Nerve Gliding & Sciatica Pain Treatment

Sciatica (shooting pain, numbness, or tingling radiating from the lower back or buttock down the leg) is one of the most alarming pain presentations in musculoskeletal practice, and one of the most misunderstood. The vast majority of sciatica presentations do not require surgery. They respond well to a combination of manual therapy, neural mobilisation techniques (nerve gliding exercises that restore the sciatic nerve's ability to slide freely through its surrounding tissues) progressive exercise that rebuilds lumbar stability and reduces neural sensitisation, and education about the nature of neural pain and the factors that drive it.

Neural mobilisation is a skilled intervention that requires precise knowledge of nerve anatomy and a carefully graded approach. Applied incorrectly (too aggressively, at the wrong stage of tissue irritability) nerve gliding can aggravate symptoms significantly. At this practice, neural mobilisation is introduced at the appropriate stage of management, with the appropriate technique, and with clear progression criteria that guide advancement safely.