Sciatica Isn’t Always “Just Your Back” — Why Finding the True Source Matters

Most people have heard of sciatica, and if you’ve ever experienced it, you know how frustrating it can be.

Sciatica can cause:

• sharp or burning pain down the leg

• tightness in the hip or buttock

• numbness or tingling

• trouble standing, walking, sitting, or sleeping

• limitations with exercise and daily life

And for many people, it starts to feel like it’s taking over everything.

But here’s something most people don’t realize:

✅ Sciatica can come from more than one cause — and sometimes more than one location.

That’s why cookie-cutter stretches, rest, or even medications often don’t solve the problem long-term. If the true source isn’t identified and treated correctly, the symptoms can keep coming back.

At Healing Arts Physical Therapy, we specialize in finding the real cause of your sciatic pain and using targeted manual therapy + movement-based rehab to turn the dial toward healing.

What Is Sciatica, Really?

Sciatica isn’t actually a diagnosis — it’s a symptom pattern.

Sciatica happens when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, compressed, or restricted somewhere along its path. That irritation can create pain that travels through:

• the low back

• the buttock

• the back of the thigh

• the calf

• even into the foot

The problem is that the sciatic nerve can become “trapped” in different areas, and each one requires a different approach.

Why Sciatica Can Be So Stubborn

When someone comes in with significant sciatic pain, we often find that their body is stuck in a pattern:

• the sciatic nerve feels tight and irritated

• the joints and muscles around it aren’t moving well

• the body becomes guarded and protective

• movement becomes painful

• the patient stops moving as much

• and the cycle continues

The longer this goes on, the more it impacts quality of life.

People start saying things like:

• “I can’t sit in the car very long.”

• “I can’t sleep through the night.”

• “I can’t exercise anymore.”

• “I’m afraid this will never go away.”

But what we’ve seen again and again is this:

✅ When the right area is treated with the right technique, the body often responds quickly.

The Truth: Sciatica Can Come from Multiple Areas

Some patients have one obvious source. Other patients have multiple points of restriction along the nerve pathway.

This is where the skill of an expert manual therapist becomes extremely valuable—because finding the true source(s) of the restriction is what changes everything.

Below are two common examples we see often:

Cause #1: Sciatica From the Low Back (Radiculopathy)

One common cause of sciatic pain is when the nerve is irritated near the spine in the lower back. This is often called:

✅ Lumbar radiculopathy

When this is the source, we usually see things like:

• stiffness in the lumbar spine

• joint restriction

• poor mobility

• pressure or irritation near the nerve root

• pain that is worsened by certain movements or positions

How manual therapy helps

With targeted manual therapy to the lumbar spine, we can often:

• restore normal joint motion

• reduce stiffness and compression patterns

• improve mobility

• reduce pain

• help the nerve “calm down”

When the back starts moving better, the pressure reduces—and that’s when improvement starts happening.

Cause #2: Sciatica From the Buttock (Piriformis Entrapment)

Another common cause is when the sciatic nerve becomes compressed or irritated in the buttock region, often under a muscle called the:

✅ Piriformis

When this is happening, the buttock is often:

• extremely tight

• sensitive

• restricted

• and compressing the nerve

How manual therapy helps

When we use localized manual therapy to release the piriformis and surrounding tissues, it often:

• relaxes the muscle

• reduces nerve compression

• improves hip movement

• decreases pain down the leg

For many people, this is the missing link.

Why You Can Feel Better Fast (Sometimes After Just One Visit)

We’ve had several patients come into Healing Arts Physical Therapy with marked sciatic pain—pain that was affecting sleep, work, walking, and everyday life.

When we identify the correct source and apply targeted manual therapy, it’s common for patients to report:

✅ 50% improvement even after one visit

That first improvement matters more than most people realize.

Because once someone feels real change, they begin to believe:

“I can get my life back.”

That creates something powerful:

💥 inspiration

💥 hope

💥 motivation

And honestly, that’s when true healing starts—because the patient starts moving again, participating again, and building momentum.

A Thorough Exam Makes All the Difference

Sciatica is not something that should be guessed at.

A detailed physical therapy exam helps determine:

• where the nerve is irritated

• which joints are restricted

• what muscles are compressing or guarding

• what movements provoke symptoms

• and which techniques will help most

Sometimes the problem is only in the back. Sometimes it’s only in the piriformis. Sometimes it’s a combination.

And without finding those exact sources, treatment can stall.

Real Life Example: Chronic Sciatic Pain Nearly 100% Resolved:

One patient came into Healing Arts Physical Therapy after dealing with chronic sciatic pain for years that was limiting her ability to stand, work, and stay active comfortably. After a detailed evaluation, I treated the key areas contributing to her symptoms by mobilizing her lower lumbar spine to open up restricted segments and restore local movement, addressing her mid-back to improve overall spinal motion and alignment, and performing targeted soft tissue work to the piriformis to release tension and reduce irritation on the underlying sciatic nerve. Along with hands-on treatment, I provided education on posture, body mechanics, and ergonomic setup for both her office and car to help the improvements “stick” between visits. With this approach, her symptoms steadily improved and she ultimately reported being close to 100% better and back to living normally again.

Struggling With Sciatica? We Can Help.

If sciatic pain is limiting your life — whether it’s sitting, walking, sleeping, working, or exercising — we want you to know:

✅ You are not stuck this way.

✅ You don’t have to keep guessing.

✅ You can feel real improvement with the right approach.

At Healing Arts Physical Therapy, we specialize in expert-level manual therapy and personalized treatment plans designed to restore movement, reduce pain, and help you get back to the life you want to live.

📍 Healing Arts Physical Therapy – Yuba City, CA

📞 (530) 329-8490

🌐 www.healingartspt.org

Come see us if you’re suffering with sciatica — we can help, and we’ve helped so many already. You can trust us.