By Clinton Grobbelaar, Physiotherapist. Published 3 September 2026, updated 16 September 2026.

Most sciatica settles within a few weeks to a few months. The NHS states that sciatica "usually gets better in a few weeks to a few months but can last longer". Six weeks is the usual turning point. If your sciatica has not improved after two to three weeks, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy advises getting it assessed rather than waiting it out.

That is the short version. The longer version matters, because "a few weeks to a few months" covers an enormous amount of ground. Clinton has spent more than 30 years in private practice treating backs, discs and sciatic pain, and the pattern he sees most often is not a dramatic injury. It is someone who waited.

How long does sciatica last on average?

Sciatica is not a diagnosis in itself. It is a description of pain travelling along the path of the sciatic nerve, usually from the lower back through the buttock and down the back of the leg. The underlying cause is what sets the timeline.

The NHS describes the typical course as a few weeks to a few months. Cleveland Clinic puts a firmer number on the common case, stating that "many cases improve within four to six weeks without medical treatment" and that sciatica "often doesn't last longer than six weeks".

For a broader frame, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy notes that "the majority of musculoskeletal conditions get better within six to eight weeks although sometimes they can persist for longer but this doesn't mean there is something seriously wrong". That last clause is worth reading twice. A slow recovery is not automatically a sinister one.

In practical terms, three broad groups show up in clinic:

Acute

Settling within six weeks. The leg pain shortens its range week by week, retreating from the calf towards the buttock.

Sub-acute

Six to twelve weeks. Improving, but slowly, often with good days and bad days rather than a clean upward line.

Persistent

Twelve weeks and beyond. This is the group where doing nothing has usually stopped working.

The single most useful early sign is not how much it hurts. It is whether the pain is centralising, meaning it is retreating up the leg towards the spine. Pain moving further down the leg over successive weeks is the pattern that deserves an assessment sooner rather than later.

Why does sciatica last longer for some people?

Several things reliably stretch the timeline:

  • Disc involvement. Where a prolapsed or bulging disc is irritating a nerve root, recovery tends to run longer than where the problem is muscular or joint-related.
  • Sedentary work. Long periods seated load the lumbar spine and keep symptoms simmering. Desk-bound office workers are one of the largest groups Brookwood Physio sees for this.
  • Previous episodes. A back that has done this before often has movement habits and stiffness patterns that have never been addressed.
  • Complete rest. The NHS advice is to "carry on with your normal activities as much as possible". Prolonged bed rest tends to slow recovery, not speed it.
  • Fear of movement. Understandable, and one of the strongest predictors of a short problem turning into a long one.

What should you do in week 1, week 4 and week 12?

Week 1

Keep moving within tolerance. The NHS suggests carrying on with normal activities as much as possible, trying regular exercises for sciatica, and holding heat packs to painful areas. Break up long periods of sitting. Do not try to stretch aggressively into sharp leg pain.

Week 4

If the pain is genuinely receding, keep going. If it has plateaued, or if it is unchanged from week one, this is the point to get assessed. The CSP guidance is clear that pain not settling over two to three weeks and stopping you doing normal activities warrants advice from a GP or physiotherapist. By week four you are already past that threshold.

Week 12

At three months, sciatica is classed as persistent. Recovery is still very much possible, but it rarely happens on its own from here. This stage needs a structured plan: hands-on treatment to restore movement, graded loading, and a realistic look at the daily habits keeping it going.

When should you see a physiotherapist for sciatica?

See a physiotherapist if any of the following apply:

  • Your pain has not started improving after two to three weeks
  • The pain is spreading further down your leg rather than retreating
  • You have pins and needles, numbness or weakness in the leg
  • It is stopping you working, sleeping or exercising
  • This is not your first episode

The NHS advises seeing a GP if sciatica "has not improved after trying home treatments for a few weeks", "is getting worse", or "is stopping you doing your normal activities". You do not need a GP referral to see a private physiotherapist in the UK, which is often the faster route to an assessment.

What does hands-on physiotherapy actually do for sciatica?

An honest answer: physiotherapy does not "cure" a disc prolapse, and no physiotherapist should tell you it does. What good treatment does is restore movement, reduce the mechanical irritation of the nerve, and get you loading normally again so the tissue can settle.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's summary of NICE guidance on low back pain and sciatica is that exercise is the cornerstone of treatment, and that manual therapy should be offered as part of a package that includes exercise rather than as a standalone treatment. That is exactly how a session at Brookwood Physio is structured: hands-on work to change how the area moves, followed by exercise prescription so the change holds.

In practice a session covers assessment of the lumbar spine, hips and neural mobility, spinal mobilisation, soft tissue work through the gluteals and hamstrings, nerve mobilisation techniques, and a small set of exercises you are actually going to do. Every appointment at Brookwood Physio is a full hour and fully hands-on, which matters for a problem that needs both treatment time and teaching time.

Red flags: when sciatica needs urgent attention

Some symptoms are not a "wait and see" situation. The NHS advises going to A&E or calling 999 if you:

  • have sciatica on both sides
  • have weakness or numbness in both legs that is severe or getting worse
  • have numbness around or under your genitals, or around your bottom
  • find it hard to start peeing, cannot pee, or cannot control when you pee
  • do not notice when you need to poo or cannot control when you poo

These can indicate cauda equina syndrome, a rare emergency. It is uncommon, but it is time-critical, so do not sit on it. Separately, contact your GP if you develop unexplained fever, night sweats or weight loss alongside back pain.

Frequently asked questions

The NHS states sciatica usually gets better in a few weeks to a few months, and Cleveland Clinic notes many cases improve within four to six weeks without medical treatment. Some cases persist beyond twelve weeks, at which point self-management alone is less likely to resolve it.

Yes, though it is a minority. Cleveland Clinic describes the outlook as usually very good, with most people recovering without long-term problems. Persistent cases are generally those where the underlying movement problem was never addressed.

Keep moving within tolerance. NHS advice is to carry on with normal activities as much as possible. Extended rest tends to prolong recovery.

Gentle walking is usually well tolerated and fits NHS advice to stay active. If walking clearly worsens leg symptoms each time, reduce the distance and get assessed rather than pushing through.

Be careful with claims here. The NICE guideline on low back pain and sciatica does not recommend acupuncture for this condition, as summarised by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Brookwood Physio offers acupuncture and some patients find it useful for pain relief, but it is not a substitute for the exercise and manual therapy that current guidance supports.

There is no fixed number. The practical rule is that you return to loading gradually as leg symptoms retreat towards the spine, not when the pain simply feels quieter on a good day.

Getting it looked at

If your sciatica has been grumbling on for more than a couple of weeks, an hour-long assessment will tell you a great deal more than another fortnight of waiting. Brookwood Physio is in Brookwood, a few minutes from Woking, and appointments are hour-long, hands-on sessions at accessible rates. You are welcome to get in touch and book a time that suits you.

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