Sciatica can be debilitating: that shooting pain down your leg that makes it hard to sit, stand, walk, or sleep. Our doctors have helped many patients find lasting relief without drugs or surgery, using gentle techniques that address the root cause.
Sciatica refers to pain radiating along the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body, running from your lower back through the hips and buttocks and down each leg. It typically affects only one side and can range from a mild ache to pain that makes daily activities nearly impossible.
Sciatica rarely looks the same twice. Some people feel a sharp, electric jolt shooting from the low back down through the buttock and leg. Others notice burning along the path of the nerve, pins and needles into the foot, numbness, or a leg that suddenly feels too weak for the stairs. For many, sitting for any length of time is exactly what makes it flare.
The sciatic nerve does not usually get pinched at the leg; the trouble almost always starts back where the nerve exits your spine.
The most common cause is a herniated or bulging disc pressing on the nerve, but spinal stenosis, a vertebral subluxation irritating the nerve roots, or the piriformis muscle in the buttock spasming against the nerve can all produce the same shooting pain down the leg. Finding which one is driving your case changes how we approach it.
We start with a detailed exam, orthopedic and neurological testing, and an assessment of your spinal alignment, disc health, and nerve function, to identify exactly what is causing your sciatica rather than guessing from the pain pattern alone.
Using Koren Specific Technique (KST) and Talsky Tonal Chiropractic (TTC), our doctors make precise, gentle corrections to the specific subluxations affecting your sciatic nerve, no cracking, popping, or forceful manipulation, and we can adjust you in whatever position actually triggers your pain.
Many patients feel some improvement after their first visit, and most cases respond well within 4 to 8 weeks of care. Because our techniques are gentle, there is no additional pain or discomfort added on top of what you are already dealing with. Long-standing cases can take longer, but it is rarely too late to address the underlying cause.
Patients typically notice they can sit comfortably again before the leg pain is fully gone, followed by better sleep and a return to walking and exercise without the shooting pain cutting it short.
Take the First Step You do not have to accept sciatic pain as a way of life. Our doctors see patients on Saturdays in Royal Oak.
Book OnlineThe most common causes include herniated or bulging discs pressing on the sciatic nerve, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), a vertebral subluxation irritating the nerve roots, and piriformis syndrome (the piriformis muscle in the buttock spasming and irritating the sciatic nerve).
Every case is different. Many patients feel some improvement after their first visit, and most cases respond well within 4 to 8 weeks of care. Our doctors complete a thorough history, consultation, and INSiGHT scans first, so your care plan reflects the true root cause of your sciatica rather than a guess, and we track your progress closely.
Yes. Our doctors use light, nervous system focused contacts with no cracking, twisting, or sudden movements, so care is appropriate even when you are in significant pain. We adapt every visit to your comfort level, and we can adjust you in whatever position your pain allows.
In many cases, yes. Conservative care like chiropractic is worth trying before considering surgical intervention, and many patients who were told they needed surgery have found lasting relief in our office. Some cases do call for a surgical consultation, and our doctors will refer you when that is the right step.
Whether your sciatica started last week or years ago, our doctors can help. Long standing cases may take longer to resolve, but our gentle approach has helped many chronic sufferers get back to pain free living. It is rarely too late to address the underlying cause.
Our doctors put together a full article on sciatica that explains what's really behind it and what lasting relief looks like. Get instant access below.
Bagging debris, hauling mulch, dragging branches to the curb. Fall yard cleanup involves a lot of lifting and twisting under load, exactly the combination that tends to trigger a sciatica flare.
Stretching and injections ease sciatica for a while, then it flares again. Here's why the shooting pain down your leg often starts in a spot you're not addressing at all.
Every pregnant belly grows, every pregnant body makes relaxin, yet only some women end up with sciatica. Here is what may separate the two, and what gentle care can do about it.
See what Royal Oak families say in our Google reviews and patient stories, or browse everything we offer.
