SCIATICA · PHYSIOTHERAPY · WARWICK & STRATFORD
Sciatica,
fixed properly
A pain that starts in your back or buttock and travels down your leg. Worse sitting, worse driving, sometimes worse at night. Painkillers dull it and rest doesn't shift it. We find which structure is irritating the nerve, then treat that. Get better and stay better.
★★★★★ 2000+ 5-star reviews · Same-week appointments · No GP referral
needed · Open 7 days
10+ years treating sciatica in Warwickshire Physio led, not a quick rub & go Same week appointments, 7 days Two clinics: Warwick & Stratford.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
/ The leg pain that
won't leave you alone
✓Pain that runs from your lower back or buttock down the back
of your thigh, sometimes into the calf or foot
✓Sitting makes it worse: the car, the desk, the sofa
✓Pins and needles, numbness or a "dead" feeling
in part of your leg or foot
✓Coughing, sneezing or bending forward sends
a shot down your leg
✓Your leg feels weaker, or your foot catches on the stair
✓You've been told it's "just sciatica" and to wait it out. It's been weeks
Sciatica is a symptom.
It's not a diagnosis.
Sciatica just means the sciatic nerve is irritated somewhere on its route from your spine to your foot. The cause could be a disc bulge pressing on a nerve root, a narrowed gap the nerve passes through, a tight, overworked muscle in the buttock, or a stiff, sensitised back that's flared up. Each needs a different plan. Treat them all the same, or rest and wait. You're gambling on it settling by itself. Some do. Many don't. Which is why we start by finding what's actually irritating the nerve.
WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON
/ Types of sciatica we treat every week
Different problems need different plans. Naming yours precisely is step one of fixing it.
A bulging disc irritating a nerve root in the low back. Sounds scary, but discs heal and most settle without surgery when the back is moved and loaded correctly. We'll show you the positions that calm it.
Disc-related sciatica
Buttock pain with tingling down the leg, from tight, overworked muscles compressing the nerve rather than the spine. Responds quickly to hands-on release and a strength plan.
Piriformis & deep glute pain
Leg pain and heaviness that comes on with standing and walking and eases when you sit or lean forward. Usually over 60. Very manageable with the right movement and strength work.
Spinal stenosis
A back that's been stiff and grumbling for years suddenly referring down the leg. Mobilising the back and getting it strong again clears the leg pain in most cases.
Nerve irritation
from a stiff back
Not everything down the back of the leg is the nerve. A high hamstring tendon or an irritated sacroiliac joint copies sciatica closely. Our assessment tells them apart.
Hamstring & SI joint pain that mimics sciatica
Common, miserable and very treatable with hands-on work and pregnancy-safe exercise, led by physios who understand what your body is doing right now.
Sciatica in pregnancy
& postpartum
Nerve pain that hangs around gets louder, not quieter.
The longer the nerve stays irritated, the more sensitive it becomes and the more of your day it takes over: sitting, driving, sleep, your mood. Most sciatica improves well with the right plan started early. Same-week appointments mean you don't have to wait.
/ The TAP Method, applied to your back and leg
The reason our results last when quick fixes don't. One plan, one team, three steps.
OUR 3 STEP SYSTEM. WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR FIRST SESSION
01
Assess
A proper conversation, then a full assessment: how your back and nerves move, strength and sensation in the leg, your posture, sitting and driving habits, what flares it and what calms it. We work out which structure is irritating the nerve and rule out anything that needs a doctor. Most people tell us nobody has ever looked this closely before.
02
Treat
Hands-on treatment from minute one: mobilisation, massage, dry needling, nerve gliding techniques and more, tailored to what's actually driving your leg pain. Most people feel it ease before they leave the room.
03
Rebuild
A clear plan of positions, movements and progressive exercises to settle the nerve and build a back and hips that stop it coming back. This is the step every quick fix skips. It's the reason ours doesn't come back.
No GP referral, no scan required, no fixed packages, no pressure. In your first session we'll find what's actually driving your sciatica and tell you honestly how we can help, or point you to who can if we're not the right fit.
/ How long does sciatica recovery take?
Anyone promising to fix your sciatica in one session is guessing. Here's what we actually see in clinic when people follow their plan.
PROBLEM
TYPICALLY FEELING BETTER
TYPICALLY BACK TO FULL TRAINING
Piriformis / deep glute pain
Nerve irritation from a stiff back
Disc-related sciatica
Spinal stenosis
Pregnancy-related sciatica
1-3 weeks
2–4 weeks
2–6 weeks
2–6 weeks
1–3 weeks for relief
4-8 weeks
6-10 weeks
8–12 weeks (some take longer, we'll be honest about this one)
Ongoing plan, with big gains inside 12 weeks
Managed through your pregnancy and beyond
Every back and leg is different. These are honest ranges from ten years of clinic, not promises. Your assessment gives you a timeline for your back and leg.
/ What clients say about
their sciatica
PROOF IT WORKS
Straight from our verified client reviews, word for word.
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WHO YOU'LL SEE
/ Meet the TAP knee team
Physiotherapist · BSc (First Class)
· HCPC PH130067
Anna
Leads our physiotherapy assessments the full-leg detective work that finds why your knee is complaining in the first place, not just where it hurts.
Physiotherapist & Sports Massage Therapist
· HCPC PH152936
Lauren
Hands-on treatment and rehab the physio clients describe as "identifying the problem quickly and getting to the root cause effectively."
GOOD TO KNOW
/ Sciatica questions, answered
Do I need a GP referral or a scan first?
No. You can book directly with us as a private patient — no GP referral, no scan needed.
A thorough physical assessment diagnoses most knee problems accurately, and if we think
imaging would genuinely change your treatment, we'll tell you and point you the right way.
Is sciatica serious?
Occasionally. See a doctor urgently if you have numbness around your bottom or genitals,
trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, or weakness in both legs. These are rare. For
everyone else, sciatica is painful but not dangerous and it responds well to treatment. We
check for these warning signs in every first session.
Should I rest in bed until it passes?
No. Bed rest was the advice 30 years ago and it's since been shown to slow recovery.
Keep moving within what's comfortable. We'll show you which positions calm the nerve and which ones poke it.
Will it come back?
It can, if the reason it started isn't addressed. That's why the rebuild step matters:
a stronger back and hips and better sitting habits are what keep it away.
Most people who finish their plan don't see us for it again.
Can I be seen this week?
Almost always — we hold same-week appointments across both clinics and
we're open 7 days. Warwick (4 The Holloway) and Stratford-upon-Avon
(Unit 3, Avon House, 4 Mulberry Street) both treat knees daily.
How many sessions will I need?
Most people need somewhere between 3 and 6 sessions alongside their home plan.
Disc-related sciatica can need longer, spaced-out support. We'll give you an honest
estimate at your first assessment. There are no fixed packages; you'll never be booked in for the sake of it.
Ready to sit through a drive without wincing?
You've got three options: keep hoping it settles on its own, keep paying for quick fixes that last a few days, or let us find the real cause and fix it properly. Book your sciatica assessment at Warwick or Stratford and take the first step out of pain today.
Your first session includes a full assessment. We'll find what's driving your sciatica,
or tell you honestly if we're not the right fit. No fixed packages, no pressure.