What is Sciatica?

Chelmsford Physio • November 2, 2022

Sciatica is a clinical diagnosis to explain radiating pain in one leg which follows the distribution of the sciatic nerve, with or without associated neurological deficits of parasthesia (altered sensation) and muscle weakness.

 

A common misunderstanding we see, from a lot is people coming to see us with what they believe is or they’ve been told is Sciatica, when its actually pain from another source. 

 

Back pain is not Sciatica!

 

Not all leg pain is Sciatica!

 

Often we see people with referred leg pain coming from muscles or joint in their back or their hip.


The Sciatic nerve branches off the base of the spine, and has nerve roots from L4 to S2.

 

Sciatic pain is often worse with flexion of the lumbar flexion, where bending sitting and coughing/sneezing aggravate the symptoms.

 

The sciatic nerve provides sensation the different areas of the leg and power to the various muscles of the posterior aspect of the leg. In some cases when the Sciatic nerve is affected a person can experience altered sensation in an area of their leg (pins & needles or numbness) or a muscle can feel weak, or even experience footdrop is severe cases.

Taking a clear history of the onset, and the symptoms helps a Physio make their diagnosis.

Taking a clear history of the onset, and the symptoms helps a Physio make their diagnosis.

 

It's very important for a Physio to ask anyone with back pain or Sciatica questions about their bladder & bowel control, as well as the sensation in the saddle area between their legs. These are red flags symptoms, and need to be referred urgently for investigation.

 

A clinical examination should then be carried out looking at movement of the lumbar spine, as well as a thorough neurological examination including a straight leg raise (SLR ) test, dermatomes (sensation), myotomes (muscle strength) and reflexes.

 

An MRI scan can help to understand what is causing the Sciatica. An MRI is normally requested if the symptoms don’t improve in the first 6-12 weeks and don’t respond in the way we would expect.The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.New Paragraph

The Best Way To Treat/Help Sciatica!

Often medication can helpful to manage the pain to allow the person to keep active and perform the movements and exercise to help them resolve the symptoms.

 

Manual treatment can be helpful to improve pain and movement, which again helps to improve the recovery.

 

Selecting the right exercise can really make a difference, some exercises can make the symptoms worse but some can really help to centralise the leg and speed up the recovery.

Bedrest does not help!

 

The correct education & advice, can be extremely helpful. If the person suffering with Sciatica understands what’s going on, then their self management can be much better and therefore they can help themselves in their recovery.

Most Sciatica resolves over 6-12 week period, but if it doesn’t what do we do ?

As mentioned above, we can help arrange an MRI scan if the symptoms are not improving and refer to a specialist to be assessed for further interventions.

 

In some cases there are injections, nerve root blocks which can be performed.

 

Surgery is a very last resort and considered when all conservative options have been exhausted.

 

If you are struggling with back and/or leg pain, please get in touch today and get some advice from an expert who can help.

 

hello@chelmsfordphysio.co.uk

01245 895410

How Athletes Adapt Their Training to Cope with High Temperatures: The Science of Heat Acclimatisation

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
Athletes competing in hot and humid environments face significant physiological challenges that can impair performance and increase the risk of heat-related illness. From marathon runners in tropical climates to footballers playing summer tournaments, the ability to tolerate and perform in high temperatures is a critical component of elite sport. As a result, many athletes use structured heat acclimatisation strategies to prepare their bodies for environmental stress.  What Is Heat Acclimatisation? Heat acclimatisation refers to a series of physiological adaptations that occur when an athlete is repeatedly exposed to hot conditions during training. These adaptations typically develop over 7–14 days and help the body improve its ability to regulate temperature, maintain performance, and reduce cardiovascular strain during exercise in the heat. Common methods include: ● Training in hot environments (natural or artificial heat chambers) ● Passive heat exposure (saunas or hot water immersion post-training) ● Adjusting clothing to increase thermal load during sessions ● Gradual exposure to increased environmental temperatures The goal is to safely stress the thermoregulatory system so the body becomes more efficient at dissipating heat.

Why Footballers & Athletes Use Ice Baths: The Science Behind Cold Water Immersion

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
Ice baths, also known as cold water immersion (CWI), have become a common recovery strategy among elite athletes, particularly footballers. From Premier League changing rooms to Olympic training camps, many professionals immerse themselves in cold water after intense matches and training sessions. While the sight of players sitting in freezing water may seem extreme, there is growing scientific evidence explaining why this recovery method is so widely used. What Is an Ice Bath? An ice bath typically involves immersing the body (or lower limbs) in water between 10–15°C for 10–15 minutes shortly after exercise. The aim is to promote recovery by reducing muscle soreness, inflammation and fatigue, allowing athletes to perform consistently during periods of heavy training or competition. Why Do Footballers Use Ice Baths? Football is a physically demanding sport involving repeated sprinting, jumping, tackling, rapid changes of direction and high-impact collisions. These actions create microscopic muscle damage and trigger an inflammatory response. Cold water immersion is commonly used because it may help: ● Reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) ● Minimise post-exercise swelling ● Decrease perceptions of fatigue ● Improve recovery between matches ● Maintain performance during congested fixture schedules For professional footballers playing two or three matches per week, rapid recovery is often as important as training itself. 

The Physio’s World Cup Playbook: Most Common Injuries at FIFA World Cup 2026 (and What to Do About Them)

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
The FIFA World Cup is a unique tournament environment: elite athletes compressed into a short, high-stakes schedule, with repeated sprinting, sudden acceleration/deceleration, frequent collisions, and often limited time for full tissue recovery. It’s not surprising that the injury pattern in football tends to cluster around the lower limb—particularly the hamstrings, groin/hip-adductors, knee, and ankle. Across football research more broadly, these are repeatedly identified as the most common locations and/or injury mechanisms, even if the exact percentages differ by competition and injury-reporting method. Below is a physio-focused overview of the most common injury “types/regions” you should expect to see at World Cup 2026, along with practical assessment and management themes. 1) Muscle strains—especially hamstrings (HSI)  Why they happen in tournaments: Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are strongly associated with high-speed running and the physical demands of sprinting mechanics. In injury surveillance and football epidemiology, hamstring injuries consistently appear among the most common soft-tissue problems, with meaningful recurrence risk. What a physio will look for: - History: onset during acceleration/sprinting, feeling of “pull,” bruising (sometimes). - CNS/tissue considerations: prior injury, training load spikes, inadequate sprint exposure progression. - Clinical exam: focal tenderness, resisted muscle testing, and functional tests aligned to your local protocols (e.g., pain-free activation and lengthening tolerance). Rehabilitation themes: - Restore capacity for high-speed eccentric/concentric demands (not just range of motion). - Use progressive loading and functional return-to-play criteria to address reinjury risk—because football research highlights that the hamstring is one of the most frequently reinjured regions.