First Assessment
Free
45 minutes, at home
- Full clinical examination at the patient's home
- The likely cause explained in plain language
- A realistic recovery plan and what it will cost
- No obligation to book any further sessions
Sciatica is the name for pain, tingling or numbness that travels from the lower back or buttock down the leg, often as far as the calf or foot. In a neighbourhood full of schools, classes, offices and home-based work, one of its most common companions is sitting: long, unbroken hours in the same chair.
The sciatica treatment guide covers the condition itself. This page asks a narrower question, why the leg pain follows a sitting routine in Sadashiv Peth, and how a physiotherapist can work with that at home.
Why a sitting day makes the leg worse
When you sit, the lower spine bends slightly forward and the discs and nerve roots at the base of the spine are under more pressure than when you stand or walk. If a nerve root is already irritated, that pressure can bring on or sharpen the leg symptoms. People in the peths often sit for long stretches in these ways:
- Exam preparation. Students may study for hours at a low table or on a bed with the back rounded and the legs crossed.
- Desk and accounts work. Clerical and accounting jobs, including work done from a room at home, mean long hours on a plain chair.
- Tailoring, repair and craft work. Stitching or bench work done seated and bent forward keeps the spine in the same position all day.
- The scooter seat. A short ride on rough lanes can leave the leg numb or buzzing.
The aim is not to ban sitting. It is to change positions often enough that the nerve is not left squeezed for hours at a time.
How a home session works for leg pain from the back
The physiotherapist starts by asking exactly where the pain goes, whether there is numbness or weakness, and what changes it. Tests of leg strength, reflexes, sensation and nerve movement show whether a nerve root is involved and how much. They also point to other causes of leg pain, such as the hip or circulation, which are managed differently. Disc problems are discussed on our page about slip disc physiotherapy in Sadashiv Peth, and plain low-back pain on back pain physiotherapy in Sadashiv Peth.
At home the physiotherapist can watch you sit on the chair or bed you actually use, and then adjust it on the spot: a folded towel behind the low back, a lower footrest, a different table height. Treatment commonly uses directional exercises that ease the leg symptoms, gentle nerve-gliding movements and, once the pain has settled, strengthening for the back and hips. The aim is for the leg pain to move away from the foot and back towards the spine, which is a better sign than the other way round.
Sitting better, and getting up more often
- Stand up and walk across the room every half hour or so, even for a minute.
- Sit with the hips slightly higher than the knees and the feet flat, rather than cross-legged on a bed.
- Put a rolled towel at the curve of the low back, and keep the study material at eye level.
- Avoid forcing a stretch that sends pain down the leg. Stop and tell us.
Our blog article on exercise safety for sciatica and slip disc goes into this in more detail.
Leg pain with these signs needs a doctor now
Loss of control over the bladder or bowel, numbness between the legs, or a leg that is quickly becoming weaker must be seen in an emergency department, because pressure on the nerves can cause lasting damage if it is not relieved. Please do not wait for the next physiotherapy appointment.
Otherwise, book a visit, or read about home physiotherapy in Sadashiv Peth. The same service is offered in Tilak Road.