The Truth About Sciatica — And Why Stretching May Make It Worse

If you've got pain shooting down your leg and everyone keeps telling you to "stretch your piriformis" or "loosen your hip flexors," you might actually be making the problem worse.

At Matterhorn Fit, we see clients with sciatica every week who've stretched, foam rolled, and even had injections - but the shooting leg pain keeps coming back.

Here's the truth: most sciatica isn't caused by tight muscles. It's caused by nervous system dysfunction - and stretching can actually make that dysfunction worse.

Let's break down what sciatica really is - and how the Matterhorn Method addresses the real cause.

What Sciatica Actually Is

Sciatica isn't a diagnosis - it's a symptom. It describes pain that follows the path of your sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back, through your glutes and hip, and down the back of your leg.

The pain can feel like:

• Sharp, shooting pain
• Burning or electric sensations
• Deep aching or throbbing
• Numbness or tingling
• Weakness in the leg or foot

But where that nerve irritation comes from - that's the real question.

The Common (Wrong) Approach to Sciatica

Most treatment focuses on:

• Stretching the piriformis muscle
• Loosening hip flexors and hamstrings
• Foam rolling the IT band and glutes
• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Steroid injections

The thinking is: "If something's pressing on the nerve, let's stretch it out."

But here's the problem: muscles don't just "get tight" for no reason. They tighten because your nervous system is telling them to - usually to protect something that doesn't feel stable.

Why Stretching Can Make Sciatica Worse

When you aggressively stretch a muscle that's guarding, you're fighting against your nervous system's protective response.

This can:

• Increase guarding - Your brain interprets stretching as a threat and tightens up more
• Create instability - Stretching protective muscles without addressing the underlying cause
• Inflame the nerve - Aggressive stretching can increase irritation around sensitive nerve tissue
• Mask the real problem - Temporary relief prevents you from addressing the root cause

The Real Causes of Sciatica

In our experience, most sciatica stems from:

1. Core instability - Your deep abdominal and back muscles aren't providing adequate spinal support
2. Pelvic dysfunction - Imbalanced or poorly controlled pelvic positioning
3. Breathing dysfunction - Poor diaphragm function affects core stability and nerve irritation
4. Stress and tension patterns - Chronic stress creates guarding patterns that compress nerves

These create a cascade of compensation that eventually results in nerve irritation and pain.

How the Matterhorn Method Treats Sciatica

We don't chase the pain - we address the system that's creating it.

Our approach focuses on:

1. Nervous system calming - Reducing the threat response that's causing protective guarding
2. Core reactivation - Teaching your deep stabilizers to support your spine properly
3. Movement repatterning - Addressing the compensations that led to nerve irritation

This often provides relief faster and more permanently than traditional stretching approaches.

Pro Tip: The Sciatica Self-Assessment

Try this simple test to understand what's driving your sciatica:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor
2. Take 5 slow, deep breaths - Focus on relaxing your back and hips
3. Gently draw one knee toward your chest - Stop at the first sign of symptoms
4. Compare sides - Is one significantly more limited or painful?

If symptoms appear with gentle, pain-free movement, aggressive stretching is likely to make things worse.

Final Thoughts

Sciatica isn't about tight muscles that need stretching. It's about a nervous system that's protecting something it perceives as unstable or threatened.

The Matterhorn Method helps you address the neurological root cause of sciatica - not just the symptoms.

Book your evaluation today and discover why calming your nervous system might be the key to finally resolving your sciatica.