Condition
I'm feeling this pain going down into my butt, down my leg. It's just driving me nuts.
What we hear from sciatica patients on the first call.
What it is
Sciatica is irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve where it exits the spine in the lower back. The pain typically starts in the buttock and travels down the back of the thigh, sometimes all the way to the foot.
What causes it
Most often a herniated or bulging disc presses on the nerve root. Stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) and piriformis irritation can produce the same pattern. Long sitting, lifting injuries, and degenerative disc disease all stack the deck.
How we diagnose and treat it
A show-and-tell consultation: SOAP intake, postural exam on dual scales, range-of-motion study, neurological screen with a Wartenberg pinwheel and reflexes, surface EMG to look at how the nervous system is firing, and X-rays. If the discs are involved, decompression on the Accu-Spina table is the workhorse. If it is muscular or facet-driven, flexion-distraction and the adjustment do most of the work.
Symptoms we look for
- Sharp or burning pain down the back of one leg
- Numbness or tingling in the foot or toes
- Pain worse with sitting or coughing
- Weakness lifting the foot or pushing off
Cost
First visit: $90 (consultation, exam, X-rays, validation treatment). Accu-Spina single session: $160. Standard 20-visit decompression package: $3,000.
Timeline
Mild radicular symptoms often calm down inside 2–4 weeks of care. Disc-involved sciatica usually runs a 6–12 week protocol on a 3x/week-then-tapered schedule, depending on candidacy and severity.
What a patient said
I had pain shooting down my leg for months. Three weeks of decompression and adjustments and I'm walking the dog again without thinking about it. (Becky J.)
Pillar service
Accu-Spina spinal decompression is often the workhorse for this condition.
91% success rate on candidate cases over 12 months of in-practice data.
Read about Accu-Spina decompressionRelated conditions
Lower back pain
Aching, stiffness, or sharp pain across the low back, often worst in the morning or after sitting.
Herniated disc
A disc between two vertebrae bulges or ruptures and presses on a nearby nerve.
Numbness & tingling
Pins-and-needles, numbness, or burning in the hands, arms, feet, or legs. A nerve-pain pattern.