Can a Centennial Chiropractor Treat Sciatica Caused by a Herniated Disc?

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By Butler Family Health Center · Published 2026-11-07 · Last updated 2026-11-07

Yes, a Centennial chiropractor can treat sciatica caused by a herniated disc once an exam shows the disc is the likely source and there are no signs of serious nerve loss. Sciatica typically shows up as pain, numbness or tingling running from the low back into the buttock and leg.

The answer turns on the exam. At Butler Family Health Center in Centennial, Arapahoe County, Dr. Chris Butler checks where the pain travels, how your leg nerves are working and whether any warning sign calls for a medical doctor instead. For an overview of the care itself, see our page on sciatica treatment in Centennial.

How a Centennial Chiropractor Tells Whether a Herniated Disc Is Causing Your Sciatica

A Centennial chiropractor tells whether a herniated disc is causing your sciatica by examining you, since the symptoms alone do not name the cause. Colorado law defines chiropractic as a branch of the healing arts that includes "the diagnosing and analyzing of human ailments," so finding the source is part of the job (C.R.S. 12-215-103).

Sciatica is a symptom, and a disc is only one possible cause. MedlinePlus lists a ruptured disc, narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis) and injuries such as a pelvic fracture, and notes that in many cases no cause can be found. The symptoms are pain, weakness, numbness or tingling, usually on one side of the body. We also treat piriformis syndrome, so the exam looks at the deep hip muscles as well as the spine.

The first visit typically includes a posture check, a range-of-motion test and a neurological screen. A Denver Tech Center office worker whose leg pain builds over a long day in a chair and a Southglenn parent whose calf went numb after lifting a toddler may or may not share a disc problem. The findings set the plan. Our article on herniated disc pain that runs down the leg or arm explains how disc pain travels.

Will You Need an MRI Before Your First Visit?

The exam usually comes first, and imaging is added only when it is needed. MedlinePlus says a herniated disc is diagnosed with "a physical exam and, sometimes, imaging tests," and lists CT scans and spine MRIs among the tests for sciatica. If you already have an MRI or X-ray report, bring it to our office at 6500 S Quebec St #250 in Peakview Center so Dr. Butler can read it alongside your exam.

What Chiropractic Care for Disc-Related Sciatica Involves in Centennial

Chiropractic care for disc-related sciatica in Centennial involves hands-on work on the low back and pelvis, attention to the tight muscles around the painful area and a short routine to keep you moving between visits.

A typical plan at our office follows these steps:

1. Exam and findings. We explain what we found and whether chiropractic care fits your case.
2. Adjustments. Spinal adjustment and spinal manipulation, sized for a sore disc.
3. Soft-tissue work. Muscle tension relief for the low back, hips and glutes.
4. Spinal decompression, when it fits. Covered below.
5. Movement and posture. Range-of-motion and mobility work, plus changes to the way you sit, drive and lift.
6. Reassessment. We recheck leg symptoms, movement and strength and change the plan if progress stalls.

If your commute is a long sit on I-25 or your workday is spent at a desk in Greenwood Village, we check how you sit and how you get in and out of the car. The goal is getting you back to a walk on the High Line Canal Trail without leg pain cutting it short.

Where Does Spinal Decompression Fit Into Disc Care?

Spinal decompression therapy is one of the disc services we offer, alongside herniated disc and bulging disc treatment. Whether it belongs in your sciatica plan depends on your exam, how comfortable you are on the table and how your leg symptoms respond in the first visits.

What Research Says About Chiropractic Care for Sciatica From a Herniated Disc

Research on chiropractic care for sciatica from a herniated disc is most encouraging for newer cases and thinner for long-standing ones. A 2011 review by Leininger and colleagues in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America found "moderate quality evidence that spinal manipulation is effective for the treatment of acute lumbar radiculopathy," the medical term for nerve root pain that travels down the leg. For chronic leg symptoms, the same review rated the evidence "low or very low."

Healthline's review of the topic adds that studies have used small sample sizes and results varied. We would rather tell you that plainly than call chiropractic care "proven."

The natural course of a disc matters too. Cleveland Clinic reports that herniated disks get better on their own or with nonsurgical treatment for 9 out of 10 people, usually within four to six weeks. Care aims to make those weeks easier, and the reassessments show whether it is working.

For pain that started two weeks ago, the acute findings apply most directly. For pain since spring, the evidence is thinner and the plan is built more carefully. Our article on whether a chiropractor in Centennial can treat sciatica that has lasted for months covers that case.

Is Chiropractic Care Safe When a Disc Is Irritating the Sciatic Nerve?

Chiropractic care for a disc irritating the sciatic nerve carries a very low reported risk of making the disc worse. A 2004 review by Oliphant in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics estimated the risk of manipulation causing a clinically worse disc herniation or cauda equina syndrome (serious compression of the nerves at the base of the spine) at less than 1 in 3.7 million patients. That figure is an estimate built from case reports and surveys, not a controlled trial. Care also starts with screening for warning signs. As one patient put it, "Dr. Chris Butler is exceptional. Very gentle when getting adjusted." (Eric R.)

Sciatica Symptoms That Need a Medical Doctor or the ER Before Chiropractic Care

A few sciatica symptoms need a medical doctor or the emergency room before any chiropractic care. Cleveland Clinic notes that in rare cases a large ruptured disk might injure the nerves to the bladder or bowel, which may require emergency surgery.

Go to the emergency room right away if you notice:

• New loss of bladder or bowel control

See a medical doctor promptly if you have:

• Loss of strength in a leg, or trouble standing or walking
• Tingling or numbness in the legs
• Symptoms that get worse instead of better
• Pain that interferes with daily life and has not improved after four to six weeks
• Pain that gets worse every day, or does not improve with over-the-counter medication or rest

Healthline warns that untreated cases can cause lasting nerve damage. Dr. Butler screens for these signs at the first visit, and if any appear, we will tell you directly to get medical care first.

How Long Disc-Related Sciatica Takes to Ease With Chiropractic Care

Cleveland Clinic says many cases of sciatica ease within four to six weeks, the same window it gives for herniated disks, though severe sciatica can last several weeks or months. Your own timeline depends on your exam, how long the pain has been there and how your leg symptoms respond at each reassessment.

Your situation	What to expect	How Butler Family Health Center helps
New sciatica after lifting or a long drive	Many cases ease within 4 to 6 weeks	Same-day exam, adjustments, a short home routine
Sciatica that has lasted months	Slower, less predictable progress	A staged plan with regular reassessments
Disc pain that began after a car crash	Depends on the injury	We accept auto accident and personal injury cases
Disc pain from a work injury	Depends on the injury and the claim	We accept workers' compensation cases
Leg weakness, numbness, bladder or bowel changes	Needs medical care first	We tell you to see a medical doctor or go to the ER

Use your situation to decide the next step:

• If your leg pain started after lifting something heavy, book a same-day visit so the exam happens while the problem is new.
• If you sit for long hours in the Denver Tech Center, book an exam and ask how to set up your chair and car between visits.
• If the pain began after a rear-end crash on East Arapahoe Road or I-25, call us. We accept auto accident and personal injury cases.
• If you have any warning sign from the list above, see a medical doctor or go to the emergency room first.

Why Centennial Patients Choose Butler Family Health Center for Disc and Sciatica Care

One experienced doctor handles the exam, the plan and the follow-up, and getting in is easy when sitting and walking hurt.

• Experience. Dr. Christopher Butler, D.C., trained at Cleveland Chiropractic College and has been a chiropractor since 1996.
• Fast access. Same-day appointments and walk-ins, so a new flare does not have to wait.
• Disc care in one office. Herniated disc, bulging disc, sciatica and piriformis syndrome treatment and spinal decompression therapy, with Remy Class IV laser and shockwave therapy available when they fit your plan.
• Insurance and payment. We are a preferred provider for Anthem, Blue Cross, Aetna, Cofinity, Humana, Cigna, United Healthcare and others; coverage depends on your plan. Cash plans help if you have no insurance or a high deductible.
• Easy arrival. Free parking in the lot and a wheelchair-accessible entrance at Peakview Center.
• Reviews. 4.9 stars on Google from more than 70 reviews. One patient wrote, "From the very beginning, I felt listened to, cared for, and never rushed." (Melanie H.)

We treat all ages, newborns to seniors. Patients come to 6500 S Quebec St from Southglenn, Castlewood, Greenwood Village, the Denver Tech Center, Cherry Creek, Englewood and Littleton.

The Bottom Line

A Centennial chiropractor can treat sciatica caused by a herniated disc when an exam confirms the disc is the likely source and rules out warning signs. Loss of bladder or bowel control, leg weakness or symptoms that keep getting worse need a medical doctor or the ER first. For everything else, call or text Butler Family Health Center at (303) 741-2444 to book a same-day visit in Centennial.