Sciatica: Why Your Leg Hurts When the Problem Is in Your Back

BY: Aligned Health Clinic

POSTED: October 30, 2026

IN: Chiropractic

Sciatica can stop you in your tracks. One day it’s a dull ache in your buttock, and the next it’s a sharp, electric pain shooting down the back of your leg. Many people are surprised to learn the problem usually isn’t in the leg at all. It starts in the low back.

What Is Sciatica?

Your sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body. It’s formed from nerve roots in your lower spine and runs through your buttock and down the back of each leg. “Sciatica” describes the symptoms that happen when something irritates or compresses that nerve.

Common symptoms include:

Pain that travels from the low back or buttock down one leg
Burning, tingling or “pins and needles” in the leg or foot
Numbness or weakness in the leg
Pain that’s worse when sitting, coughing or sneezing

What Causes It?

The most common causes we see are:

Bulging or herniated discs pressing on a nerve root
Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spaces nerves travel through
Joint and alignment problems in the low back and pelvis
Tight muscles, such as the piriformis, irritating the nerve

Because the causes differ, the treatment should too. That’s why finding the source matters more than chasing the pain.

How We Treat Sciatica

At Aligned Health, we start with a thorough exam to find where and why the nerve is irritated. Depending on what we find, care may include:

Chiropractic adjustments to restore motion in the low back and pelvis
Spinal decompression to reduce pressure on discs and nerve roots
Cox Flexion-Distraction, a gentle technique well suited to disc-related pain
Exercises to strengthen your core and protect your back long term

When to Get Help Right Away

Most sciatica responds well to conservative care. But go to the emergency room if you have loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or leg weakness that’s getting worse quickly.

Don’t Wait It Out

Sciatica that lingers for weeks can affect how you sleep, work and move. The sooner we find the cause, the sooner you can get back to normal. Learn more about our sciatica care, book a visit or call (208) 981-0093.

This article is for general education and isn’t a substitute for an individual evaluation. Results vary from person to person.

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