Over my 8+ years as a Physical Therapist, I’ve treated hundreds of active adults in Columbus Ohio dealing with sciatica. Throughout that time, I’ve consistently seen the same mistakes in how people approach their recovery—mistakes that slow progress and, in some cases, make symptoms worse.
These 7 beliefs come up again and again. If you’re dealing with sciatica and recognize any of them, it’s important to know there is a better way. Getting the right guidance early can make the difference between ongoing frustration and a confident return to the activities you love. Your ability to maintain an active lifestyle depends on it.
Completely Stopping Activity.
Rest is often advised to settle sciatica pain, but prolonged inactivity usually makes things worse. Reduced movement lowers tissue tolerance, increases stiffness of the spine, hips, and legs, and can heighten nerve sensitivity—making your return to activity harder, not easier.
Pushing Through Pain Without a Plan. On the flipside, some people try to “train through it.” They ignore symptoms without adjusting training volume, intensity, or irritable movement patterns, and that often leads to repeated flare-ups and longer recovery timelines.
Treating Sciatica Like a Muscle Strain. Sciatica is a nerve issue, not a tight muscle issue. We see people get stuck trying endless stretching, foam rolling, massage gun, or massages. While these offer temporary relief for most, you’re just delaying any possible recovery by not addressing the real issue the nerve is irritated.
Chasing a Structural ‘Fix’. Many people assume their sciatica will show up as a disc bulge, misalignment in their spine, or abnormal X-ray as a problem that must be corrected. In reality, imaging findings don’t always correlate with symptoms, and focusing on structure alone often misses the driving irritant behind the sciatica.
Avoiding Certain Movements Forever. Bending, lifting, running, or sitting are often labeled as BAD because they provoke pain. While we want to avoid painful stimuli early, avoiding them long-term reinforces fear avoidance beliefs and limits capacity. The goal isn’t elimination, it’s modification.
Only Treating the Pain, Not the Capacity. Pain relief tools can help short-term, but they don’t rebuild strength, endurance, or nervous system tolerance. Without addressing capacity, symptoms often return once normal training resumes.
Expecting a Quick, Linear Fix. Sciatica rarely resolves overnight. Fluctuations are normal, and temporary symptom increases don’t mean failure. Expecting perfection too soon often leads to frustration and unnecessary setbacks. There are always explanations for fluctuation in symptoms.
The reality is that most active adults don’t need to stop doing what they love—they need a smarter, more performance-driven approach that restores capacity, builds tolerance, and respects how the nervous system actually responds to load.
In the next article in this series, we’ll break down how performance physical therapy helps active adults reduce sciatica pain and confidently return to training and their active lifestyle. You’ll learn what a structured, individualized approach looks like, how it differs from traditional rehab, and why it’s so effective for people who refuse to give up being active.
If sciatica has been holding you back, this next step matters.