Sciatica Treatment on the Gold Coast
Pain, pins and needles or numbness running from your back or buttock down the leg? Our physiotherapists work out where the nerve is being irritated and what is driving it, then treat that.
What to expect
- Assessment and first treatment in the same appointment
- No GP referral required
- A clear explanation of what is irritating the nerve
- Health fund rebates claimed on the spot
- FREE on-site parking behind the clinic
Podiatry and physio together
Both in the one clinic — and we move you across if the other one is the better fit.
No referral needed
Book straight in. Medicare care plans, DVA and NDIS patients welcome.
Health fund rebates on the spot
HICAPS in the clinic — claim as you pay and only settle the gap.
FREE on-site parking
Car park behind the clinic on Olsen Avenue, Arundel, plus free street parking.
“Sciatica” is a symptom, not a diagnosis
Sciatica describes pain travelling along the path of the sciatic nerve — typically from the lower back or buttock, down the back of the thigh, and sometimes into the calf and foot. It is a description of where symptoms are felt, not an explanation of why.
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It is formed from nerve roots in the lower spine, passes through the pelvis and travels down the leg, supplying the muscles and sensation along the way.
Symptoms can arise where those nerve roots are irritated or compressed in the lower back, or where the nerve is sensitised further along its course. Disc changes, joint changes, swelling, prolonged positions and load history can all contribute.
Because the possible sources differ, so does the treatment. The assessment is what tells us which one you are dealing with — and it is also what tells us whether you should be seeing a doctor instead of, or as well as, us.
When to seek urgent medical care
Go to a GP or an emergency department straight away — do not wait for a physiotherapy appointment — if you have any of the following alongside back or leg symptoms:
- Loss of bladder or bowel control, or difficulty passing urine
- Numbness around the saddle area, inner thighs or genitals
- Weakness that is getting worse, or numbness in both legs
- Severe pain following a significant fall or accident
- Fever, unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer with new back pain
These are uncommon, but they need same-day medical assessment.
Leg pain that is not settling? Get it assessed properly.
Common sciatica symptoms
How it feels
- Pain radiating from the back or buttock into the leg
- Pins and needles, or a tingling line down the leg
- Numbness in part of the leg or foot
- Burning, sharp or electric-feeling pain
- Weakness in the leg or foot in some cases
What tends to aggravate it
- Sitting for long periods, especially driving
- Bending forward, or getting out of a chair or car
- Coughing or sneezing
- Standing still for a long time
- First thing in the morning, for some people
How we treat sciatica
Treatment follows the assessment. The majority of nerve-related leg pain improves with conservative management, though the timeframe varies a good deal from person to person.
Assessment and explanation
Working out where the symptoms are coming from, screening for anything that needs medical referral, and explaining it clearly. Understanding what is actually happening tends to reduce a good deal of the worry that comes with nerve pain.
Movement and position advice
Often the first thing that helps. Finding the positions and movements that ease your symptoms, and the ones to limit for now, gives you something you can control between appointments.
Hands-on treatment
Manual therapy to the lower back, pelvis and hip where it is clinically appropriate, to improve movement and reduce symptoms enough that the active work can progress.
Nerve mobility and specific exercise
Graded exercises aimed at restoring the nerve’s ability to move and tolerate load, alongside strengthening for the back, hips and legs.
Load and activity management
Staying as active as symptoms allow is better supported by the evidence than resting up. We will help you work out how to keep moving without flaring it.
Co-ordination with your GP or specialist
Where medication, imaging or a specialist opinion would be appropriate, we will say so and write to your GP. Most people do not need a scan; some do, and we will be clear about which group we think you are in.
What happens at your first appointment
Your story
Where the symptoms travel, what brings them on and eases them, how they have changed, and any medical history that matters.
Assessment
Back and hip movement, nerve tests, strength, reflexes and sensation, plus a screen for anything requiring medical referral.
Explanation
What we think is irritating the nerve, what that means, and what the likely course looks like.
Treatment and plan
Treatment on the day where appropriate, positions and exercises to use at home, and a clear plan to the review.
Book a sciatica assessment — appointments are usually available within days.
Sciatica FAQs
How long does sciatica last?
It varies widely. Many episodes improve substantially over weeks to a few months with conservative management, but some take longer and some settle much faster. Rather than promise a timeframe, we will tell you at the assessment what we would expect to see changing first, and review that honestly as you go.
Do I need an MRI?
Usually not, at least initially. Disc changes show up on the scans of a large number of people who have no symptoms at all, so a scan alone often does not explain the pain. Imaging becomes genuinely useful where symptoms are not improving as expected, where there is significant or progressive weakness, or where surgery is being considered.
Should I rest in bed?
No. Extended bed rest is one of the few things the evidence is fairly clear about — it tends to make things worse rather than better. Staying as active as your symptoms reasonably allow, with the right modifications, is the better approach.
Is it a disc, or my piriformis?
Both are possible and they can look similar from the outside, which is why the examination matters. Nerve root irritation at the spine is the more common source. The practical point is that the treatment differs, so it is worth establishing which it is rather than guessing.
Will I need surgery?
Most people do not. Surgery is generally considered where symptoms persist despite good conservative management, where there is significant or worsening weakness, or in the urgent situations listed higher up this page. If we think a specialist opinion is warranted, we will arrange it.
Do I need a referral?
No. Book directly with our physiotherapists. Medicare Chronic Condition Management Plans, DVA and NDIS are all accepted — bring your paperwork and we will process it in the clinic.
Hip to Toe, Arundel
138 Olsen Avenue, Arundel
Gold Coast, QLD 4214
Near the corner of Central Street, between Harbour Town and the Gold Coast University Hospital.
Phone: 07 5571 7329
Email: reception@hiptotoe.com.au
Getting here
FREE on-site parking in the car park behind the clinic, plus free street parking out the front.
Ramped entrances, a disability parking bay and an accessible bathroom. If you’d like a hand getting in, call ahead and we’ll make sure someone can meet you.
Book your sciatica assessment
Assessment, explanation and first treatment in the one appointment. No referral needed, health fund rebates on the spot, free parking out the back.
Related: hip pain, knee pain, physiotherapy and sports injuries.
