Sciatica

Sherry Routledge
Feb 23
2 min read

The #1 reason why people seek you out is because they have pain,

the #1 pain they have is back pain and SCIATICA is top of that list!

If you’re working with someone who has sciatica — and they have a bad MRI to prove it, getting them well can be very frustrating-especially when the scan says one thing…but your hands and their story say something else.

But here's the good news,

You're not doing anything wrong.

AND...Science is backing you up.

🔍 What the research shows...

A recent large study followed over 280 people with sciatica caused by a herniated disc. Some had surgery, some didn’t. After a year?

84% felt better — no matter what treatment they chose.

But get this,

Many people who felt great still had herniations showing up on MRI.
Others who were still in pain had MRIs that looked “perfect.”
Things like scar tissue or disc shape didn’t match how people actually felt.

So what does this mean for you?

✔️ A “bad” scan doesn’t mean your client can’t get better

✔️ Pain doesn’t always come from what you see on imaging

✔️ After a few months, structure matters less — and the nervous system matters more

Your takeaway as a therapist...

Don’t let scary scan results shake your confidence
You’re not here to fix the MRI — you’re here to help your client get out of pain, move their body, feel safe, and trust their body again
Sometimes the nervous system just needs the right kind of input to reset
This is where RAPID and smart hands-on work shine