Why Sciatica Keeps Coming Back—And How to Stop the Pain for Good

Sciatica can be relentless, causing pain, tingling, and discomfort that interfere with daily life. When I first experienced sciatica, I tried everything—nerve flossing, spinal decompression, inversion therapy—searching for relief. Some treatments helped temporarily, but none truly solved the problem. Through trial and error, I discovered a critical difference: short-term relief can ease symptoms, but lasting change requires a deeper approach.

In this post, I’m sharing what worked, what didn’t, and how to move beyond quick fixes to real, long-term solutions for sciatica relief.

My Experience with Sciatica

When I was around 24 or 25, I began experiencing sciatica. It wasn’t something that happened at work, but the pain started after a shift working at a Christmas tree lot. I was sitting in my bedroom the following day when I started feeling tingling in my heel. Having been deep in the trenches of chronic lower back pain for years at that point, I had a fair amount of the symptoms of sciatica, and immediately, I knew what was happening—I was slipping into the next phase of back pain.

For years, I struggled with the condition. At its worst, I had pain and cramping in my quadriceps and hamstrings, accompanied by intense heat in those muscles. I turned to several treatments, including nerve flossing, spinal decompression, and inversion therapy, hoping for relief. Unfortunately, none of these provided lasting results.

I even went as far as purchasing my own inversion table and undergoing multiple rounds of physical therapy. The treatments weren’t effective, and I decided to pursue physical therapy school to figure out the root cause of my sciatica. I had an especially tough time sitting through classes due to the pain.

The McKenzie Method: A Treatment That Backfired

One day, during physical therapy school, I asked my professor to assess my condition. He suggested I try the McKenzie method, a repetitive extension technique. The idea behind this is simple: you perform a series of spine extensions (similar to the cobra pose in yoga) to relieve pressure on the nerves.

However, for someone like me—dealing with spinal stenosis—this was a disastrous approach. Repetitive spine extension only made my condition worse. I ended up in bed, skipping classes the next day due to the increased pain. This was a real turning point for me because it showed me firsthand that one treatment doesn’t work for everyone.

Why Repetitive Extension Doesn’t Work for Everyone

Repetitive extension may work for some people, but not for everyone. If you have conditions like spinal stenosis, which causes pressure on the nerves from narrowing of the vertebrae, this approach can exacerbate the problem. If the spine extends too much, the already compressed space can close in, which increases pain and can potentially lead to long-term damage. 

Sciatica caused by herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or piriformis syndrome, may require other treatments outside of the McKenzie method. In fact, the McKenzie method might do nothing for you. Understanding the root cause of your sciatica is crucial to finding an appropriate treatment plan. Let’s look at what other options you have. 

Nerve Flossing: Is It Effective?

Nerve flossing is another popular treatment where the goal is to help glide the nerve through its pathway, potentially relieving pressure and improving movement. For some individuals with piriformis syndrome, nerve flossing can be effective. However, I’ve found that it doesn’t work well for most other cases of sciatica, including those caused by spinal stenosis or herniated discs. In my own case, nerve flossing did not provide lasting relief.

This brings me to an important point: sciatica is a broad term that encompasses a variety of conditions with different causes. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. I’ve seen a lot of videos and articles out there recommending specific treatments for sciatica, but it’s important to approach these cautiously. What works for one person might not work for you.

The Limits of Short-Term Relief from Surgery

Surgery can provide short-term relief, like a microdiscectomy, where a part of the disc that’s pressing on the nerve is removed, potentially alleviating sciatica symptoms. While this provides immediate relief, it doesn’t address the root cause of the issue. It’s important to understand that surgery is a temporary solution to a deeper problem.

My Short-Term Relief Method: A Game Changer

Over time, I found a method that actually worked for me, allowing me to better manage my sciatica pain. In my Core Balance Training program, there’s a lesson called the "short-term nerve pain relief method." You start by laying face down with a pillow under your lower abdomen, helping to open up the spine (specifically the back of the vertebrae). 

For people with conditions like stenosis, this method can provide significant relief by creating more space between the vertebrae and taking pressure off the nerves. While this is a short-term relief tactic, it can be useful in the presence of severe pain so you have a chance to get some relief and figure out how to address the deeper issue.  

Understanding the Complexity of Sciatica

It’s also important to note that sciatica often involves multiple overlapping conditions. You might not just have stenosis or a herniated disc—you could have a combination of these issues, which complicates treatment. The key is understanding your specific situation, which leads me to the most important piece of advice I can offer: Educate yourself.

The Importance of Education

I encourage you to think of your body as your domain, something you have control over. Instead of going to professionals for treatment, seek them out for advice and education. In fact, the word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere," which means "to teach." As a healthcare provider, my role is to teach, not to treat blindly.

You can use what you learn, while also taking responsibility over your body, to make decisions that are right for you. It’s important to listen to your body and watch how it responds to different treatments. Do your research, ask questions, and don’t be quick to listen to or trust any single method until you learn how it works for you personally. 

Reflecting on Your Body's Messages

Pain speaks loud, and understanding your body and what it’s communicating to you is important to listen to. If you try nerve flossing in the morning and feel worse later that day, remember that nerves have a delayed response and that effects of the activity may show up at varied times, sometimes 10 minutes, hours, or even days later.

Reflecting on this timeline can reveal patterns. For instance, if you try nerve flossing and later experience increased discomfort, consider what else might have changed in your routine. If nerve flossing was the only new element, it’s likely the cause of the worsening symptoms. Log this observation in a journal, as tracking your experiences helps build a personalized strategy for relief. 

The Value of Reflection and Gradual Progress

If a particular exercise triggers sciatic symptoms, pause and reassess. This might mean taking a break and doing something gentler, like walking. The next time you attempt the exercise, avoid pushing to the point of pain. Instead, aim for progress by increasing your effort or range of motion by just 1%. Over time, incremental improvements compound—1% daily progress leads to 100% improvement in a little over three months.

Use your journal to record each session. Write about any symptoms you have, your effort level, and anything you did to help or worsen your condition. Look over these notes every few weeks to guide your approach, so you can make steady progress without worsening your symptoms. 

Centralization: A Marker of Improvement

Sciatica improvement can be tracked through centralization, which is when symptoms grow closer to the source, such as the spine or nerve compression joint. If you notice this trend, it’s a positive sign that your body is responding to your efforts.

The Long-Term Path to Balance

Sciatica relief comes when you stop worrying about quick fixes and start creating balance and addressing the deeper muscular imbalances that lead to pain in your body. While techniques like nerve flossing or lying prone on a pillow can provide short-term relief, true healing comes from strengthening and stabilizing your body over time.

Long-term change doesn’t happen overnight, but with patience and consistency, you can build a body that moves and functions without pain. Have you tried different sciatica treatments? What has or hasn’t worked for you? Share your experience in the comments!

And if you're ready to take the next step, join our free 7-day trial of Core Balance Training. You’ll learn how to apply core connection—a low-level core engagement that supports all movement—to rebalance your body, build strength, and create lasting pain relief. You deserve to move through life with more confidence and less discomfort.