09/26/2025
What top guidelines recommend for sciatica
Leading guidelines favor conservative care first. I use manual therapy, specific exercise, and education before injections or surgery, and I coordinate with your physician for imaging or medication only when the case calls for it.
Here's why this approach actually works better than rushing to invasive options.
Most patients with sciatica recover within 6-8 weeks using conservative methods... the research backs this up consistently.
Manual therapy addresses nerve mobility issues while specific exercises target the root muscular imbalances that often trigger the problem in the first place.
But here's what many practitioners miss.
Sciatica rarely has just one cause. Poor hip mobility, weak deep stabilizers, faulty movement patterns - they all contribute to the same painful result you're experiencing.
When I assess sciatica patients, I'm looking at the whole kinetic chain, not just where it hurts. Think of it like diagnosing why your car pulls to the right. Could be alignment, could be tire pressure, could be suspension. Fix the wrong thing and the problem returns.
Same principle applies here.
The "hardware vs software" approach I use helps identify whether we're dealing with structural issues (like a herniated disc) or functional problems (muscle imbalances). Often it's both working together.
Conservative care gives us the time to address these layers without the risks that come with surgery or long-term medication dependence.
What's been your experience with sciatica treatment? Like this post if you believe in trying conservative care first, and comment below about what worked (or didn't work) for you.
