Sciatica Treatment Options in Utah County

Sciatica is pain that travels from your lower back or buttock down one leg. It can stop you from sitting through a workday or sleeping through the night. The good news is that most people recover without surgery (AAOS). This guide explains what sciatica is and which symptoms need emergency care. It also covers how different Utah County providers treat it, so you can choose where to start.

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What sciatica is

Sciatica is pain along the path of the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back through your buttock and down the back of each leg (Mayo Clinic). It's a description of nerve pain rather than a diagnosis in itself. The diagnosis is whatever is squeezing the nerve root, such as a herniated disk or spinal stenosis (AAOS).

Common symptoms

• Pain from the low back to the buttock and the back of the thigh and calf, usually on one side (Mayo Clinic)
• Pain that ranges from a mild ache to a sharp, burning or electric-shock feeling (Mayo Clinic)
• Pain that's worse when you cough, sneeze or sit for a long time (Mayo Clinic)
• Numbness, tingling ("pins and needles") or weakness in the leg or foot (Mayo Clinic)

Common causes

• Herniated disk: the most common cause in people under 40 (AAOS).
• Bone spurs and arthritis: more common causes in older adults (AAOS).
• Other conditions: including spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disk disease and pregnancy. Sometimes no clear cause is found (Cleveland Clinic).

Risk factors include age, excess weight, jobs that involve twisting, heavy lifting or long hours driving, prolonged sitting and diabetes (Mayo Clinic).

Symptoms that need urgent care

Call your primary care provider if self-care isn't easing your symptoms, or if pain lasts longer than a week, is severe or is getting worse (Mayo Clinic).

Types of providers who treat sciatica and how their approaches differ

Several kinds of providers in Utah County treat sciatica. Many people see more than one over the course of their care.

Primary care providers

Often the first stop. They examine your strength, reflexes and how you walk. They can prescribe medication and refer you to physical therapy or a specialist (Mayo Clinic).

Physical therapists

PTs teach guided exercises to improve strength and ease pressure on the nerve (Cleveland Clinic). As pain improves, they build a program for posture, core strength and range of motion to help prevent future problems (Mayo Clinic). In Utah you can see a PT without a referral (Utah Code § 58-24b-307). Your insurance may still require one. Find a physical therapist.

Chiropractors

Chiropractors use hands-on care, often spinal manipulation (NIH NCCIH). Mayo Clinic notes spinal manipulation appears to work and to be as safe as standard treatments for low back pain (Mayo Clinic). For sciatica specifically, manipulation isn't widely used and the research is limited, though some studies suggest it may help (NIH NCCIH). Compare chiropractors in Utah County.

Massage therapists and acupuncturists

Massage can help loosen tight or spasming back and hip muscles. Acupuncture has mixed evidence for back pain (Mayo Clinic). Choose a licensed practitioner. Find therapeutic massage.

Pain management physicians

These doctors can offer prescription medications and image-guided steroid injections near the irritated nerve root (Mayo Clinic). Find a pain management clinic.

Spine specialists and surgeons

Physiatrists, neurologists, orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons evaluate persistent or severe cases (Mayo Clinic). They decide whether imaging, nerve tests or surgery makes sense. Find a spine specialist.

Find a sciatica provider near you

Conservative vs interventional vs surgical treatment

Most sciatica care follows a step-by-step path, starting with the least invasive options. Your provider will tailor it to your cause, symptoms and goals.

1. Conservative care (usually first)

• Stay active. A day of rest may help, but staying inactive makes symptoms worse (Mayo Clinic).
• Cold, then heat. Cold packs for up to 20 minutes several times a day at first, then heat after two to three days (Mayo Clinic).
• Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen, used as directed (Mayo Clinic).
• Stretching and physical therapy to ease pain and build strength (Cleveland Clinic).
• Hands-on care such as chiropractic or massage, as described above.

About 80% to 90% of people with sciatica get better over time without surgery. When a herniated disk is the cause, that's typically within several weeks (AAOS). Nonsurgical treatment tends to be less successful when the cause is bone spurs or spinal stenosis (AAOS).

2. Interventional care

• Prescription medications, such as anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids and certain antidepressant or anti-seizure drugs that calm nerve pain (Mayo Clinic).
• Epidural steroid injections around the affected nerve root. Mayo Clinic says one injection often helps reduce pain and up to three can be given in a year. Cleveland Clinic notes the relief may be short-term (Mayo Clinic; Cleveland Clinic).

3. Surgery

Surgery is usually a last option (Cleveland Clinic). It's generally considered for severe weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or pain that doesn't improve with other treatments (Mayo Clinic). AAOS says surgery may be an option if disabling leg pain continues after three or more months of nonsurgical treatment (AAOS). Common procedures remove the part of a disk (diskectomy) or bone (laminectomy) pressing on the nerve (Cleveland Clinic).

What about imaging?

You usually don't need an MRI or X-ray right away. Tests are generally for severe pain, pain that doesn't improve within a few weeks or worsening symptoms (Mayo Clinic; Cleveland Clinic).

Sciatica providers by city

Start with your city to compare chiropractors, physical therapists, pain management clinics and spine specialists who list sciatica care. We only show providers we've license-checked, with a "Last verified" date on each listing.

Sciatica care in Provo

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Sciatica care in Orem

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Sciatica care in Lehi

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Sciatica care in American Fork

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Sciatica care in Spanish Fork

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Elsewhere in Utah County? See all cities or browse chiropractors county-wide.

Questions to ask a provider

Bring these to your first appointment (adapted from Mayo Clinic and NIH NCCIH):

• What's the most likely cause of my pain, and what else could it be?
• Do I need any tests? Why or why not?
• What treatment do you recommend, and what are the alternatives?
• How many visits do you expect, and what will it cost me out of pocket?
• How will we measure progress, and when would you refer me to someone else?
• Are there activities I should avoid? What can I do at home?
• What can I do to keep it from coming back?

It also helps to write down when your symptoms started, what makes them better or worse, any recent injuries and all your medications and supplements (Mayo Clinic).