---
title: "Sciatica: What It Is and What It Isn't!"
description: Sciatica treatment and diagnosis. Your leg pain may not be truly sciatica, so get assessed at Rock Solid Physical Therapy to get the best diagnosis!
image: https://www.rocksolidptp.com/hubfs/Sciatica.jpg
---

[ All posts ](https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/all)

 June 16, 2025

# Sciatica: What It Is and What It Isn't!

![Picture of Dr. Sam Zehnder](https://www.rocksolidptp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_0496-2.jpg?width=50&name=IMG_0496-2.jpg) By   Dr. Sam Zehnder  ·   2 minute read

At **Rock Solid Physical Therapy and Performance**, we frequently see patients who’ve been told they have “sciatica.” But here’s the truth: **many people are misdiagnosed**, and true sciatica is not as common as it may seem. In this blog, we’ll break down what sciatica really is, how it’s often misunderstood, what the true signs and symptoms are, and how our expert physical therapy team addresses it to get you moving again—pain-free.

### What Is Sciatica?

**![Sciatic Nerve](https://www.rocksolidptp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Sciatic%20Nerve.jpg?width=398&height=365&name=Sciatic%20Nerve.jpg)Sciatica** refers to pain caused by **compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve**, the longest nerve in the body. It originates in the lower back, runs through the hips and buttocks, and travels down each leg. Sciatica is a *symptom*, not a diagnosis—usually stemming from an underlying issue such as:

- **Lumbar disc herniation**
- **Spinal stenosis**
- **Degenerative disc disease**
- **Piriformis syndrome** (less common)
- **Spondylolisthesis**

### Why Sciatica Is Often Misdiagnosed

The term “sciatica” is frequently used as a **catch-all diagnosis** for any pain that radiates down the leg. Unfortunately, this leads to confusion—and sometimes the wrong treatment plan.

Not all leg pain is sciatica. In fact, **true sciatica involves irritation of the actual sciatic nerve**, whereas many patients suffer from **referred pain** from joints or muscles in the lumbar spine or pelvis. This mislabeling can delay effective treatment and prolong discomfort.

### True Signs and Symptoms of Sciatica

To accurately identify sciatica, we look for these hallmark symptoms:

- **Pain radiating from the lower back or buttock down the back of the leg**, often below the knee
- **Numbness or tingling** in the leg or foot
- **Burning or sharp, shooting pain**
- Pain that **worsens with sitting, coughing, or sneezing**
- **Muscle weakness** in the leg or foot (in more severe cases)

Pain limited to the lower back or just the buttock, or pain that changes locations frequently, is less likely to be true sciatica and may indicate a different musculoskeletal issue.

### How We Treat Sciatica at Rock Solid Physical Therapy and Performance

Our approach at Rock Solid PT is **thorough, evidence-based, and individualized**. We begin with a comprehensive assessment to determine if your symptoms are due to true sciatic nerve involvement or another condition mimicking sciatica.

**Treatment strategies may include:**

- **Manual therapy** to improve mobility of the lumbar spine and reduce neural tension
- **Targeted exercises** to centralize symptoms and reduce nerve compression
- **Postural training and movement re-education** to prevent flare-ups
- **Nerve glides/mobilizations** to restore sciatic nerve mobility
- **Education on activity modification** to promote healing without unnecessary rest
- **Dry Needling **to calm neural excitability and relax muscle tissue to decrease pain

Importantly, our goal is not just to relieve symptoms—but to identify and address the **root cause** of the nerve irritation so you can return to full, pain-free function.

### Stop Guessing. Start Healing.

If you’ve been told you have sciatica but your pain isn’t improving—or if you’re unsure what’s really causing your leg or back pain—it’s time to get a **clear diagnosis and a targeted treatment plan**.

At **Rock Solid Physical Therapy and Performance**, we’re committed to helping you move better, feel stronger, and live pain-free. Our experienced team specializes in resolving conditions like sciatica through hands-on care and customized rehab programs.

Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/sciatica-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/sciatica-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt) [twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/sciatica-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/sciatica-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/sciatica-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Dr. Sam Zehnder",
    "url" : "https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/author/dr-sam-zehnder"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-06-16T03:33:58.232Z",
  "datePublished" : "2025-06-16T03:33:58.000Z",
  "headline" : "Sciatica: What It Is and What It Isn't!",
  "image" : [ "https://www.rocksolidptp.com/hubfs/Sciatica.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/sciatica-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://www.rocksolidptp.com/hubfs/RSLogo1%20No%20Title%20-%20EXPANDED-Sep-18-2025-07-08-48-3490-PM.png"
    },
    "name" : "Rock Solid Physical Therapy and Performance"
  }
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Article",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : [ "Dr. Sam Zehnder" ]
  },
  "datePublished" : "2025-06-16T03:33:58+0000",
  "description" : "Sciatica treatment and diagnosis. Your leg pain may not be truly sciatica, so get assessed at Rock Solid Physical Therapy to get the best diagnosis!",
  "headline" : "Sciatica: What It Is and What It Isn't!",
  "image" : "https://49044276.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/49044276/Sciatica.jpg",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://49044276.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/49044276/RSLogo1%20No%20Title%20-%20EXPANDED-Sep-18-2025-07-08-48-3490-PM.png"
    },
    "name" : "Rock Solid Physical Therapy and Performance"
  },
  "url" : "https://www.rocksolidptp.com/rock-solid-blog/sciatica-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt"
}
```