Sciatica can make everything feel urgent. The shooting pain down the leg, the numbness, the worry about what it means for your back and your training long-term. Whether it flared up after a heavy deadlift or appeared gradually, if you have been told to rest and wait, you may be wondering whether anything more can be done. In most cases, it can.
How we approach sciatica
Many people arrive with an MRI result and an assumption that the disc bulge is the whole problem. Disc bulges are common in people without any symptoms at all, so imaging alone does not tell the full story. We assess how your spine moves under load, where the nerve is being sensitised, and what mechanical patterns are contributing. The goal is to identify what is driving the irritation and build a plan to address it, rather than treating the scan.
What treatment looks like
Treatment is progressive. In the early phase, we focus on positions and movements that reduce nerve irritation while keeping you as active as safely possible. We do not prescribe prolonged bed rest. As symptoms settle, we introduce progressive loading to build strength and capacity around the spine, specifically targeting the patterns that were contributing. Rehab progresses toward the activities you want to get back to, with clear milestones so you can see the progress.
Who can help
Any of our physiotherapists can assess and treat sciatica. If yours is connected to lifting or gym training, TJ Chen brings deeper context in how deadlift and squat mechanics contribute. If your sciatica has been persistent or has not responded to general treatment, Ivan Tam uses a mechanical diagnosis approach to identify how the spine responds to directional loading, which is particularly relevant for nerve-related presentations. The presentation varies, so we tailor the starting point to what your body responds to.