Numbness or tingling in the foot usually means a spinal nerve is being compressed or irritated, often by a disc bulge, swelling, or tight muscles. This is common with sciatica and disc-related back pain. If ignored, numbness can progress to weakness, so it’s important to get it checked early. Physiotherapy helps by correcting posture, decompressing
When you cough, sneeze, or even strain, the pressure inside your spine increases for a split second. If a nerve root is already irritated—such as in sciatica or a disc herniation—this added pressure can cause a sharp pain or shooting sensation in the back or down the leg. While it sounds alarming, it’s a common
In very rare but serious cases, severe compression of the nerves in the lower spine (called cauda equina syndrome) can affect bladder or bowel control, or cause numbness in the groin. This is a medical emergency that needs immediate hospital care. The good news is that most cases of sciatica do not reach this level. At MEX Physio,
The McKenzie Method is one of the most researched physiotherapy techniques for back and sciatic pain. Its main strength is in “centralizing” symptoms—meaning it helps pain that has traveled down the leg to move back toward the spine, which is a sign of improvement. Many people think it’s only about doing extension (back-bending) exercises, but
