Sciatica Treatment in Radcliffe, Bury & Bolton

Sciatica pain can feel like an unwelcome guest who just won’t leave. If you’ve been battling any kind of back pain such as sciatica for what feels like forever, you’re not alone. In face back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit the GP.

If you are looking for answer follow this link to our thoughts and opinions on it, and see how many reasons you can guess!

Sciatica is the term used to describe an irritation of the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back, through your hips, and down your legs. You can feel different things and different ways.

Here are five common feelings you may experience. 

A sharp, shooting pain. like a lightning bolt running from your lower back down one leg. It may be sudden, especially when you move, cough, or sneeze. It may be liked to an electric shock going through their body, making it hard to stand or walk. 

A burning sensation. Instead of just a normal ache, the pain may feel hot, deep inside the muscles like a sunburn sensation deep in the muscle. It can spread down the back of the leg and can make it uncomfortable to sit or lie down for long periods. 

A deep, aching pain. Here the pain is not sharp or intense like the shooting pain, but it can be a constant aching pain, like heavy pressure deep and sore in the lower back, buttock, or leg.

Numbness or tingling are common signs, sometimes people say their leg or foot feels like it’s “falling asleep” or has a pins-and-needles sensation.

There can be muscle weakness, feeling weaker compared to the opposite side and like it’s not working properly. There may be muscle weakness making it a struggle to lift the leg, its just doesn’t feel strong enough.

Because the nerve supplies motor and sensory function it can feel very different for everyone, this also changes in relation to how the nerve is irritated.

Sometimes, it may resolve itself with rest and gentle movement, but in other cases, it might need treatment from your osteopath or even surgery. 

If you feel any of these symptoms, especially if they last a long time or make it hard to walk, sit, or move, you need to see your osteopath.

Sciatica can be painful and frustrating, but with the right assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, most people start to feel better over time and get back to exercise.

It’s also worth remembering there is more than one nerve in the leg that can give pain.

If you have sciatica, this will be the question you will be asking yourself. The good news yes in many cases, sciatica does get better over time.

But and it’s a big but whether it goes away on its own depends on what is causing the irritation, quite simply the sciatic nerve is being compressed or irritated, often called trapped. This can happen for different reasons. And, because sciatica has so many different causative factors, how long it lasts depends on finding out what, why and then you can work with the ‘how’ to resolve aspect.

The body has an amazing ability to heal itself, and if the irritation isn’t too serious, the pain can slowly go away. Understand the reason why means you can avoid the movements that irritate it and do more that will help.

Download our Back Pain guide available on the website for the many remedies to try and help, however, if the cause of sciatica is not going away it may be something more serious, so you need to figure out what’s causing it.

If in doubt book in for an assessment, diagnosis, treatment and a rehabilitation plan.  

If you have sciatica, don’t just suffer through it—there are plenty of ways to feel better and get back to normal life!

Walking can be a great way to help with sciatic, it’s low impact, keeps you moving and movement is usually the best remedy for most Musculo-skeletal injuries, so can help minor irritations settle down. For some people, regular walking can ease the pain and help with prevention to stop it from coming back. But whether it actually helps in your case depends on what’s causing the irritation in the first place.

It also depends on how you walk?

If you slouch when you walk this could make it worse whilst upright purposeful walking is significantly better as it engages the core more effectively.

If your sciatic nerve is being compressed by something more persistent—like a bulging disc or poor posture due to injury—walking alone might not be enough. As mentioned in some cases, certain movements or the way you walk could even make it worse. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to how your body responds and, if the pain sticks around or keeps coming back, consider getting a proper diagnosis. Understanding why your sciatic nerve is irritated is the key to finding the right way to manage it, whether that includes walking, targeted exercises, or other treatments.

Most cases of sciatica that GP’s and osteopaths see are caused by non-serious issues, like muscle tension or a herniated disc related to lifestyle habits, but there are certain red flags you shouldn’t ignore, a red flag is a term used in the medical field to highlight something serious.

If you’re experiencing severe or worsening pain that doesn’t improve with rest, movement, or significant weakness in your leg or foot, maybe you have  difficulty standing or walking, it could indicate a more serious nerve compression and whilst pretty much everyone knows the term sciatica there are other nerves that also need to be considered.

Symptoms such as loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around the groin or inner thighs (known as saddle anesthesia), could be signs of a rare but serious condition called cauda equina syndrome, this requires urgent medical attention to prevent permanent nerve damage. In rare cases, sciatica-like symptoms can often stem from non-musculoskeletal issues, such as infections, tumours, or vascular problems and bone pathologies.

While most sciatic nerve irritations aren’t dangerous, getting a proper diagnosis ensures you’re not overlooking something that could have lasting consequences. If your symptoms don’t follow the usual pattern or seem to be getting worse, it’s important to get checked out as soon as possible, whilst avoiding the internet for solutions. An assessment and diagnosis are urgent.

The best sleeping position for sciatica really depends on what’s causing the irritation in the first place. For many people, sleeping on their side with a pillow between their knees can help keep the spine be in a more aligned position without twisting which may apply pressure to the nerve. If you have met someone with sciatica you may notice how they lean to the left or right depending on the side the nerve is irritated. Others find relief by lying on their back with a pillow under their knees to support the lower back, this can reduce extension into the lumbar spine so reducing the pressure on the discs, which is bulging can irritate the nerve. Compare this to lying on your front that could make it worse for issues such as spondylolisthesis.

If your pain isn’t improving or keeps coming back, it’s worth asking why? you really need to understand why it is irritated in the first place.

It is vital to note that if you have any red flags such as night pain that is strong and unremitting  you need urgent assessment, and whilst most cases of sciatica come from non-serious issues, a full assessment can help you figure out what’s actually triggering the pain and what adjustment,  whether in sleep position, posture, or daily movement will give you real, lasting relief.