If you’ve ever felt a sharp, shooting pain travelling from your lower back down through your buttock and into your leg, you already know how much sciatica can take over your day. Sitting hurts. Standing hurts. Even sleeping can become a nightly negotiation. At Body & Soul Chiropractic in Brighton, we help people across North Brisbane get to the bottom of what’s driving their sciatica — and put together a clear, gentle plan to ease it.
What is sciatica, really?
Sciatica isn’t a condition in itself — it’s pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in your body. It runs from your lower back, through your hips and buttocks, and down each leg. When something puts pressure on that nerve or the nerve roots in your spine, the result can be pain, pins and needles, numbness or weakness anywhere along its path. Most people describe it as a deep ache or a burning, electric pain on one side.
Common causes we see at Body & Soul
A bulging or herniated disc pressing on a nerve root; tight or overactive muscles (like the piriformis) irritating the nerve through the hip; joint stiffness in the lower spine and pelvis; long hours of sitting (very common among the office workers and drivers we treat across North Brisbane); and pregnancy-related changes in posture and pelvic loading.
Signs it might be sciatica
Pain radiating from your lower back or buttock down the back of your leg; pins and needles, numbness or burning in the leg or foot; pain that worsens when you sit, sneeze or cough; a feeling of weakness or heaviness in the leg — usually on one side.
How chiropractic care may help sciatica
The goal is simple: reduce the irritation on the nerve and help your spine and pelvis move more freely so your body can settle. After a thorough assessment, Dr Rob uses gentle, tailored techniques that may include spinal adjustments, mobilisation, soft-tissue work and specific movement advice. Care is always matched to you — some people prefer very gentle, low-force techniques, and that’s completely fine.
Our spinal decompression table — taking pressure off the nerve
One thing that sets our Brighton clinic apart is our spinal decompression table. For sciatica driven by disc pressure, decompression gently stretches the spine to create space between the vertebrae, reduce pressure on the discs and nerve roots, and give irritated tissues a chance to settle. It’s comfortable and non-invasive — a valuable part of a plan for stubborn, disc-related sciatica.
What treatment looks like at Body & Soul in Brighton
Your first visit starts with a proper conversation and assessment — your history, how the pain behaves, and what you want to get back to. We explain what’s going on in plain language and outline a suggested plan combining adjustments, decompression, soft-tissue work and simple home exercises. We care for people at every stage of life across Brighton, Sandgate, Shorncliffe, Woody Point, Clontarf and the wider Redcliffe peninsula.
Book your assessment online any time, or call (07) 3608 8814.
FAQ
How long does sciatica take to improve? It depends on the cause and how long you’ve had it — some notice a difference within a few visits; disc-related cases take longer.
Is chiropractic safe for a bulging disc? For many people yes, with gentle, appropriately chosen techniques; we assess first and refer on if needed.
Do I need a referral? No — book directly, and private health often covers it. What can I do at home? Avoid long unbroken sitting, keep gently moving, and do the specific exercises we prescribe.