Specialties Low back pain and herniated disc
Low back pain, herniated disc and sciatica
Back pain is the most common reason for consulting at the practice. Daniel Bontems, osteopath D.O., sees patients with acute and chronic low back pain, pain associated with a herniated disc and sciatica of mechanical origin, in Neuilly-sur-Seine and Aix-en-Provence.
Bring your test results: he goes through your imaging with you, along with the reports and your doctor's referral letter. The quality and detail of medical reports often help him find his bearings.
« Il est rare de voir un osteo si bien lire et vous commenter les images IRM. »
C. D.Google reviews
The most common situations
A back that suddenly locks after an awkward movement, pain that sets in and comes back in episodes, sciatica running down the leg, or a herniated disc seen on imaging with no immediate indication for surgery.
In all these cases, the pain felt in one place does not always point to what is causing it: a hip restriction, an imbalance in the pelvis or an abdominal wall that has stopped doing its job can sustain low back pain that seems purely spinal.
It is often the result of predisposing factors built up over time, which eventually show themselves during an ordinary movement. It is this underlying picture that the assessment seeks to understand.
Conditions treated
- Acute low back pain (lumbago)
- Chronic low back pain
- Lumbar disc herniation
- Degenerative disc disease
- Sciatica
- Cruralgia (femoral nerve pain)
- Sacroiliac pain
- Piriformis syndrome
- Low back pain in pregnancy
- Low back pain in athletes
Herniated disc: bring the images, not just the reports. Not all herniations are alike, and the approach depends on their type.
How the care works
Reading your test results
If you have them: imaging, reports, letters from your doctors. They are read before the assessment, to piece together the history of the pain.
Assessment
Pain history, mobility tests and neurological tests (slump test, straight leg raise (Lasègue) and crossed straight leg raise, sensation, motor strength) to identify what does or does not fall within osteopathy.
Manual treatment
Work on the lumbar spine, pelvis, hips and diaphragm. Structural, soft-tissue or gentle techniques depending on the phase and tolerance.
Self-management and referral
Advice on mobility, posture and returning to activity between sessions. Referral to a doctor when necessary, in particular to a neurologist for an opinion and an electromyogram (EMG).
Signs that require medical advice before any manual treatmentMotor weakness, loss of sensation in the perineal area, urinary or sphincter disorders, fever, pain that does not change with position. In these situations, referral to a doctor is systematic.
What patients say (reviews in French)
« Il est rare de voir un osteo si bien lire et vous commenter les images IRM. »
C.DGoogle review
« Cela faisait 1 mois que j’enchaînais lombalgies, sciatiques et douleurs cervicales… »
Z.AGoogle review
« …praticien à l’écoute, qui prend le temps d’expliquer… »
J.SGoogle review
« J’ai eu la chance ce jour de voir cet ostéopathe après plus d’un an d’errance médicale. »
E.LGoogle review
« Un suivi depuis de longues années. Daniel est un super professionnel qui aborde plusieurs axes. N’hésitez pas à y aller. Merci Daniel, à très vite. »
É.DGoogle review
« …m’a permis de mieux comprendre leurs sources… »
C.RGoogle review
« Quand tu trouves enfin TON ostéo, ayant des migraines depuis plusieurs années… »
M.Google review
« La séance m’a fait énormément de bien. M. Bontems écoute attentivement, analyse avec finesse et agit avec une précision… »
R.VGoogle review
Further reading
Low back pain, herniated disc and osteopathy
Another question? Write to the practice
Can an osteopath work with you if you have a herniated disc?
A herniated disc is a medical diagnosis. Osteopathy does not act on the herniation itself: it addresses the associated pain and tension, the mobility of the pelvis and spine, and the compensations that keep the discomfort going. Not all herniations are alike: depending on their type and location, the approach differs. A sequestered disc herniation (a fragment that has broken away from the disc) is not an indication for osteopathic treatment: it calls for a medical opinion.
In the event of a neurological deficit, medical advice takes precedence and referral is immediate.
How many sessions for low back pain?
For uncomplicated acute low back pain, one to three sessions are generally planned. Chronic low back pain that has been present for months requires longer follow-up and, above all, active work between sessions. The pace is set from the first assessment.
Do I need an MRI before consulting?
It is not necessary in most cases of common low back pain. Imaging becomes useful when the pain persists, when it is accompanied by neurological signs, or when surgery is being considered.
If a scan has already been done, bring the images as well as the report: Daniel Bontems will go through them with you.
Can I come in during an acute flare-up?
Yes. The session is then adapted to the painful phase: gentle techniques, work away from the acutely painful area, advice on positioning.
Can osteopathy avoid the need for surgery?
Osteopathy does not replace the surgeon's opinion. Without warning signs, sciatica caused by a herniated disc is treated without surgery first (osteopathy, physiotherapy, medical treatment); a surgical opinion is considered if the pain persists despite this treatment, and straight away in the event of a neurological deficit. Daniel Bontems works in liaison with the surgeons of the Clinique Drouot.