Back & spine Orthopaedic Rehabilitation
Sciatica
- Sharp or burning pain down the back of the leg
- Pins and needles or numbness in the leg or foot
- Pain worse when sitting or coughing
- Weakness in the leg or foot
Quick answer
Sciatica is pain travelling along the sciatic nerve from the lower back into the leg, usually caused by a disc pressing on a nerve root. It typically produces one-sided leg pain with pins and needles. Most cases settle within six to twelve weeks without surgery, using graded movement and nerve mobilisation.
Typical recovery
6–12 weeks for most cases
A typical range, not a promise — how long it takes depends on how long it has been going on, and on what you do between appointments.
Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It describes pain following the sciatic nerve — buttock, back of the thigh, calf, sometimes into the foot — and it means a nerve root in the lower back is irritated or compressed.
What it feels like
Sharp, burning or electric pain down one leg, often worse than the back pain itself. Pins and needles or numbness in a band down the leg or in part of the foot. Sitting, coughing and sneezing usually make it worse. Many people find standing or walking easier than sitting.
Why it happens
Most commonly a disc bulge or herniation pressing on the nerve root as it exits the spine. Less often it is narrowing of the space around the nerve, or the nerve being irritated deeper in the buttock. The specific level involved is usually identifiable from where the symptoms sit.
How physiotherapy helps
- Finding the positions and movements that centralise the pain — bringing it out of the leg and back towards the spine, which is the direction of recovery
- Nerve mobilisation to restore the nerve's ability to glide
- Hands-on treatment for the associated back stiffness and muscle guarding
- Progressive strengthening once the leg symptoms settle
- Clear guidance on sitting, driving and lifting during the irritable phase
How long it takes
The majority of disc-related sciatica improves substantially within six to twelve weeks, and most people avoid surgery. Leg pain usually retreats before back pain resolves, which is a good sign even though it does not feel like one. Numbness can take longest to recover.
When to seek help urgently
Go to a hospital immediately if you develop numbness around the groin, buttocks or inner thighs, difficulty passing or controlling urine, loss of bowel control, or rapidly worsening weakness in both legs. This is cauda equina syndrome — rare, but it needs surgery within hours.
Medically reviewed by Nasir Mughees, BPT, MPT, Orthopaedic Physiotherapy · Last reviewed September 2026