to see how a nerve cell is supposed to glide along contracting muscles.

More about specific types of nerve pain I treat

For proven and effective knee pain treatment, contact Dr. Stephen Sacks

Affordable, accessible, and effective osteopathic treatments with a holistic view of health and recovery.

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How to prevent nerve pain at home

While it’s impossible to prevent all types of nerve pain at home, it’s important to remember that good overall health can dramatically improve your quality of life and reduce the risk of developing conditions that lead to neuropathic pain. This becomes increasingly important with age.

Some of the best advice I give my clients for preventing neuropathic pain overlaps significantly with common knowledge and practical sense and essentially boils down to ‘make healthy choices; they’re good for your nerves’. If you wish to give your nerves the best shot at ageing with minimal complications, slowing down the progress of degenerative conditions, or recovering from nerve damage or injury:

  • Avoid products have been conclusively linked to conditions that cause nerve damage. This includes giving up cigarettes, avoiding alcohol or consuming it in extreme moderation, and avoiding deep-fried and overly-sugary foods. 
  • Get some form of exercise, whether this be regular gym sessions, cycling around the neighbourhood, or simply walking for 20 minutes a day. 
  • Eat a variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. 
  • Monitor your blood sugar closely if you have diabetes. Sugar spikes and dips are a major contributor to many of the complications associated with diabetes, including nerve damage in the lower extremities.