Auckland · Glenfield & Orewa
Sciatica treatment at our Glenfield and Orewa clinics
Pain running from your buttock down the back of your leg, pins and needles in your foot, or a leg that aches every time you sit? Our sciatica physio and osteopathy team finds what is irritating the nerve and treats it, starting at your first appointment.
What sciatica is
Sciatica is not a diagnosis in itself. It describes pain, tingling or numbness that travels along the sciatic nerve, from the lower back or buttock down the back of the leg, sometimes as far as the foot. The real question is what is irritating the nerve.
The usual causes are a disc bulge in the lower back, narrowing around the nerve as the spine ages, or tight muscles deep in the buttock. Each needs a different approach, which is why sciatica treatment that works for one person can do nothing for another.
Your first appointment at Glenfield or Orewa is built around finding that cause, using movement, strength, reflex and sensation testing. Most people are treated at the same visit.
Common causes
Your symptoms and how they behave usually point to the cause. This is what we are looking for when we assess you.
A bulging lower back disc pressing on a nerve root. Typically worse when sitting, bending or coughing, and often the leg hurts more than the back.
Narrowing around the nerves, more common after fifty. The legs ache or feel heavy when walking or standing, and ease when you sit or lean forward.
Tight muscles in the buttock irritating the nerve as it passes through. Worse when sitting on hard seats or after driving.
Changing posture and pelvic load in pregnancy can irritate the nerve. Treated gently, with positions adapted for you. Pregnancy pain.
Know the warning signs
Rarely, sciatica is a sign of serious nerve compression that needs a hospital the same day. Go to an emergency department or call 111 if you have leg pain together with any of the following. Do not wait for a clinic appointment.
Choosing your practitioner
All three are used for sciatica, and they work in the same Auckland clinics. If you are not sure who to book, choose a physio or osteopath and we will involve the others if it will help.
Physiotherapy focuses on calming the nerve with the right movements, then strengthening your back, core and hips to support your recovery. Physios also offer Western Medicine Acupuncture (dry needling).
Hands-on treatment for the stiff lower back, pelvis and hips that add load to an irritated nerve, with advice on sitting, sleeping and lifting.
Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean acupuncture to ease nerve pain, especially when it has lingered or is disturbing sleep.
Remedial and deep tissue massage for the tight buttock, hamstring and lower back muscles that often come with sciatica.
Your first visit
What happens when you come in with leg pain, so you know what to expect before you walk through the door.
When the leg pain started, what makes it worse or better, and how far down the leg it travels.
Checks of strength, reflexes, sensation and spinal movement to narrow down the cause and rule out anything serious.
Hands-on treatment, physiotherapy exercises and positions that ease the nerve, so you leave with a plan for the next few weeks.
Exercises that fit your week and an honest estimate of how long your recovery should take.
Between appointments
Bed rest makes sciatica slower to recover. Gentle walking, changing position often and avoiding long spells of sitting usually help the nerve settle faster. Short walks spread through the day beat one long one.
At night, lying on your side with a pillow between your knees takes pressure off the lower back — our guide to the best sleeping positions explains how. If you work at a desk, raise your screen and get up every half hour; see whether your desk posture is causing back pain.
Once the leg pain eases, strengthening your core and hips helps stop it coming back. We will show you which exercises suit your cause of sciatica, because the wrong stretch can make some types worse.
Common questions
Anything else? Call 09 444 3231.
Visiting us
| Monday – Thursday | 7:00am – 7:00pm |
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| Friday | 7:00am – 6:00pm |
| Saturday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday – Friday | 8:00am – 7:00pm |
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| Saturday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Related conditions
Book online at Glenfield or Orewa 24/7, or call us if you are not sure who to see.
