Sciatica Treatment in Joondalup and Perth's Northern Suburbs
A sharp, burning pain that shoots from your lower back into your leg is one of the most disabling types of back pain. Sciatica responds well to conservative care, and most people improve without surgery.
What Is Sciatica?
Sciatica refers to pain that travels along the course of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the buttock and down the leg to the foot.
The term describes a symptom pattern rather than a specific diagnosis. The most common cause is compression or irritation of a lumbar nerve root, often from a disc herniation, narrowing of the spinal canal, or pressure from tight surrounding structures.
It affects people of all ages and is particularly common between the ages of 40 and 60. Episodes can range from a mild ache to severe sharp pain that makes standing or sitting very difficult.
Finding the Source of Sciatic Pain Matters
Sciatica can come from different mechanisms, including disc herniation, spinal canal narrowing, or pressure from surrounding soft tissues. The treatment approach needs to match the underlying cause of your symptoms.
Symptoms
The classic pattern is a burning, shooting, or electric-shock sensation that begins in the lower back or buttock and travels into one leg.
- Burning, shooting, or electric-shock pain beginning in the lower back or buttock
- Pain radiating into the back of the thigh and sometimes the calf or foot
- Symptoms that typically affect one leg
- Tingling or numbness in the leg or foot
- Weakness in the leg or foot
- Symptoms that are often worse with prolonged sitting
What the Research Shows
Research supports conservative spinal care as an option for appropriately assessed patients with acute low back pain and some disc-related sciatica presentations.
- A 2017 meta-analysis by Paige et al. (2017) reviewed randomised clinical trials on spinal manipulative therapy for acute low back pain and found moderate-quality evidence of improvements in pain and function.
- The analysis found no serious adverse events in the included trials.
- McMorland et al. (2010) conducted a prospective randomised trial comparing spinal manipulation with microdiskectomy in patients with sciatica from lumbar disc herniation who had not responded to at least three months of other conservative care.
- They found that a meaningful proportion of patients responded to spinal manipulation to a similar degree as those who had surgery, and that patients who did not improve with manipulation could still go on to have successful surgical outcomes.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help
At Lakeside Chiropractic, we assess the underlying cause of your sciatica before beginning care.
Not all sciatica presents the same way, and the approach needs to match the mechanism driving your symptoms.
This technique uses a specialised table to gently open the lumbar disc spaces and decompress nerve roots. It is one of the most commonly used approaches for sciatica from disc-related causes and is performed without heavy spinal loading.
The piriformis and surrounding gluteal muscles can contribute to sciatic nerve irritation. Hands-on release of these structures is an important part of a comprehensive approach.
Trigger points in the gluteal and lumbar muscles can refer pain along similar pathways to sciatica. Dry needling helps resolve these contributing sources of pain.
Once acute symptoms settle, specific exercises to restore lumbar stability and nerve mobility are important to reduce the chance of recurrence.
Cold laser can be used to help reduce inflammation around irritated nerve tissue.
Learn more about Cold Laser Therapy or visit Cold Laser Perth .
When to Seek Urgent Assessment
Chiropractic care is not appropriate if your sciatica is accompanied by any of the following:
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Numbness in the groin or inner thighs
- Progressive leg weakness
- Symptoms affecting both legs simultaneously
These presentations require urgent medical review.
Finding Out What Is Driving Your Sciatica
We assess the underlying source of your symptoms before recommending care, because sciatica can arise from several different structures and mechanisms.
If you are struggling with sciatic pain down your leg, we would like to help you find out what is driving it and what can be done.
Serving Perth's Northern Suburbs
We see patients from Joondalup, Currambine, Woodvale, Kingsley, Duncraig, Wanneroo, and the surrounding northern suburbs.
Disclaimer: This page provides general health information only and is not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Results vary between individuals. Please consult a qualified health professional to discuss your individual circumstances.
References
- Paige NM, et al. Association of spinal manipulative therapy with clinical benefit and harm for acute low back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2017;317(14):1451-1460. PMID 28399251
- McMorland G, et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2010;33(8):576-584. PMID 21036279
Location Details
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Monday | 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Thursday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Friday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Saturday | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
