Sciatica Treatment

Sciatica isn’t a diagnosis — it’s a symptom: pain radiating down the leg along the sciatic nerve, most often because a nerve root in the low back is irritated. It can be alarming, and it’s also very treatable: the large majority of sciatica cases resolve with conservative care, and physical therapy is the first-line treatment recommended by clinical guidelines.

What sciatica feels like

• Pain from the buttock down the back or side of the leg, sometimes to the foot
• Numbness, tingling, or “electric” streaks
• Worse with sitting, bending, or coughing for some; worse standing for others
• Often accompanied by — but sometimes without — back pain

How PT treats it

Your evaluation finds your directional preference — the movements that centralize pain out of the leg — plus the nerve mobility and strength work your case needs. Treatment settles the irritated nerve root, then progressively rebuilds the back’s tolerance for sitting, bending, and lifting so the episode doesn’t repeat. Most patients improve significantly within six weeks.

Red flags to know

Seek urgent care for new bowel or bladder changes, numbness in the saddle area, or rapidly progressing leg weakness. Those are rare — and everything else belongs in conservative care first.