Sciatica is pain that runs along the sciatic nerve — from the low back through the buttock and down the leg — usually because a nerve is being pinched by a herniated disc, a narrowed spine, or a tight muscle in the buttock. It often comes with numbness, tingling, or weakness in the leg.
Sciatica Care in Bozeman — Targeting Where the Nerve Is Actually Pinched
Sciatica isn’t a single condition — it’s a sign that a nerve is being pinched somewhere along the path from your low back to your leg. The cause might be a disc, a narrowed spine, a tight buttock muscle, or an irritated joint, and good treatment depends on finding which one is driving your pain. At Root Therapy and Wellness in Bozeman, sciatica care happens in full 1-on-1 sessions, with hands-on treatment every visit.
The goal isn’t just to mask the pain. It’s to take the pressure off the nerve and rebuild the strength and control around it — so the pain doesn’t come back the next time you sit too long or load your back wrong.
What Causes Sciatica?
- A herniated or bulging disc — the most common cause, pressing on a nerve root in the low back.
- A narrowed spine — narrowing of the spinal canal, especially bothersome with standing and walking.
- A tight buttock muscle — pressing on the sciatic nerve deep in the buttock.
- An irritated pelvis or low-back joint — referring pain that mimics sciatica.
- Less common causes — which our exam screens for.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
- Comprehensive evaluation (60 minutes) — your history, a nerve screen, and a check of which positions and movements ease or aggravate your symptoms.
- Diagnosis — where the nerve is being pinched, and the positions that help.
- Hands-on treatment that same visit — nerve mobilization and low-back work.
- Home program — daily nerve movements and the exercises that ease your symptoms.
- Re-assessment every few visits, with the plan progressed as you improve.
Take the First Step
Sciatica that lingers tends to pile on compensations — hip and core weakness, poor sleep, fear of moving. Request an appointment today — most patients are seen within the same week.
Our Treatment Approach
- Nerve Mobilization — Gentle movements to free up the irritated sciatic nerve.
- Joint Mobilization — Hands-on work for the low back to take pressure off the nerve.
- Exercises That Ease the Pain — Specific positions and movements that calm your symptoms and pull the pain back toward the spine.
- Hip & Core Strengthening — Building the hip and core strength that supports the low back.