Sciatica has a way of taking over your life — that sharp, burning pain shooting from your lower back down through your leg can make sitting at a desk feel impossible and turn a short walk into an ordeal. The good news: it doesn't have to be permanent.
What sciatica actually is
Sciatica isn't a diagnosis on its own — it's a symptom. It describes pain that travels along the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back through your hips and down each leg, usually affecting just one side. It can show up as a sharp shooting pain, a dull ache, a burning sensation, or numbness and tingling in the leg.
Most commonly, something is irritating or compressing the nerve: a herniated disc, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, or tight, inflamed muscles in the hips and lower back. Figuring out which one is driving your particular case is exactly where treatment starts.
How chiropractic care approaches it
The core idea: if something in the spine or surrounding structures is compressing the nerve, restoring proper alignment and mobility can relieve that pressure. Spinal adjustments are the most direct tool — when a vertebra isn't moving properly, it can stress nearby nerves, and targeted adjustments help restore normal movement.
Treatment doesn't stop at the spine, though. It typically also includes soft-tissue work on tight hip and glute muscles (the piriformis in particular can compress the sciatic nerve when it's overworked) and rehab exercises to build the stability that prevents the problem from coming back. Sciatica tends to recur when only the immediate pain gets addressed — the goal is figuring out why it happened in the first place.
What an appointment actually looks like
A sciatica visit at Golden Bear looks more like a thorough health conversation than a quick fix. Dr. Corey starts by understanding your history — when the pain started, what makes it better or worse, what your daily activity looks like, and what you actually want to get back to doing. From there, treatment is hands-on: adjustment, soft-tissue work, guided stretching and strengthening, and practical recommendations for between visits.
When it's time to get it looked at
Most sciatica responds well to conservative care, especially when addressed early. It's worth booking a visit if you notice:
Pain that radiates from your lower back or buttocks down your leg · numbness or tingling in your leg or foot · discomfort that worsens after prolonged sitting · pain that flares with certain movements and won't fully resolve
Getting to the root of it
Sciatica has a tendency to be managed rather than resolved — painkillers ease the discomfort, rest takes the edge off, and then the next flare happens. Chiropractic care aims to break that cycle by identifying and addressing what's actually causing the nerve compression, not just easing the symptom in front of you.