If you’re reading this at 2 a.m. because a shooting pain down your leg won’t let you sleep, you don’t need a lecture on anatomy. You need to know if this gets better, and how. So let’s start there: for most people, sciatica pain responds well to conservative care, and chiropractic care is one of the most common, well-studied places to start.
I’m Dr. Michael Polson. I’ve been treating sciatica in Mansfield since 1984, and I’ve seen just about every version of it — the dull ache that flares when you sit too long, and the sharp, drop-you-to-your-knees pain that makes standing up feel impossible. Here’s what’s actually going on, what chiropractic adjustments can do about it, and what to expect if you come see us.
What Sciatica Actually Feels Like
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It starts in your lower back, runs through your hip and buttock, and travels all the way down the back of your leg. When something irritates or compresses it, you feel it — usually as one or more of these:
- Sharp, shooting, or burning pain from the low back or buttock down the leg
- Numbness or tingling in the leg or foot
- Weakness that makes it hard to stand, walk, or climb stairs
- Pain that worsens when you sit, sneeze, or cough
It’s rarely a two-minute problem. Sciatica tends to build over days or weeks, and it can range from mildly annoying to genuinely disabling.
What’s Actually Causing It
Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis by itself — something in your lower back is pressing on or irritating that nerve. The most common causes I see in the office are:
- Herniated or bulging discs, where the disc’s soft inner material pushes against nearby nerve roots
- Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the space around the spinal nerves, often related to age
- Piriformis syndrome, where a muscle deep in the buttock irritates the sciatic nerve as it passes by
- Spinal misalignment, where a joint isn’t moving properly and creates inflammation around the nerve root
None of that can be sorted out over the phone. It takes a real exam — checking your posture, your range of motion, and your reflexes — to find out which one is driving your pain.
How Chiropractic Care Helps With Sciatica
Chiropractic adjustments work by restoring normal movement to the joints in your spine. When a vertebra isn’t moving the way it should, it can crowd the space where a nerve root exits the spine — and that’s often what’s feeding the pain running down your leg.
By realigning that joint with a controlled, targeted adjustment, we take pressure off the nerve and calm the inflammation around it. Most patients notice less pain and easier movement within the first few visits, though how fast you improve depends on what’s actually causing your sciatica and how long it’s been going on.
Depending on your exam, your plan might also include:
- Spinal manipulation to restore joint motion and take pressure off the nerve
- Mobilization — gentler stretching and movement for stiff, guarded areas
- Targeted stretches and exercises you can do at home between visits
If you’re dealing with sciatica and you’d rather get it checked out than keep guessing, reach out and we’ll get you on the schedule. Most patients are seen within a day or two.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Sciatica?
For the large majority of people, yes — chiropractic adjustments are a conservative, non-surgical option, and that’s exactly why so many patients try it before considering injections or surgery. That said, sciatica isn’t always simple. If your exam or imaging points to something that needs a different kind of care — a surgical referral, for instance — I’ll tell you that directly instead of trying to keep you in my chair.
I’ve held an active Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners license since 1984 and I’m an NBCE Diplomate. Every new patient gets a real exam before we ever talk about a treatment plan.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Your first visit starts with a conversation about when the pain started, what makes it worse, and what you’ve already tried. Then comes a hands-on exam — checking your posture, movement, and reflexes — and imaging if it’s needed to see what’s really going on. You’ll know your plan before we start any treatment. You can also fill out your paperwork ahead of time through our new patient center so your visit isn’t spent in a waiting room. Speaking of which — we run a genuine “No Wait” policy. You’re seen on time, every time.
What You Can Do at Home in the Meantime
While you’re waiting for your appointment, a few things tend to help more than they hurt:
- Alternating ice and heat on the low back and hip
- Gentle walking, rather than complete bed rest
- Avoiding long stretches of sitting, especially in soft chairs or car seats
- Sleeping with a pillow between your knees if you’re a side sleeper
None of this replaces getting the actual cause diagnosed — but it can take the edge off until we see you.
Sciatica and Other Conditions We See in Mansfield
Sciatica often shows up alongside, or as a result of, other issues we treat regularly:
- Low back pain from disc problems or muscle strain
- Auto accident injuries, where sciatica can show up days after a crash
- Arthritis and degenerative changes in the spine
- Pregnancy-related sciatica, which is extremely common in the third trimester
We treat patients from Mansfield every day, and we regularly see people who drive in from Arlington, Grand Prairie, Kennedale, Midlothian, and Dallas because they’d rather see someone with real experience than start over with someone new.
You Don’t Have to Live With It
Sciatica has a way of making you cancel plans, skip the gym, and just get used to moving carefully. You don’t have to build your life around it. Most patients who come to us with sciatica see real improvement — less pain, more mobility, and a plan that actually makes sense to them.
Our office is at 1750 Broad Park Circle S. Suite #302 in Mansfield, just off Hwy 287 on Broad St. We’re rated 5.0 on Google, we’ve been doing this since 1984, and we run a real “No Wait” policy so you’re not stuck in a lobby with a nerve that’s already unhappy.
Contact us to schedule an appointment, or call (817) 473-1849. If sciatica is running your life right now, let’s find out why — and what we can do about it.