23/05/2026
Youāve probably heard sciatica described as a ātrapped nerveāā¦
But itās usually more complicated than that.
Sciatica is often caused by irritation of a nerve in the lower back.
That irritation can create pain down the leg, pins and needles, numbness, burning, weaknessā¦ even pain in the calf or foot.
And hereās the important part:
Pain does NOT always mean damage is getting worse.
Nerves become sensitive.
Inflamed nerves can overreact to movement, sitting, bending, coughingā¦ sometimes even stress and poor sleep.
Thatās why complete rest usually isnāt the answer.
For most people, gradual movement, walking, exercise, and progressive loading help recovery far more than lying still waiting for it to disappear.
Recovery is rarely perfectly linear.
Flare-ups can happen.
That does NOT necessarily mean youāve re-injured yourself.
Most people improve significantly over weeks to months with the right management.
BUTā¦
If you develop:
loss of bladder or bowel control,
numbness around the groin (saddle area),
rapidly worsening weakness in the lower limbs, or severe unexplained symptomsā¦
You SHOULD seek urgent medical attention immediately.
At Strath Physio, we focus on understanding:
Whatās driving YOUR symptoms,
calming the irritated nerve,
restoring confidence in movement,
and gradually building you back to normal activity.
Because the goal isnāt just reducing pain.
Itās getting your life back.
P.S. Ask your clinician for a copy of this Sciatica booklet when you are in clinic next!
P.P.S. There are absolutely times your clinician will need to escalate sciatica for imaging and surgical intervention. Watch out for the follow-up video on this nuance!
