02/25/2026
That "sciatica" everyone keeps diagnosing you with?...It's probably not sciatica.
True sciatica is nerve compression at the lumbar spine—usually from a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. It's actually pretty rare.
What you're experiencing 90% of the time is REFERRAL PAIN that mimics sciatica but comes from completely different sources:
SI Joint Dysfunction - When your sacroiliac joint (where your pelvis meets your spine) is misaligned or inflamed, it refers pain down your leg that feels identical to sciatica. Shooting pain, burning, numbness—all the same symptoms, different source.
Piriformis Syndrome - Your piriformis muscle sits right on top of your sciatic nerve. When it's tight or spasming (often from pelvic misalignment), it compresses the nerve and creates sciatica-like symptoms. But it's a MUSCLE problem, not a nerve root problem.
Pelvic Imbalance - Pregnancy, falls, repetitive movements, poor posture—these create pelvic imbalances that put pressure on nerves and refer pain down the leg.
Here's why this matters:
If you're treating true sciatica when you actually have SI joint dysfunction, you're chasing the WRONG THING. Anti-inflammatories, nerve pain medication, even surgery—none of it will fix a mechanical pelvic problem.
Chiropractic adjustments address the ROOT cause. We assess whether it's your SI joint, your piriformis, your pelvis, or actual nerve compression—and we correct the dysfunction at the source.
We've seen countless people told they have "chronic sciatica" experience complete relief after we adjusted their pelvis and SI joint. Because it was never sciatica in the first place.
Let us help you get to the root.
