Sciatica
Pain travelling from the back down the leg. Alarming, usually not dangerous, and in most cases it settles without surgery.
Common symptoms
- , Sharp or burning pain running down one leg
- , Pain worse with sitting, coughing or sneezing
- , Pins and needles or numbness in the leg or foot
- , Weakness pushing off with the foot
- , Back pain that may be milder than the leg pain
Common causes
- , Disc bulge irritating a nerve root
- , Narrowing of the spinal canal with age
- , Piriformis and deep gluteal muscle irritation
- , Prolonged sitting with poor support
What sciatica actually is
Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis: pain along the path of the sciatic nerve, caused by something irritating or compressing it. Most often that is a disc bulge pressing on a nerve root in the lower back.
It frightens people, understandably: the pain can be severe and it travels. But disc bulges shrink over time, and the natural history of sciatica is good. Most people recover without any surgery at all.
Direction matters
A useful early finding is which movements make the leg pain retreat towards the back and which make it travel further down. Pain moving up and in is progress even if it briefly feels worse in the back; pain moving down the leg means the current approach is wrong.
We work out your pattern in the first session, and it becomes the rule you follow between appointments.
How we treat it
- , Positions and movements that centralise the pain
- , Nerve mobilisation techniques
- , Graded loading as symptoms settle
- , Manual therapy for the lumbar spine and hip
- , Guidance on sitting, driving and sleeping
Typical recovery: Most cases settle substantially within 6–12 weeks
See a doctor urgently if you have
- !Loss of bladder or bowel control
- !Numbness around the groin, buttocks or inner thighs
- !Weakness in both legs
- !Rapidly worsening weakness in the foot or leg
- !Sciatica with fever or unexplained weight loss
These are not physiotherapy problems. Go to a doctor or hospital rather than booking with us.
Treatments that help
Common questions
Will I need surgery?
Most people do not. The majority of disc-related sciatica settles with time and appropriate rehabilitation. Surgery is considered mainly for persistent severe pain that has not responded, or for progressive neurological weakness.
How long will this take?
Longer than most people want to hear. Nerve pain is slower than muscular pain, expect meaningful improvement over six to twelve weeks rather than days. Steady progress in the right direction matters more than speed.
Is it safe to exercise with sciatica?
Yes, within limits we will set together. The rule of thumb is that pain moving up out of the leg and back towards the spine is a good sign, and pain travelling further down the leg means back off.
Book a physiotherapist in Nairobi
Clinic appointments in Westlands, or a physiotherapist at your door anywhere in Nairobi. Same-week slots.