Home / Conditions / Sciatica
Sciatica
Starts in your back. Ends near your ankle.
Sciatica is pain that travels from the low back into the buttock and down the leg. It's a description, not a diagnosis. The job is finding out what's irritating the nerve.
Web special
- Adjusting spines
- 35 years
- In Mornington
- 15 years
- 256 Google reviews
- 4.9 out of 5 stars
- Health funds
- HICAPS
Sound familiar?
What it often feels like.
- Pain from the buttock down the back or side of the leg
- Pins and needles, burning or numbness in the leg or foot
- Worse sitting, driving, coughing or sneezing
- One leg feels weaker or "not right"
- Hard to find a comfortable position at night
Common causes
Where it often comes from.
- An irritated or compressed nerve root in the low back
- Disc bulges and herniations
- Narrowing around the nerve as joints and discs change with age
- Tight or irritated muscles deep in the buttock
- Pelvis and SI joint problems that refer pain into the leg
Often it's a mix. Finding your mix is what your first appointment is for.
How we find out
Before we touch anything, we check.
- 01Your storyWhere it hurts, how it started, what makes it better or worse, and the old accidents and injuries.
- 02A thorough checkChiropractic, orthopaedic and neurological testing: movement, joints, muscles, reflexes, sensation and strength.
- 03Posture picturesDigital posture pictures from the front and side, so you can see what we see.
- 04AnswersX-rays only if your check points to them, then a report of findings in plain English, before care starts.
What care involves
A plan you understand, built around you.
Leg pain needs a careful check before anything else. We test sensation, reflexes and strength down the leg to see which nerve is involved and how it's behaving.
Care may include specific adjustments, our flexion-distraction table lets us gently and repeatedly move the low back through a controlled range, which suits many disc and nerve-related low back problems. We'll give you positions and movements that ease the leg, and we track the nerve signs at each visit.
If we can't help, we'll tell you. No runaround, and no being kept on the books for the sake of it.
In the meantime
Three things you can do today.
Many people with sciatica are more comfortable lying on their side with a pillow between the knees.
Sitting often aggravates sciatica. Stand and move every 20–30 minutes.
Aggressive hamstring stretching can irritate an angry nerve. Gentle movement is better.
General information only. Your chiropractor will tailor advice to you at your appointment.
How it works
Three steps. No guesswork.
- 1TodayBook online or callPick a time online in about a minute, or call 03 9787 8518. No referral needed.
- 2DiscoveryNew patient appointmentWe find out what's wrong and whether we can help: your story, posture pictures, and a thorough check of your spine and nerves.
- 3You get answersReport of findings appointmentWhat we found, in plain English, and what we'd do about it. If we can help and you haven't already had your first adjustment, today's the day.
What people say
Don't take our word for it.
2025 WinnerQuality Business Awards: Best Chiropractor in the Shire of Mornington Peninsula"I cannot speak highly enough of the staff here … Dr Ben was so patient and answered all my questions without rushing me out the door … the clinic itself is just beautiful and welcoming."
"Such a friendly practice … [Dr Ryan] is fantastic at making you feel comfortable."
"It's rare to find a place that takes this much time to go over your history … the whole team makes you feel right at home."
Excerpts from Google reviews, about people's experience of the clinic. They are not claims about results, which vary from person to person. Read all 256 reviews on Google →
Web special
Book online today. Pay $125, not $195.
The same new patient appointment, the full Discovery, for $70 less when you book it here on the website.
- 30–40 minutes with Dr Ryan Tan or Dr Ben Carvosso
- Your story and health history, start to finish
- Digital posture pictures, so you can see it for yourself
- A thorough chiropractic, orthopaedic and neurological check
- Foot scans, if you need them
- HICAPS on the spot: your health fund rebate comes off at the desk
Usually $195
$125
You save $70 by booking online
Book online for $125Nothing to pay now. Pick a time in about a minute, then pay on the day.
New practice members only. One per person. Not with any other offer.
Is sciatica the same as back pain?
Not quite. Sciatica is pain that travels down the leg along the sciatic nerve. It often comes with back pain, but the leg is the main complaint.
Can a chiropractor help with sciatica?
Sciatica has several possible causes. Your new patient appointment finds out which one is likely in your case, and we'll tell you plainly whether we can help.
Physio or chiro for sciatica?
Both work with sciatica. What matters most is a thorough assessment and a clear plan. Ours starts with a full nerve check.
More than a sore spot
Your spine talks to your brain.
The muscles around every vertebra are packed with sensors that tell your brain where your body is and how it's moving. When a joint stops moving well, that conversation breaks down, and pain is one of the signals. That's why we check your spine and nerves, not just where it hurts.
Research has measured changes in how the brain drives the leg muscles after an adjustment: in one study, ankle dorsiflexor strength rose 19% after a single session, with more high-threshold motor units recruited. These were small studies in people with recurring spinal problems, not sciatica trials, but they show the nerve-and-muscle side of the picture.
Related
Often seen alongside sciatica.
Disc bulges & herniations"Slipped disc", bulge or herniation: what it means for you.Read more →
Pinched nerveSharp, burning or tingling pain that travels.Read more →
Low back painBent over and it went, or it's been nagging for years.Read more →
SI joint & pelvic painLow down, one-sided, near the dimples of your back.Read more →Done with sciatica?
Book a new patient appointment and find out what's going on. HICAPS on the spot, free parking at the door.
$195$125Web special · save $70 when you book online
- Pick your chiropractor and a time that suits
- Nothing to pay now, $125 on the day
- HICAPS on the spot · Free parking
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