Sciatica · Olathe, Kansas
Nonsurgical Treatment for Sciatica
Leg pain that starts in your back has a cause. Find out what yours is.
Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis. The evaluation identifies what is compressing the nerve and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate for it.
- For sciatica that has not resolved with rest, medication or therapy
- Nonsurgical, seated treatment — no injections
- You find out whether you are a candidate at the first visit
- If you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full
- 25 years in practice
- 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
- 5.0 on Google · 60 reviews
Sound familiar?
Does this sound like your sciatica?
Sitting is usually the hardest part: a car seat, a desk chair, a restaurant booth. Sleep is broken by the search for a position that does not light the leg up. Standing to work, standing to eat and pacing during phone calls become normal.
- Pain that shoots from your back or buttock down one leg
- Sitting makes it worse; you stand at your desk or pace on calls
- Numbness or tingling in the leg or foot
- You have tried stretches, medication or an injection
- Nights are broken by the search for a position that works
Common symptoms of sciatica
- Pain that starts in the low back or buttock and travels down one leg, sometimes to the foot
- Burning, electric or shooting pain rather than a dull ache
- Numbness, tingling or pins and needles in the leg or foot
- Weakness — a foot that drags, a knee that gives, difficulty rising onto your toes
- Worse with sitting, coughing or sneezing; often easier walking
If two or more of these are true, an evaluation is the logical next step. It is the only way to know what is contributing to your symptoms and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.
What sciatica is
What sciatica is, and why it keeps coming back
The sciatic nerve is formed by nerve roots that leave the lower spine, pass through the pelvis and run down the back of each leg. When one of those roots is compressed or inflamed — most often by a herniated or bulging disc, sometimes by a narrowed canal — the pain is felt along the nerve's path, not at the spot where the problem is. That is why the leg can hurt more than the back.
Between each pair of vertebrae sits a disc. When it's healthy, it's tall and full of fluid, and it holds open the space where a nerve leaves your spine.
Years of sitting, lifting and gravity compress it. It loses water and height, that space narrows, and the nerve gets crowded. That's what sends pain, numbness and tingling down a leg or an arm.
It doesn't fix itself, because discs have no blood supply. They depend on pressure changing as you move — and a compressed disc isn't getting that.
How we treat it
Our treatment gently separates the vertebrae, taking pressure off the disc and giving the nerve room. Repeated over a course of care, that's what gives symptoms a chance to settle.
Sciatica treatment options
Most of the usual approaches manage the symptom. Fewer address the load on the disc.
None of these are wrong, and some of them may be part of your care. The question the evaluation answers is whether something is still loading the disc or the nerve — and whether that is something we can change.
Nonsurgical treatment options for sciatica
- Staying active with a specific movement plan rather than bed rest
- Physical therapy, including nerve mobilization and trunk control
- Medication or an epidural steroid injection, prescribed by a physician
- Our nonsurgical treatment when a disc is compressing the root — gently separating the vertebrae to give the nerve room
- Surgical consultation for progressive weakness or symptoms that have not improved with a proper nonsurgical course
| Usual approach | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rest and ice | Reduces inflammation for a while. Does not change what is loading the disc. |
| Pain medication | Blocks the pain signal. Useful; does not address the source. |
| Injections | Reduces inflammation around the nerve, often temporarily. |
| Physical therapy | Strengthens the muscles that support the spine — valuable, and sometimes not enough on its own when a disc is the driver. |
| Surgery | Removes or fuses tissue. Sometimes necessary. A large step to take before nonsurgical options have been properly evaluated. |
Our approach
Evaluate first. Then treat, measure and adjust.
We focus on nonsurgical treatment for appropriate spine, disc and nerve conditions. Treatment begins with an evaluation so we can determine whether our approach is appropriate for your condition.
- 01
Evaluate
Determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.
- 02
Treat
Begin appropriate nonsurgical treatment if you are a candidate.
- 03
Measure
Track your response to treatment.
- 04
Adjust
Modify the approach based on how you respond.
Why evaluation matters for sciatica
Leg pain can come from a disc pressing on a nerve root, from a narrowed spinal canal, from the sacroiliac joint, from the hip, or from muscles in the buttock irritating the nerve. Those look similar from the outside and respond to different treatment. Examination — where the pain is, what reproduces it, which nerve is involved — tells them apart.
How we evaluate sciatica
Your evaluation includes a history of when the leg pain started and what changes it, a neurological examination of the leg (strength, reflexes and sensation), specific tests that tension the nerve, and a review of your imaging if you have any. If the pattern points to a compressed nerve root that our approach is suited to, we say so and explain how we would treat it and track it. If it points elsewhere, we tell you where.
When additional medical evaluation is necessary. Sciatica with numbness in the groin or inner thighs, difficulty starting or controlling urination, or weakness that is getting worse day to day is a medical emergency. Go to an emergency department. Do not wait for an appointment here.
What a treatment visit is like
Nonsurgical — no injections, no incisions. You are seated and reclined, not face-down and not in a harness. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, the settings are set for you, and a visit is short. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at the evaluation.
Honest about who it's for
It is not for everyone, and no one can promise you an outcome before examining you. For the right patient it takes the load off a painful disc without surgery, and we measure your response rather than assume it. The evaluation is how we find out whether you are that patient.
The first step
Start with an evaluation.
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits
$149
We evaluate your condition, determine whether you are an appropriate candidate, and begin treatment if appropriate. No package. No long-term commitment.
Schedule Your EvaluationIf we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.
What's included
- A one-on-one consultation about your symptoms, history and what you have already tried
- A focused spine and nerve examination
- Review of any imaging you already have (MRI, CT or X-ray)
- A clear answer on whether our nonsurgical approach is appropriate for you
- Three treatment visits, if you are a candidate
- A written summary of what we found and what we recommend
Plan on about 45 minutes for the first visit. Treatment visits after that are short.
What you'll learn
What you walk out knowing
1What is actually contributing to your symptoms
Not a guess from a report — findings from an examination read alongside your imaging.
2Whether you are a candidate
A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, you are refunded and pointed to the right care.
3How your body responds to treatment
If you are a candidate, you begin treatment at the first visit and we record your response.
4What we recommend, and why
In writing, after three treatment visits, with no obligation.
Patient reviews
From patients who came in with the same thing.
Every review is a verified Google review of this clinic, quoted as written.
“Sciatica had me shifting around constantly, especially sitting for any length of time. … the leg pain's way down and I can actually sit through a meeting or a movie without needing to move.”
Aaron B.Verified Google review
“Foot pain from sciatica used to flare up bad just from standing too long. … that pain's way down now — I can stand and walk around without it acting up, which was the whole reason I came in for the herniated disc.”
Clairelle W.Verified Google review
“Sciatica and back pain had me pretty miserable, but it's so much better now.”
Michael P.Verified Google review
FAQ
Questions about sciatica
Do you treat sciatica?
What happens during my first visit?
How much does the initial visit cost?
How does the treatment work?
Do I need an MRI?
Can I bring my MRI?
Do you accept insurance?
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits · $149
Schedule a sciatica evaluation
Tell us how to reach you and we'll call to find a time. Prefer to talk now? Call (913) 355-5998 or text us.
- Mon – Wed9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thu9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
- Fri – SunClosed
If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.
Related conditions
Find out whether we can help with your sciatica.
Axis Spine & Disc · 1011 E 151st St, Suite A, Olathe, KS