03/02/2026
STOP guessing. Start assessing.
Do you ever find yourself second-guessing if that leg pain is coming from the lumbar spine or the deep gluteal space? While the symptoms overlap, your treatment plan shouldn't.
Mistaking a discogenic issue for a muscular one can lead to "stretching" an already irritated nerve-and we all know how that ends.
In this guide, we're stripping back the layers of:
Differential Diagnosis: Knowing the "Why" behind the "Where."
Clinical Indicators: When to suspect a disc vs. a tight piriformis.
Special Tests: High-yield moves like the SLR, Slump, and FAIR tests.
Rehab Priorities: Centralization vs. Mobilization.
Physio Pro-Tip: If the patient's pain peripheralizes with lumbar flexion but doesn't change with direct gluteal pressure, look up toward the spine!
