Sciatica Treatment

What is Sciatica?

Do you ever experience a feeling of pain, tingling or numbness in your lower back, down one leg or both? If so, this could be a condition known as sciatica.

Sciatica is not an actual diagnosis, but a description that refers to pain which runs along the sciatic nerve from the lower back, into the buttock and further down the back of the leg and into the foot. It is a common condition that affects many people with different intensities, from mild discomfort to symptoms such as pins and needles, an electric sharp shooting pain, tingling, intense burning, numbness or weakness in the lower leg.

The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body, and sciatica is the term given for when this nerve becomes pinched, compressed, impinged or irritated along its natural pathway. Symptoms can often be made worse by sitting or standing still for long periods of time. Sometimes the sciatic nerve can simply be reacting to inflammation in that area.

Common causes of sciatica include terms you may or may not have heard before, such as:

Piriformis syndrome
Deep Gluteal Syndrome
Disc Herniation
Disc degeneration
Spinal Stenosis — a term for the narrowing of the passage where the spinal cord travels down the spine
Spondylolisthesis — a condition where one vertebra slips forward of another and compresses the sciatic nerve
Even sitting for prolonged periods of time

Why Consider Osteopathy for Sciatica?

Fortunately, the evidence* on treating sciatica confirms that manual therapy can be considered as a non-invasive, non-pharmacological intervention in its management.

Here at the clinic, assessing the root cause of your pain is our first priority. Once we have discovered the underlying cause, we can help treat it using a variety of gentle hands-on manual techniques, such as soft tissue manipulation, joint mobilisation, stretching and exercises that are primarily focused on alleviating sciatic nerve compression, pain relief and restoring improved function and mobility to the affected areas.

Osteopathy can also help stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanisms by improving blood flow, lymphatic drainage, and neural function — supporting both relief from sciatica symptoms and long-term wellness and prevention of recurrence.

In most cases, your sciatic pain can be managed and improved with osteopathy, complemented with self-care measures such as exercise and lifestyle modifications. While you wait for an appointment, a few things may help in the short term:

Avoid prolonged sitting where possible — short, frequent movement breaks can ease pressure on the nerve
Gentle walking is often more helpful than complete rest
Alternating between sitting, standing, and lying positions can help find temporary relief
Avoid positions that clearly worsen symptoms, but don’t avoid all movement out of fear

These are general suggestions — an assessment can identify what’s likely to help most in your specific case.

Do I Need a Scan?

Usually not initially. Most sciatica improves with time and appropriate treatment, and imaging findings often don’t change the management approach. Scans are generally reserved for cases that aren’t improving as expected or where there are specific concerning symptoms.

How Is Sciatica Treated?

Hands-on treatment to ease tension in the lower back, buttock, and surrounding muscles
Exercises to support the lower back and improve nerve mobility
Activity and posture advice
Gradual return to normal movement, avoiding prolonged rest