Book Remuera Book Henderson
What we help with

Sciatica treatment in Auckland

Sciatica is pain that follows the path of the sciatic nerve: from the lower back or buttock, down the back of the leg, sometimes to the foot. It can be frightening, and it usually gets better. The first appointment is about finding out what is pressing on the nerve and how much it is affecting it.

Book RemueraBook Henderson

What sciatica is, and what it is not

Sciatica is not a diagnosis in itself; it is a description of where the pain goes. The sciatic nerve is formed from nerve roots in the lower back, and anything that irritates those roots can send pain, pins and needles or numbness down the leg. The most common causes are a bulging disc pressing on a nerve root, narrowing of the spaces the nerves pass through, and, less often, tight muscles in the buttock.

Not all leg pain is sciatica. Pain from the joints of the lower back, the sacroiliac joint or the hip can spread into the thigh without involving the nerve at all, and the treatment is different. Telling these apart is the point of the examination.

Anatomical drawing of the lower spine, pelvis and upper legs, showing the nerve roots of the lower back joining to form the sciatic nerve, which runs through the buttock and down the back of the thigh.
Where the sciatic nerve runs. The nerve forms from roots in the lower back, passes through the buttock and travels down the back of the leg. That path is why an irritated nerve root in your back can be felt in the calf or foot.

What happens at your first appointment

Your first appointment takes about 30 to 40 minutes. For sciatica, the neurological examination matters most:

  • Your history. Where the pain travels, whether it is worse sitting or standing, coughing or bending, any numbness or weakness, and any change in bladder or bowel control.
  • Neurological tests. Reflexes, muscle strength and sensation in the legs, and nerve tension tests such as the straight-leg raise, to work out which nerve root is involved and how irritated it is.
  • Movement and posture. How your lower back, pelvis and hips move, and which positions ease or provoke the leg pain.
  • An explanation. What we think is causing it, what we recommend, and what to expect over the coming weeks.
  • Your first treatment, when clinically appropriate. With sciatica this is often gentle: positions that ease the leg pain, low-force techniques and advice, rather than forceful adjustment.

Most sciatica does not need imaging at the start. If the examination shows significant weakness or the pain is not settling, we refer you to your GP to arrange an MRI and further care.

How we treat sciatica

  • Positions and movements that take pressure off the irritated nerve, which you can use at home from day one.
  • Gentle mobilisation or adjustment of the lower back and pelvis, using low-force techniques while the nerve is sensitive.
  • Soft tissue work for the buttock and hip muscles that tighten up around the pain.
  • A walking and exercise plan that builds up gradually. Staying active within your limits is one of the best things you can do for sciatica.
  • Advice on sitting, driving, lifting and sleeping while it settles.

Sciatica usually improves over four to twelve weeks. We review progress at each visit and, if the leg symptoms are not improving or are getting worse, we say so and refer you on.

A woman standing in a lounge, leaning on the arm of a sofa with one hand on her lower back
Sciatica changes how you move. Many people find standing and walking easier than sitting, and that pattern is useful information at the assessment.

When to get sciatica looked at

Leg pain that has lasted more than a fortnight, pins and needles or numbness that are not settling, or back pain that has started travelling into a leg are all reasons to be assessed rather than wait.

Go to an emergency department or call 111, rather than booking with us, if you have leg pain with any of these:
  • Difficulty passing urine, loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around the groin, buttocks or inner thighs.
  • Weakness in both legs, or weakness in one leg that is getting worse (for example a foot that drags or slaps).
  • Severe pain following a significant fall or accident.
  • Fever, feeling generally unwell or unexplained weight loss alongside the pain.
In an emergency, call 111. Otherwise contact your GP or Healthline on 0800 611 116 (free, 24 hours).

What the research says

Research has found that chiropractic manipulation can reduce pain in some people with acute sciatica caused by a protruding disc. In a trial involving 102 people, 55 percent receiving real manipulation became free of radiating pain, compared with 20 percent receiving simulated manipulation. The findings apply to the particular patients studied, rather than every cause of sciatica.

Santilli, V., Beghi, E., & Finucci, S. (2006). Chiropractic manipulation in the treatment of acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion: A randomized double-blind clinical trial of active and simulated spinal manipulations. The Spine Journal, 6(2), 131-137. doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2005.08.001

More on the research we rely on.

ACC and sciatica

If your sciatica started with an accident, such as lifting at work, a fall or a sports injury, it may be covered by ACC. We are ACC registered, so no GP referral is needed. Your chiropractor assesses the injury at your first appointment and lodges a claim if it qualifies, or sees you under an existing claim.

Related

You might also be looking for

Back pain
Recent, long-standing or somewhere in between.
Hip pain
Hip, groin and pelvic discomfort.
Posture
Posture assessment and a programme you can keep up.
Spinal adjustments
What an adjustment is, what it feels like and what to expect.
Fees
What an appointment costs at each clinic.
ACC
How claims work and what is covered.