Sciatica
Pain, tingling, or numbness that travels from the low back through the glute and down the leg.
Sciatica is a clinical term for pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve — from the lower back through the buttock and down the back of the leg, sometimes into the calf or foot. It is a symptom, not a diagnosis. The most common driver is irritation or compression of the L4, L5, or S1 nerve roots, typically from a disc herniation or lateral recess stenosis (Konstantinou & Dunn, Spine 2008). Lifetime prevalence is estimated at 10–40%.
Hallmark features include a sharp, shooting, or electric pain that travels below the knee, often described as 'burning' or 'lightning'. Symptoms are typically one-sided and frequently worsen with prolonged sitting, coughing, sneezing, or bending forward. Patients may also report numbness, pins-and-needles, or weakness in the foot — most classically a weak big toe or difficulty lifting the foot (foot drop) in more severe cases.
Sciatica peaks between ages 40 and 60. Higher risk groups include people in occupations involving repeated lifting, twisting, or prolonged driving, individuals who have suddenly increased training load or returned to sport after time off, those with prior disc injury, and pregnant women in the third trimester. Smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle all increase risk and slow recovery.
A combined, root-cause approach.
Evidence supports a conservative-first approach: a 2020 BMJ review found spinal manipulation, manual therapy, and directional exercise (McKenzie Method) produce outcomes comparable to surgery at one year for most lumbar radiculopathies. We identify the true pain generator, decompress the involved segment with adjustments and mobilization, restore neural mobility with nerve gliding, release contributing soft-tissue restrictions in the deep hip rotators, and progressively load the spine back into tolerance.
- Adjustments
- Nerve flossing / neurodynamics
- ART for piriformis and deep hip rotators
- McKenzie directional therapy
Related Conditions
View all →Low Back Pain
Aching, stiffness, or sharp pain in the lumbar spine that limits bending, sitting, or standing.
Neck Pain
Stiffness, soreness, or limited range of motion in the cervical spine, often from posture or strain.
Disc Herniation
A bulged or torn spinal disc that may irritate nearby nerves and cause radiating pain.