Sciatica Relief in Costa Mesa
If you’re living with sharp, shooting discomfort down your leg, numbness, or burning in your low back and hip, you’re not alone. Sciatica can make sitting, getting in the car, or sleeping through the night feel overwhelming.
What Is Sciatica (and What Might Be Causing Yours)?
The sciatic nerve runs from your lower back through your hips and down each leg, so when it is irritated, you feel it. Common causes include disc bulges, disc herniations, inflammation, or arthritic changes like bone spurs that crowd the nerve as it exits the spine. Sometimes the source is a tight piriformis muscle in the buttock, a condition called piriformis syndrome that is often mistaken for a disc problem. Dr. Kody will explain which of these is most likely behind your symptoms and why.
Finding the Real Source of Your Sciatic Symptoms
During your first visit, Dr. Kody performs a thorough exam, including specific orthopedic and neurologic tests. He looks for differences between disc-related sciatica and piriformis syndrome, as well as signs of more serious nerve involvement. When needed, he may refer you for an MRI or recommend consultation with a spine specialist before any chiropractic care, and has referred patients directly for surgical opinions when that was the safest choice.
Integrated Care for Sciatica
When chiropractic care is appropriate, Dr. Kody combines joint-focused care with muscle-focused care. A chiropractic adjustment is a precise, hands-on movement to a joint that improves motion and may reduce irritation around nearby nerves. Physiotherapy includes targeted muscle and soft-tissue techniques that restore flexibility, strength, and balance, especially when symptoms are driven by tight or overworked muscles.
Here are some of the sciatic symptoms this approach often helps improve:
- Shooting or burning discomfort down the leg
- Numbness or tingling in the leg or foot
- Weakness when standing, walking, or climbing stairs
- Tight, achy feelings in the low back, hip, or buttock
- Difficulty sitting, standing, or sleeping comfortably
Schedule Your Appointment
You don’t have to keep “toughing it out” or accepting sciatic symptoms as your new normal. Contact our practice today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kody and find out whether individualized chiropractic and physiotherapy-based care can help you move with more comfort and confidence.
