Sciatica
Sciatica is pain that travels from the lower back or buttock down the leg along the sciatic nerve, and most cases improve with physical therapy rather than surgery. Logos Physical Therapy treats sciatic nerve pain in Perth Amboy and Somerville, starting with finding which part of your back or hip is irritating the nerve.
Why the pain travels down your leg
The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back through the buttock and down the back of each leg. When something presses on or irritates it, you can feel shooting pain in the leg, tingling down the leg, or numbness in the leg, usually on one side. Patients describe it as a pinched nerve in the lower back, or pain down my leg that gets worse when I sit.
The problem is rarely the leg itself. Your physical therapist finds where the nerve is being bothered and treats that spot.
Common causes we sort through
Different causes need different exercises, so the evaluation matters.
Herniated disc
A disc bulge can press on a nerve root in the low back (lumbar radiculopathy).
Spinal stenosis
A narrowed spinal canal can irritate the nerves, often with walking or standing.
Piriformis syndrome
A tight muscle deep in the buttock can irritate the nerve and cause buttock pain. Hip joint problems can feel similar; see hip pain.
Spondylolisthesis
A vertebra that has slipped forward can narrow the space for the nerve.
How treatment works
Your plan follows what the evaluation finds. Most cases get better without surgery.
- Directional preference exercises that calm the leg symptoms
- Neural mobilization (nerve glides) for a nerve that has become sensitive
- Manual therapy for stiff joints and tight muscles
- Core stabilization exercise so the back stays supported
- Education on sitting, lifting and sleeping positions
How a physical therapist finds the source
We check how you bend, walk and lie, test your strength and reflexes, and see which movements bring the symptoms on or take them away. That tells us whether the trouble starts in the back, the hip or the nerve itself.
Pain that is only in your back, with no leg symptoms, is covered on back pain. Numbness in both feet that is not coming from the spine is covered on peripheral neuropathy.
Red flags: see a doctor first
- Foot drop, or leg weakness that is getting worse
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Numbness in the groin or inner thighs
You can come to Logos with a physician’s referral or ask for care directly. If any red flag applies, get medical care first.
Related care
Sciatica care in Perth Amboy and Somerville
Request an appointment at Logos Physical Therapy and a physical therapist will call you to find a time.
We see patients in Perth Amboy and Somerville, New Jersey.