Sciatica Treatment in Boise, Idaho
Sciatica can make everything from sitting and working to walking, exercising, and sleeping uncomfortable. Symptoms may begin in the low back or hip and travel into the buttock, thigh, calf, or foot depending on the structures involved.
At Juke Chiropractic & Sports Rehab, we take an individualized approach to sciatica treatment. Rather than treating every case the same way, we evaluate what may be contributing to your symptoms and develop a treatment plan based on your examination, activity level, and goals.
Treatment may include chiropractic care, spinal decompression, soft tissue treatment, mobility work, and exercise rehabilitation when appropriate.
What Is Sciatica?
Sciatica describes symptoms involving irritation or sensitivity of the sciatic nerve or the nerve roots that contribute to it.
Symptoms can vary significantly from person to person and may include:
- Low back or buttock pain
- Pain traveling down the back or side of the leg
- Burning or aching into the leg
- Numbness or tingling
- Symptoms extending into the calf or foot
- Pain aggravated by sitting or certain movements
- Weakness in the affected leg in some cases
Because several conditions can produce similar symptoms, identifying the likely source is an important part of determining the appropriate treatment.
What Causes Sciatica?
Sciatic symptoms can develop for several reasons. Common causes include irritation or compression of a spinal nerve in the lower back.
Potential contributors include:
- Lumbar disc bulges or herniations
- Degenerative changes in the lumbar spine
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Joint and movement restrictions
- Inflammation or irritation around a spinal nerve
- Muscle and soft tissue involvement
- Repetitive loading or activity-related irritation
Not every pain that travels into the buttock or leg is true sciatica. Your examination helps us determine whether your symptoms appear nerve-related or may be coming from another musculoskeletal structure.
How We Evaluate Sciatica
Your evaluation begins with understanding where your symptoms are located, what aggravates or relieves them, how long they have been present, and how they are affecting your daily activities.
Depending on your presentation, the examination may assess:
- Low back and hip mobility
- Neurological function
- Strength
- Sensation
- Reflexes when indicated
- Nerve tension
- Movement patterns
- Positions or activities that reproduce or relieve symptoms
We also screen for findings that may require imaging, medical evaluation, or referral rather than conservative treatment.
How Do We Treat Sciatica?
There isn't one treatment that is appropriate for every case of sciatica.
Your treatment plan depends on what appears to be contributing to your symptoms and how you respond to care.
Treatment may include:
- Chiropractic adjustments or joint mobilization
- Spinal decompression or mechanical traction
- Soft tissue treatment
- Mobility exercises
- Nerve mobility exercises when appropriate
- Progressive strengthening and stabilization
- Education regarding positions and activities that influence symptoms
- Gradual return to exercise and normal activity
Our goal is to help reduce symptoms while also improving your ability to move, work, exercise, and manage your condition independently.
Spinal Decompression for Sciatica
For certain patients with disc-related or nerve-compression symptoms, spinal decompression may be incorporated into treatment.
Mechanical decompression uses controlled traction to gently unload the lumbar spine. Depending on the cause of your symptoms, this may help make certain movements and positions more comfortable.
Decompression isn't appropriate for every case of sciatica, which is why we first evaluate your symptoms before deciding whether it should be part of your treatment plan.
Exercise and Rehabilitation for Sciatica
As symptoms become more manageable, exercise rehabilitation can play an important role in returning to normal activity.
Rehabilitation may focus on improving spinal and hip mobility, trunk strength, movement control, and tolerance to the positions or activities that previously aggravated symptoms.
For active patients, exercises can progressively become more demanding as symptoms allow, with the goal of returning to lifting, running, hiking, sports, work, and other activities with greater confidence.
When Should Sciatica Be Evaluated?
Persistent or worsening leg symptoms are worth evaluating, particularly when pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness is interfering with normal activity.
Some symptoms require more urgent medical evaluation. Significant or progressive leg weakness, changes in bowel or bladder control, numbness around the groin or saddle region, or other rapidly worsening neurological symptoms should receive prompt medical attention.
For less urgent symptoms, an evaluation can help determine what may be contributing to the problem and whether conservative treatment is appropriate.
