Sciatica: Why It Happens With Aging — And How to Get Real Relief

By Orthomed Integrative Health Center – Northborough, MA

Sciatica is one of the most painful and frustrating conditions adults face — especially after age 40. It can come on suddenly or build slowly over time. Most people describe it as:

Sharp shooting pain down the leg
Burning or tingling into the glutes or hamstring
Pain that worsens with sitting
Numbness or weakness
A feeling like the leg “might give out”

The good news? Sciatica is extremely treatable — especially when you address the actual root cause, not just the symptoms.

What Exactly Is Sciatica?

Sciatica isn’t the injury itself. It’s the result of something irritating or compressing the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back through your glutes and down each leg.

When that nerve gets trapped, inflamed, or compressed — you feel it fast.

The most common causes include:

1. Herniated or Bulging Discs

After age 40, the discs in your spine naturally lose some hydration and height. That makes them more likely to bulge outward and irritate the nearby nerve roots that feed into the sciatic nerve.

Typical symptoms:

Pain bending forward
Pain that worsens when you cough or sneeze
Sharp nerve pain into the buttock or leg on one side

3. Spinal Misalignment or Joint Restriction

If the joints in your lower back and pelvis aren’t moving correctly, the surrounding tissues can place extra pressure on the sciatic nerve.

You might notice:

Stiffness in the low back
Pain with twisting or bending
Pain that radiates down only one leg

Gentle, precise adjustments often relieve this pressure quickly.

4. Arthritis and Degeneration

Arthritis and age-related changes in the spine (degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis) can narrow the spaces where the nerves exit the spine. When those spaces become too tight, the sciatic nerve gets irritated.

This is especially common after 50 and may show up as:

Back and leg pain with walking
Relief when you sit or lean forward
General stiffness and achiness in the low back

5. Inflammation & Metabolic Factors

Adults over 40 are more likely to deal with:

Higher systemic inflammation
Hormonal shifts
Blood sugar issues
Slower tissue healing

All of these can make sciatica flare more easily and last longer if you don’t address the underlying health picture, not just the nerve.

Why Sciatica Gets Worse In Middle Age

As we age, a few key things change:

Discs lose hydration, so they don’t cushion as well
Muscles tighten faster and recover more slowly
Years of sitting affect posture and core strength
Inflammation increases, especially with stress and poor sleep

All of this makes adults 40+ the most common group to experience severe or recurring sciatica.

How We Treat Sciatica at Orthomed Integrative Health Center

Our integrated approach works especially well for sciatic nerve pain because it targets:

Alignment
Muscle tension
Nerve inflammation
Core stability
Underlying metabolic factors

Here’s how each piece fits together.

Clinical Massage Therapy & Myofascial Release

Our massage therapists use targeted, clinical techniques to release:

Piriformis and deep glute muscles
Tight low-back muscles
Hamstrings and hip rotators

This reduces pressure around the sciatic nerve and restores healthier movement patterns.
This is not spa massage — it’s focused soft-tissue work designed for injury and pain.

Chiropractic Adjustments (Lumbar + Pelvis)

Chiropractic care focuses on restoring proper movement in the joints of your lower back and pelvis.

Benefits include:

Decompressing irritated nerve roots
Improving spinal alignment
Reducing muscle spasm and guarding
Improving posture and overall mechanics

Many patients feel lighter and more mobile immediately after treatment.

Cupping Therapy for Sciatic Nerve Decompression

Cupping creates gentle suction that lifts and decompresses tight, adhered tissues. For some sciatica cases — especially piriformis-related — this can: