Sciatica Physiotherapy in Liverpool
Home physiotherapy across Liverpool for sciatica: leg pain from the lower back, pins and needles and numbness. No travelling while you are in pain.
What sciatica is
Sciatica is pain that travels from the lower back or buttock down the back of the leg, sometimes to the foot. It happens when a nerve root in the lower back is irritated, most often by a disc. It can come with pins and needles, numbness or a feeling of weakness in the leg, and the leg pain is often worse than the back pain.
It can be very painful, but the outlook is good. Most people get better within a few weeks to a few months without surgery. Physiotherapy helps you stay active while it settles, eases the pain, and lowers the chance of it coming back.
Why a home visit helps with sciatica
Sitting in a car and then in a waiting room is often the worst thing for sciatica. A home visit means no journey, and it lets Naveen look at the things that make your pain worse in your own home: getting out of bed, the chair you use, putting on socks and shoes, or the stairs. The advice then fits the life you actually live.
What helps
- Keep moving. Gentle walking and staying as active as you can usually helps more than bed rest, which tends to slow recovery.
- Find the positions that ease it. Most people have a few positions that settle the leg pain. Using them through the day helps.
- Graded exercise. Specific exercises, built up as the pain allows, to calm the nerve and rebuild strength in the back and hips.
- Pain relief. Speak to your pharmacist or GP about the right pain relief. Being able to move matters.
- A plan for work and sleep. Practical changes that let you keep going while it settles.
When to get urgent help
Go to A&E or call 999 straight away if you have numbness around your bottom or genitals, new problems controlling your bladder or bowels, or weakness in both legs. These can be signs of cauda equina syndrome, which is rare but needs emergency treatment. Also get prompt medical advice for leg weakness that is getting worse, or back pain with a fever, a history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
Naveen checks for these at every visit, but they should never wait for one.
What the first visit involves
- A proper history: how it started, where the pain goes, and what makes it better and worse.
- Assessment: your back, hips and the nerves to your legs, including strength, feeling and reflexes.
- A clear explanation: what is most likely going on and how long it usually takes, in plain terms.
- Treatment on the day to ease the pain, where it is likely to help.
- A short exercise plan and advice on sleep, sitting, work and driving.
Back pain without leg pain
If your pain stays in your back rather than going down the leg, see the back and neck pain page for Liverpool.
Why Naveen
Naveen is a chartered physiotherapist (MCSP) with around 14 years of experience, registered with the HCPC (PH127898). His main focus is musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy. He has worked in NHS and private healthcare in the UK, and has elite sports physiotherapy experience with professional footballers and athletes in the UAE and Oman, along with around five years of musculoskeletal and orthopaedic rehabilitation in a hospital in the UAE.
Every appointment is a home visit, and evening and weekend visits, including Saturdays and Sundays, are available depending on his diary. There is no GP referral needed. The first step is a free phone call to check that physiotherapy is the right thing for you before anything is booked. Naveen speaks English, Malayalam and Hindi.
Your physiotherapist in Liverpool
Naveen Ramakrishnan
Physiotherapist
- MCSP, HCPC Registered (PH127898), around 14 years' experience
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy
- Home visits across Liverpool and the surrounding Merseyside areas
Call Naveen on 07553 370300
Please mention Mobile Physiotherapist.co.uk when you call.
Home visits across Liverpool
Naveen visits homes right across Liverpool, including the city centre, Anfield, Everton, Walton, Norris Green, West Derby, Old Swan, Kensington, Wavertree, Childwall, Allerton, Mossley Hill, Aigburth, Woolton, Garston and Speke. See the Liverpool page for everything Naveen offers locally.
Helpful guides
Frequently asked questions
How long does sciatica last?
Most people improve within a few weeks to a few months. Some cases take longer, but steady improvement is normal. Naveen will give you an idea of what to expect after the first assessment.
Do I need an MRI scan?
Usually not at first. Scans are used when symptoms are severe, getting worse or not improving with treatment, or when surgery or an injection is being considered. Naveen will tell you if he thinks you need one.
Should I rest in bed?
No. Short rests when the pain is bad are fine, but staying in bed tends to slow recovery. Gentle walking and keeping as active as you can usually helps.
Will I need surgery?
Most people with sciatica get better without surgery. It is usually only considered when there is serious nerve weakness, or the pain has not improved after a good spell of treatment.
Can I have an evening or weekend appointment?
Yes, depending on availability. Naveen offers evening visits and weekend visits, including Saturdays and Sundays, which suits people who work or look after family during the day.
Do you visit anywhere in Liverpool?
Yes. Every appointment is a home visit across Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside. Depending on where you live, a travel charge may apply. Naveen always confirms it before your appointment is booked.