Sciatica is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide, causing pain, numbness, and tingling that radiates from the lower back down the leg. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you know how disruptive they can be to your daily life, limiting your ability to walk, sit, or even sleep comfortably. The key to effective treatment is the correct diagnosis and understanding the cause of your pain.
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, running from the lower back through the buttocks and down the legs. It is made up of several smaller nerve roots that exit from different levels of the lower spine. Each of these nerve roots is responsible for different muscles and areas of sensation in the leg.
This nerve controls the muscles in the front of the thigh, which help straighten the knee. If this nerve is irritated or compressed, you might experience weakness in your thigh muscles, difficulty extending your knee, or pain that radiates from the lower back into the front of the leg and down to the shin.
This nerve affects muscles that help you lift your foot and extend your big toe. If this nerve is affected, you might notice difficulty lifting your foot while walking, leading to a slight dragging of the foot, as well as pain that runs along the outer thigh, shin, and top of the foot.
This nerve is responsible for the calf muscles and the ability to point the foot downward. Compression of this nerve can cause weakness in the ability to push off the ground when walking, pain that radiates down the back of the leg, and numbness or tingling in the sole of the foot.
Sciatica is often mistaken for other conditions that cause similar symptoms. One common example is **sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction**, which occurs when the large joint at the base of the spine becomes irritated or inflamed. This can cause pain that spreads into the buttock and down the back of the leg, just like sciatica, even though the sciatic nerve itself is not actually involved.
Another common issue is **piriformis syndrome**. The piriformis is a muscle located in the buttock, and in some people, the sciatic nerve runs directly underneath or sometimes through this muscle. When the piriformis becomes tight or inflamed, it can press on the sciatic nerve, creating pain, tingling, and numbness similar to sciatica.
Other muscular or fascial issues, such as tight hamstrings, gluteal muscles, or the quadratus lumborum (a muscle in the lower back), can also send pain signals down the leg in a way that mimics sciatic nerve irritation.
Sciatica occurs when something irritates or compresses the sciatic nerve. This can happen in several ways:
The soft discs between your vertebrae can bulge or rupture, pressing on the sciatic nerve root and causing pain and inflammation.
As we age, the small joints in our spine can develop arthritis, leading to bone growths that narrow the space where the nerves exit, causing compression.
Even if there is no direct compression, swelling in the surrounding tissues due to an injury, poor movement patterns, or inflammation can put pressure on the nerve and cause sciatic pain.
Prolonged sitting, poor posture, or past injuries can lead to tightness in muscles and connective tissue (fascia), trapping the nerve and creating pain that feels like sciatica.
When the body heals from an injury, it forms scar tissue. If this scar tissue forms around the sciatic nerve or its surrounding muscles, it can limit movement and cause nerve irritation.
The most important step in treating sciatica is identifying exactly where the problem is coming from. Without an accurate diagnosis, treatment may only temporarily relieve symptoms instead of fixing the root cause.
To determine what is causing your sciatica, I conduct a thorough evaluation, which includes:
Checking for misaligned vertebrae that may be pressing on the nerve.
Assessing reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation to determine which nerve is affected.
Identifying abnormal movement patterns that may be contributing to nerve irritation.
Feeling for tight muscles, fascial restrictions, or areas of tenderness that might be mimicking sciatic pain.
By pinpointing the exact cause of your symptoms, I can create a treatment plan that directly addresses the issue rather than just masking the pain.
Once we have identified the root cause of your sciatic pain, I use a combination of chiropractic adjustments, muscle work, and fascial release techniques to restore normal function and relieve pressure on the nerve.
Gentle but precise adjustments help realign misaligned vertebrae, reducing pressure on the sciatic nerve and improving spinal function.
If the sacroiliac joint is the source of your pain, restoring its movement can provide significant relief.
Techniques such as deep tissue massage, stretching, and fascial work help relieve muscle tension that may be compressing the nerve.
Encouraging the nerve to glide smoothly through its path without getting stuck or irritated by surrounding tissues.
Teaching you how to move and sit correctly to prevent sciatic nerve irritation in the future.
Sciatica can be a frustrating and painful condition, but the right treatment can provide long-term relief. My goal is not just to reduce your symptoms but to find and correct the underlying cause, so you can return to a pain-free, active lifestyle. If you’re struggling with sciatic pain, getting an accurate diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan is the first step toward recovery.
