Not All Nerve Pain Is Sciatica: It Might Be Your Pelvic Floor

Ever been told that the nerve pain in your lower back, hips, or legs is "just sciatica." Thank you society for throwing a label and forcing women to "live with it." Nothing helps, but what if that missing component is your pelvic floor?

When the deep muscles of the pelvic floor are tight, weak, or out of sync, they can place pressure on surrounding nerves—causing pain, tingling, or numbness that mimics traditional sciatica. No one wants to talk about pelvic floor dysfunction, which makes it an easy conversation to overlook.

At Prosper Physical Therapy, we assess the whole system—helping you identify and treat the real source of nerve irritation with gentle, targeted techniques that restore balance and function.

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Woman performing side-lying pelvic floor exercise on yoga mat to improve core strength, hip stability, and postpartum recovery.

What’s Really Causing This?

  • Core Weakness
  • Injuries around your pelvis (hip, lowback, knee, tailbone etc.)
  • Stress causing increased tension within your glutes and pelvic floor
  • Poor Posture/Body mechanics over time

What You Might Be Feeling

  • Discomforts with sitting long periods
  • Pain worsens with certain movements
  • “Zings” down the leg or into low back and hip
  • “Flare ups” during stressful times
  • Tightness within the hips or tailbone
  • Difficulty sleeping

Why This Matters

Ignoring sciatica or nerve-related pain can lead to long-term damage and chronic discomfort. When nerves are pinched or irritated– no matter the location (spine, hips, pelvic floor) – constant, nagging inflammation can lead to muscle weakness, loss of mobility, or numbness that becomes increasingly harder to reverse over time. The body will compensate by changing posture, relying on other joints that don't usually take on the stress they are now enduring, and slowly make changes in your normal day-to-day routines. Getting treatment sooner rather than later can identify what is contributing to the problem, ease pressure on the nerve, and help prevent symptoms from getting worse. Do your future self a favor and address any symptoms early!

How

Prosper

Can Help

We look beyond symptoms to understand the whole picture. Through our 3-phase Prosper Method, we help restore the strength, mobility, and coordination your pelvic system needs.

01

Lengthen

Release nerve tension and improve mobility around the nerve pain so over-protecting isn’t limiting your overall goals

02

Strengthen

Rebuild functional strength with breath, posture, and gentle movement.

03

Prosper

Apply your progress to real-life activities—so you can trust your body again and not need to continue care long-term.

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What to Expect in Treatment:

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Full body assessment focused around core, pelvic floor, back, hip and feet

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Education on relationship of nerve pain to muscle tension as well as pelvic floor tension

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Tailored exercises to help with flexibility, posture, and strength 

Detail image of pelvic floor physical therapist assessing 4 cupping modalities on a patients back who is on hands and knees on a yoga mat to help the patient breath into her mid back better.
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Empowerment to continue to move your body the way you want to (without pain)

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Confidence to go about your day worry-free because you know you improved your quality of life

Detail image of a woman rolling out a yoga mat implying she is beginning to work on her body in a positive way.

What You’ll Gain Through Personalized Pelvic Care

You’ll go from this:

  • Being uncomfortable while sitting or changing positions
  • Fear of further injuring yourself because of the sharp zings
  • Feeling tight in the hips and pelvis
  • Nagging low back aches

To this:

  • Being able to sit at your desk job comfortably
  • No more sharp zings with movement
  • Increased hip mobility so you can go for walks comfortably
  • Feeling strong and confident in your body

What to Expect During Treatment

Your first visit includes a comprehensive full-body movement screen, along with breath and pressure assessments to better understand how your body is functioning as a whole. With your consent, we will educate you on why we may consider an internal pelvic exam to help get a full body picture. We want to give you some clarification: this is not your traditional pap exam. With a gentle, holistic approach we will uncover what is contributing to your symptoms. From there, you’ll receive a personalized care plan tailored to your goals, lifestyle, and needs. Every body is different, so your treatment is never a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach.

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Discover What Other Women Are Sharing About Their Results

Hear from women just like you who proudly share their experience.

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Before moving, I found Sara to transition from my past PT to her. I'm so thankful I found her in my search!! It has been a night and day difference in how my body is improving and feels. She is very knowledgeable and explains information well. Sara helps you understand your body and maneuvers through her sessions with ease. She helps you feel comfortable and that your goals are capable to achieve. I'd highly recommend her to any woman in need of help!

Danna, Google Reviewer (July 2024)

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Book Your First VisitWhat to Expect During Your First Visit
Close-up of pelvic floor therapist providing manual hip mobility with a strap, demonstrating decreased hip tension to improve pelvic floor length.
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