One moment you’re reaching down to tie your laces, and the next, a searing, electric shock travels from your glute all the way to your calf – Sciatica Pain. It’s sharp, it’s unrelenting, and it’s often accompanied by a frustrating “pins and needles” sensation. If you’ve felt this, you know how quickly it can make you feel fragile.
You might have heard scary terms like “slipped discs” or been told you have “wear and tear” that requires surgery. At Pursuit, we want to change that narrative. Science tells us that these are often normal age-related changes—similar to getting grey hair—and that your body is remarkably robust and capable of adapting.
The Science of Sciatica Pain: More Than Just a “Rope”
We often describe the sciatic nerve as an elastic rope, but the reality is much more refined. Under normal circumstances, your nerves are designed to slide, glide, and stretch smoothly through narrow tunnels, remaining in constant, healthy contact with the surrounding tissues.
However, when a disc or another structure in your back becomes sensitive or injured, the environment around that nerve changes. It is rarely just about physical “pressure” or a mechanical pinch. More often, the local inflammatory processes—what we call an “inflammatory soup”—irritate the nerve, causing it to “light up” and become hypersensitive to any movement.
The good news? Your body is a master of “tidying up.” Research confirms that discs have an incredible ability to resorb and heal naturally. In fact, a 2023 systematic review found that up to 93% of the most significant disc morphologies (sequestered discs) spontaneously regress over time as the body’s immune system clears the sensitive tissue.
Furthermore, imaging shows that a massive number of active, pain-free adults have disc bulges without ever knowing it. A landmark systematic review by Brinjikji et al. (2015) demonstrated that 84% of 80-year-olds and even 30% of 20-year-olds have disc bulges despite having zero symptoms. This proves that a finding on an image doesn’t define your capacity for back pain relief or your ability to stay active.
Our Roadmap: Calm it Down, Then Build it Up
Phase 1: Calming the Sensitized System
In the early stages, the goal is to reduce the “threat” your brain perceives by moving that “inflammatory soup” away from the nerve.
- Directional Preference: We often find that “Extension Preference” movements—like gently arching the back—help “centralize” the pain, moving it out of your leg and back toward your spine.
- Nerve Sliders: Instead of aggressively stretching an irritated nerve (which can make it angrier), we use “nerve sliders.” This involves moving the nerve back and forth through its path without putting it under tension, facilitating local motion to help clear inflammation.
Phase 2: Building Robustness
Once the “lightning bolts” have settled, we shift our focus to making you more resilient than you were before.
- Load Management: We gradually introduce weight to help your tissues adapt to the demands of your life—whether that’s carrying groceries or training for the TC10K.
- Vascularization: Increased blood flow is “medicine” for your nerves. Simple cardiovascular exercise, like walking on the flat stretches of Dallas Road, delivers the vital nutrients and oxygen that nerves need to thrive.
Don’t Let it Turn Chronic
If you’re waiting for the pain to just “go away,” you might be missing a window of opportunity to uproot nagging injuries. Evidence suggests that 85% of people see symptom resolution within a year when guided by professional care.
Whether you want to get back to the trails at Mt. Doug or simply want to wake up without that familiar ache, we can help.
Key References
- Müggenborg, F., et al. (2025). Effectiveness of manual trigger point therapy in patients with myofascial trigger points in the orofacial region—A systematic review. Frontiers in Oral Health.
- Prevalence of Myofascial Trigger Points in Patients with Low Back Pain. (2025). Journal of Clinical Medicine (MDPI).
- Shah, J. P., et al. (2024 Update). Myofascial Trigger Points Then and Now: A Historical and Scientific Perspective. StatPearls / NCBI.
- Simons, D. G., & Travell, J. G. (1999). Travell & Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual. (Foundational Clinical Brain).
Disclaimer: The content provided here is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Every injury is unique. For a specific diagnosis and treatment plan, please book an appointment with our team.
