Chiropractic care · Verwood, Dorset
Sciatica Chiropractor in Verwood, Dorset
We offer precise, gentle and bespoke, technology-assisted chiropractic treatment for sciatica, the nerve pain that starts in the lower back and travels down the leg. Developed over 32 years of clinical practice. It is deliberately easy and comfortable for you as a patient. We aim for rapid relief and long-term prevention.
Book a free 15-minute assessment
15 minutes, no obligation. We'll tell you honestly if we can help.
How we approach sciatica
Sciatica is one of the conditions we can possibly help with. It is nerve pain, which is why it can vary as to exactly how it affects you. It starts in the lower back and runs into the buttock, the thigh, and sometimes the calf and the foot.
Not all leg pain is sciatica, and that distinction matters more than it sounds. Plenty of leg pain has nothing to do with the sciatic nerve at all, and the two are not treated the same way. Working out which one you have is the first job of the examination.
Where it is sciatica, a number of nerve roots may be involved or none at all and what we look for is the joint/s that is not sitting where it should and is irritating the nerve. That is what we treat. We stabilise the joint/s with manipulation and exercise and the aim is to take the pressure off the nerve/s, rather than working on the leg the pain is felt in.
The examination is where the attention to detail goes in. UK guidelines (NICE NG59) recommend trying non-surgical care first. If yours is not a case we should be treating, we will tell you at the assessment.
- An examination that separates true sciatica from the other causes of leg pain
- We treat the joint/s irritating the nerve, not the leg the pain is felt in
- Very small, precise movements made with instruments rather than by hand, alone.
- You stay fully clothed. No undressing during treatment
- A free 15-minute assessment, and an honest answer about whether we can help
The adjustment
Gentle, considered care
Every adjustment is made with instruments, which lets us put a small, controlled amount of movement into one specific joint therefore being very precise and repeatable. That precision is the point: and attention to details gives the best result in our experience. We have found this delivers the most comfortable, considered, easy and rapid response. When you are treated, you either lay flat face down or stay sitting upright, fully clothed, and each step is explained before it happens.
Why Frameworks
A unified technique developed over 32 years
Frameworks Clinic was started by Dr David Eldridge, who trained as a physiotherapist before he qualified as a chiropractor, and spent years involved in elite sport. Every clinician at the clinic follows the same written protocols, so what you get does not depend on who you happen to be booked in with. Behind the clinic sits an advisory Board covering orthopaedic medicine, mental health and current research. The aim of the Board is to make recovery comfortable, easy considered, and as rapid as possible.
Dr David Eldridge
Founder, 32 years in practice
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David trained as a physiotherapist before he qualified as a chiropractor. He built the method the clinic runs on, and spent years working in elite sport. He still treats patients in his consultancy clinics and chairs the advisory Board. BSc Chiropractic, Doctor of Chiropractic, GCC registered (No. 00206). Member of the Royal College of Chiropractors and the British Chiropractic Association.
Dr Joe Sanyal
Clinic lead practitioner
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Joe runs the day-to-day clinical work and is who you are most likely to be booked in with. He was treated by David as a teenager, which is what inspired him into chiropractic. Before seeing patients independently, he benefited from the rare opportunity to observe hundreds of cases alongside David. While most practitioners gain experience primarily through treating their own patients, this extensive period of observation allowed him to develop a remarkably detailed understanding of the Frameworks approach and its practical application. GCC registered (No. 06124), and a member of the British Chiropractic Association.
Dr Chris Batty
Advisory Board, orthopaedic and MSK medicine
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A GP specialising in orthopaedics and MSK conditions, who met David on the Sports Medicine Masters course. He is the longest-serving doctor in the football league and the current medic for a Championship club. He referred patients to the clinic because of the reliability of the results.
Paul Maxwell-Bown
Advisory Board, mental health and wellbeing
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A mental health specialist whose work on the Board covers the psychological toll of long-term joint pain, and the effects on recovery. He had been through this with his experiences of the NHS as a patient himself. His experience with Frameworks was very different and he wanted to help others understand this.
How It Works
Step one. A free 15-minute assessment
You come in, you tell us what's going on, and we check whether we can help. It takes fifteen minutes and it costs nothing. If your condition is unsuitable for our approach, we will direct you to an appropriate healthcare practitioner. It's unusual that we can't help, but it happens, and we want you to be able to address your pain as quickly as possible.
Step two. Your examination and first treatment
A full history and examination, is essential, so we know exactly what we're dealing with. This is where the attention to detail is vital. Your first treatment, usually follows immediately afterwards. You'll leave knowing what we found and what we're going to do about it. 30 minutes.
Step three. Three more treatments
Short, precise sessions, roughly weekly. Each one starts by checking what changed since the last, and each one builds on the previous treatment. We're taking the strain off the joint and stabilising it so it stops being irritated. 15 minutes each.
Step four. Review and discuss Management Approach
The Foundation Phase (4 treatments) is now completed. We expect, as with all long-term pain, that we will need to see you occasionally to manage your condition and prevent it from returning as far as we are able. The timings of these treatments are unique to you and your condition. We aim to minimise this as much as possible.
Our mandatory review
Every course has a compulsory review at the fourth appointment
We have always done this. At your fourth appointment we look at whether your pain has eased, whether you can do more, or both.
If nothing has changed, we refer you for further clinical investigation rather than carry on treating.
85%
of patients did not need further clinical investigation at their review
4
treatments in the Foundation Phase, including the review. A defined course, not an open-ended plan.
64%
had already tried other therapies before they came to us
Almost70%
came to us with back pain. It is what we deal with day in, day out.
From the clinic's own audit of the last 100 patients who completed the Foundation Phase.
What our patients say
Real, verified reviews from the people we treat, on Google.
Esther Skinner
Excellent service. I always feel listened too and have any required treatment explained fully. I never feel pressured to rebook but rather genuinely cared for.
Ashley Hockley
Very professional polite service. Dr Sanyal was excellent and the service was excellent as well I couldn't recommend them enough
Andrew Woodhouse
Excellent treatment and service again today. I have been a patient for around 20 years and cannot recommend highly enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Movement matters, and the current guidance (NICE) is to stay as active as you reasonably can. In the sensitive early stages, some specific exercises aggravate symptoms, so we will tell you which movements suit your stage and which to avoid. Many of our patients go back to exercise once they feel comfortable to do so.
UK guidelines recommend trying non-surgical care first. Even many disc-related cases settle over time. It's worth a free assessment to understand your options before committing to anything irreversible.
Some milder cases do settle on their own. Others are slower to improve. A free assessment can help you understand which is more likely in your case, so you can make an informed choice about whether to wait or to start treatment.
This is the question we hear most, and it is rarely because someone has not tried hard enough. What we look for at the examination is whether a joint is out of the position it should sit in. That is what we focus on in our approach. We don’t encourage extra movement in the joint but we aim to change its position, we find this tends to allow better function and we aim to stabilise the joint before any loading, exercises or stretches. Many of our patients go back to exercise and we encourage them once they feel comfortable to do so.
No. Adjustments are made using instruments that allow us to create very small, precise movements. This emphasises what we believe is the need for gentle, easy and considered care.
There is no cracking, forceful thrust or sudden manipulation. When you are treated, you either lie flat on your front or remain seated upright, fully clothed.
Pricing
We're upfront about what treatment costs. The free assessment means you can decide with no financial commitment.
Free 15-minute assessment
Your first visit. We check whether we can help. No treatment, no obligation.
Free
Examination & Treatment (Clinic Lead Practitioner)
Full history, examination, and first treatment (30 min)
£75
Examination & Treatment (Consultant)
Full history, examination, and first treatment (30 min)
£84
Follow-up Treatment (Clinic Lead Practitioner)
15-minute treatment session
£51
Follow-up Treatment (Consultant)
15-minute treatment session
£60
The Foundation Phase is four sessions, £228 in total, and you will know that before you agree to anything. Insurance receipts available for chiropractic cover.
Areas We Cover
We treat patients from across the villages and towns around Verwood. Click your area for local information.
Other Conditions We Treat
Book a free assessment
15 minutes, no cost, no obligation. We'll tell you honestly if this approach is right for your situation.