Understanding Sciatica

It’s not just leg painIt’s nerve compression.

Sciatica is pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve — the longest nerve in your body — from your lower back through your hips and down each leg. The pain is real, but the cause isn’t in your leg. It’s in your spine. Disc herniation, spinal misalignment, and piriformis syndrome are the most common culprits.

At Touch of Life, Drs. Ed & Sandie have treated sciatica for 26 years in Shelby Township. We don’t prescribe painkillers or recommend surgery as a first option. We find the structural cause of the nerve compression and correct it — so the pain resolves naturally and doesn’t keep coming back.

Sciatic nerve pain — lumbar spine and hip anatomy

Common Symptoms

Recognizing the signs.

Shooting Leg Pain

Sharp, burning pain that radiates from the lower back or buttock down one leg, sometimes reaching the foot.

Numbness & Tingling

Loss of sensation, pins-and-needles feelings, or tingling in the leg, foot, or toes on the affected side.

Leg Weakness

Difficulty standing, walking, or climbing stairs due to muscle weakness caused by nerve compression.

Pain When Sitting

Increased pain or discomfort when sitting for extended periods, often making desk work or driving unbearable.

Spinal decompression and corrective adjustment for sciatica relief

Our Approach

Decompression & correctionReleasing the nerve, restoring the spine.

Our sciatica treatment begins with a comprehensive evaluation — consultation, examination, and X-rays — to identify exactly where and why your sciatic nerve is being compressed. From there, we build a corrective care plan that may include spinal adjustments, decompression techniques, and targeted rehabilitation.

The goal isn’t temporary relief. It’s structural correction that removes the nerve compression and restores proper spinal alignment. When the pressure comes off the nerve, the pain, numbness, and weakness resolve naturally.

Dr. Ed McCuiston adjusting a patient at Touch of Life Chiropractic

Dr. Ed’s Specialty

Dr. Ed McCuiston III, D.C. specializes in corrective and sports chiropractic, including complex sciatica and disc cases. His advanced training in spinal biomechanics makes him uniquely qualified to treat stubborn sciatic nerve pain.

Questions About Sciatica

What our patients ask.

What causes sciatica?

Sciatica is caused by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the hips and down each leg. Common causes include disc herniation, spinal misalignment, piriformis syndrome, and degenerative changes. At Touch of Life, we identify the specific cause through examination and X-rays.

Do I need surgery for sciatica?

In the vast majority of cases, no. Corrective chiropractic care is highly effective at relieving sciatic nerve compression without surgery. Dr. Ed has treated thousands of sciatica cases over 26 years, and most patients respond well to conservative, non-invasive care.

How long does sciatica treatment take?

Many patients experience significant relief within the first few weeks of care. However, corrective treatment to address the underlying structural cause typically spans several weeks to months. Your care plan will be tailored to the severity and duration of your condition.

Are there exercises I can do at home for sciatica?

Yes. As part of your corrective care plan, we provide specific stretches and exercises designed to support your spinal correction and reduce sciatic nerve irritation. These are customized to your condition — generic stretches found online can sometimes make sciatica worse.

Sciatica reliefwithout surgery.