Condition
Sciatica and Pinched Nerves
Sciatica is pain, numbness, or buzzing that follows a nerve into the hip, thigh, calf, or foot. People also call it a pinched nerve or leg pain from the back. A pinched nerve in the neck can do the same down an arm.
Care may include chiropractic, Cox-style flexion-distraction, spinal decompression, and acupuncture for nerve irritability. We do not promise to “suck a disc back in.” We do unload the segment, restore motion, and stop the sitting and lifting pattern that keeps lighting the nerve.
Wilmington, Newark, Middletown, Smyrna, and Camden/Dover all see this in people who lift, drive I-95 or Route 13, or sit. Book the location you can actually attend three times in a bad week — consistency beats a famous doctor you cannot reach.
If you have progressive weakness, bowel or bladder changes, or saddle anesthesia, that is an emergency path — not a routine adjustment slot. If imaging already says stenosis or herniation, the plan has to match that structure — not a generic stretch for “leg pain.”
Related conditions
Services that often help
Doctors to start with
Verified outcomes at our clinics
Documented sciatica / pinched nerves cases on ChiropracticResults.com — not a guarantee of individual results.
Newark
5 verified sciatica / pinched nerves outcomes
Newark clinic →Wilmington
4 verified sciatica / pinched nerves outcomes
Wilmington clinic →Middletown
5 verified sciatica / pinched nerves outcomes
Middletown clinic →Smyrna
5 verified sciatica / pinched nerves outcomes
Smyrna clinic →Camden & Dover
5 verified sciatica / pinched nerves outcomes
Dover clinic →Patients from Bear, Glasgow, and Pike Creek typically use Newark. Brandywine Hundred, Claymont, and Hockessin use Wilmington. Capital-area patients use Camden/Dover. Smyrna covers Route 13 and Saturday mornings.
FAQ
Is sciatica always a disc herniation?
No. Joint inflammation, spinal stenosis, and piriformis-type muscle tension can mimic it. That is why we exam instead of naming it from a photo on your phone.
Can a chiropractor help sciatica without surgery?
Often, yes, when the irritant is mechanical. We use specific adjusting, flexion-distraction, and decompression when the exam points there. Surgery remains a specialist conversation for progressive deficit or failed conservative care.
How long does sciatica last?
Acute flares can settle in days to weeks with the right unloading. Recurring sciatica usually means the disc, joint, or sitting pattern was never addressed. We measure range of motion so “better” is not a vibe.
Is a pinched nerve in the neck the same thing?
Same idea, different nerve. Cervical radiculopathy sends symptoms into an arm. Sciatica follows the sciatic pattern into a leg. Both need an exam, not a YouTube stretch.