Lower Back Pain & Sciatica Treatment in San Mateo

Lower Back Pain & Sciatica

Not just a bad back —
a nerve with a story to tell

Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek care — and one of the most undertreated. Over 80% of Americans will experience it at some point, yet many settle for pain management instead of getting to the actual cause. At High Amplitude Health, we do things differently.

Whether your back pain is from a recent injury, years of desk work, or a sciatic nerve being irritated by tight muscles or a disc issue, our approach combines chiropractic spinal adjusting, Active Release Therapy, and targeted soft tissue work to resolve the underlying dysfunction — not just ease the discomfort temporarily.

Sciatica — sharp, burning, or radiating pain that travels from the low back through the hip and down the leg — is often caused by muscular compression of the nerve, not a serious spinal condition. That's good news: it means hands-on therapy works extremely well, and most patients see meaningful improvement within just a few visits. Not sure whether what you're feeling is sciatica or just a muscular back strain? We break down how to tell the difference in more detail. And if you're wondering whether to wait it out, we break down whether sciatica goes away on its own — and what actually determines the answer.

What's often missed is that the tightness driving this rarely stays contained to one spot. The muscles of your low back, hips, and legs work together as four connected chains — one along the back of the leg, one along the front, one along the outside, and one along the inside — and when any of them stay overloaded for long enough, they become tight, fatigued, and overly sensitive to pain. Left unaddressed, that's what eventually triggers spasm and nerve compression, which is why treating the low back in isolation often isn't enough.

Office worker with lower back pain — High Amplitude Health San Mateo

Drug-Free Relief
Chiropractic · ART · Soft tissue therapy

How We Treat It

Treating the joint and the nerve —
not just the ache

◎

Chiropractic spinal adjusting

Gentle, precise adjustments restore spinal alignment, reduce nerve compression, and improve joint mobility. For both lower back pain and sciatica, this is often what provides the most immediate relief.

Especially effective when pain stems from joint restriction, disc compression, or structural misalignment causing nerve irritation.

◈

Active Release Therapy (ART)

ART targets the scar tissue, adhesions, and chronically tight muscles that compress the sciatic nerve and restrict low back movement. It's one of the most effective tools for nerve entrapment conditions.

The piriformis, glutes, and hamstrings are common culprits in sciatica. ART releases these muscles directly — reducing nerve pressure fast.

⟳

Myofascial & trigger point therapy

Sustained pressure releases tight muscle bands across all four chains surrounding your low back and legs — not just the muscles closest to where it hurts — deactivating spasm and reducing the referred pain that makes back pain and sciatica feel widespread and hard to pinpoint.

Many patients are surprised to find that releasing trigger points in the hips and thighs — sometimes far from where the pain shows up — provides as much relief as treating the low back directly.

▷

Assisted stretch therapy

Tight hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, and the other muscles along your leg's four chains are often the real drivers of both low back pain and sciatic nerve irritation. Guided stretching releases this tension in ways you can't achieve on your own.

We also teach you how to keep working on it at home — with foam rollers, massage balls, and other self-massage tools targeted to your specific tight spots — so you continue improving between visits and prevent the pain from returning.

◇

Core & movement retraining

Weak or poorly activated core muscles leave the lumbar spine unprotected. We introduce targeted exercises to rebuild spinal stability and retrain movement patterns that protect your back long-term.

This is the step most other clinics skip — and it's why pain returns after treatment elsewhere. Stability is what makes relief last. Wondering if it's safe to exercise with sciatica? We cover exactly what helps and what to avoid.

▸

Vibration therapy

Targeted vibration calms hyperactive muscles along the lumbar spine and sciatic nerve pathway — reducing tightness, improving circulation, and accelerating tissue recovery between sessions.

Particularly useful for patients with chronic muscle guarding around the low back who can't tolerate deep manual pressure initially.

Who It Helps

Same pain,
different starting points

Lower back pain and sciatica have many causes — and identifying the right one is the key to lasting relief. Here are the most common contributors we see and treat every day, including a pattern that's often missed entirely: dysfunction spread across four connected muscle chains, not just the low back itself.

Muscle strain & ligament injury

A sudden movement, awkward lift, or over-exertion can strain the muscles and ligaments of the low back. These injuries respond well to soft tissue therapy and guided rehab exercise.

Dysfunction across four connected muscle chains

The muscles supporting your low back and legs work as four connected chains — one running along the back of the leg (glutes, hamstrings, calves), one along the front (hip flexors, quads, and the muscle along the front of the shin), one along the outside of the hip and thigh, and one along the inside of the thigh and shin. When any of these stay locked in a tight, fatigued, and overly sensitive state for long enough, they become painful, prone to spasm, and can compress nearby nerves — often without the patient realizing the real source is a chain, not just the low back.

Piriformis syndrome & sciatic nerve compression

The piriformis muscle in the hip can tighten and compress the sciatic nerve — causing radiating pain, numbness, or tingling down the leg. ART is particularly effective at releasing this muscle.

Poor posture & prolonged sitting

Hours at a desk create postural imbalances that overload the lumbar spine, tighten the hip flexors, and weaken the core — a combination that leads directly to chronic low back pain.

Disc herniation or bulge

A herniated disc can press on the spinal nerves, producing sharp or radiating pain. Chiropractic adjusting combined with soft tissue work can relieve pressure and restore function without surgery in many cases.

Weak or inactive core muscles

Without proper core support, the lumbar spine absorbs more load than it's designed to handle — leading to disc, joint, and muscle pain with even ordinary daily movements.

Overuse & repetitive loading

Athletes, laborers, and active individuals who repeatedly load the spine without adequate recovery develop muscle fatigue, joint irritation, and inflammation that compounds over time.

Stress-related muscle tension

Chronic stress causes involuntary tightening of the back, neck, and shoulder muscles. Over time this sustained tension restricts movement and contributes directly to low back pain and discomfort.

Find the chain,
the pain lets go.

Most patients with lower back pain and sciatica notice meaningful improvement within just a few visits. Dr. John will identify exactly what's driving your pain — and fix it at the source, not just the surface.

3–5

Average visits to full resolution

89+

Five-star Google reviews

Serving San Mateo, Burlingame, Foster City, Redwood City, Belmont & surrounding areas since 2010.

Book Your First Visit →

About Dr. John Blenio

16 years separating
the joint from the nerve

Dr. John Blenio has been treating lower back pain and sciatica in San Mateo for over 16 years. His approach goes beyond what a standard chiropractor or physical therapist offers — combining spinal adjusting, Active Release Therapy, myofascial release, and corrective exercise into a single, integrated plan that addresses all the layers contributing to your pain.

Lower back pain is rarely just one thing. It's usually a combination of joint restriction, tight and fatigued muscles spanning all four chains around the hips and legs, and poor movement patterns — often with a nerve component like sciatica layered in. Dr. John's training allows him to assess and treat all of these simultaneously, rather than addressing them in isolation or referring you elsewhere.

Whether your pain started last week or has been with you for years, the goal is the same: identify the true cause — wherever it sits along that chain — correct it with hands-on care, and give you the self-care tools, like foam rolling and targeted self-massage, to keep it from coming back.

✓

Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation 16+ years of precision adjusting for lumbar and sciatic conditions

✓

ART Certified — Spine & Lower Extremity Targeting nerve entrapments and tight muscle chains throughout the hips and legs

✓

Corrective Exercise & Rehab Specialist Core retraining and movement correction to prevent recurrence

Dr. John Blenio — Lower Back Pain & Sciatica Specialist, High Amplitude Health San Mateo

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers,
no runaround

How do I know if my pain is sciatica or just a back strain? +

Back strain typically stays localized — it hurts in a specific area of your low back. Sciatica involves the sciatic nerve and usually produces pain, tingling, numbness, or burning that radiates from the lower back or hip down through the buttock and into the leg. If your pain travels down one side of your leg, sciatica is likely involved. Dr. John will assess both at your first visit.

Why does my back pain seem connected to my hips and legs? +

Because your low back doesn't work in isolation — it's supported by four connected muscle chains running through your hips and legs: one along the back of the leg, one along the front, one along the outside, and one along the inside. When any of these stay tight and overworked for long enough, they become fatigued, overly sensitive, and prone to spasm, and that dysfunction can pull on the low back or compress nearby nerves. That's why we don't just treat the spot that hurts — we assess all four chains and treat whichever ones are actually driving your pain.

Can chiropractic care treat a herniated disc? +

Yes, in many cases. Chiropractic adjusting can relieve the nerve pressure caused by a herniated disc without surgery. Combined with soft tissue therapy to release surrounding muscle tension, most patients with disc-related pain improve significantly with conservative care. Dr. John will let you know at your first visit whether your condition is appropriate for chiropractic treatment or requires a referral.

How quickly will I feel better? +

Faster than most people expect. Most patients see roughly 10–25% improvement after the very first visit, then continue improving — a bit of a "chipping away" process — at each following session. By 3–5 visits, most patients are close to fully pain-free. Some people heal faster and some take longer, depending on lifestyle, fitness level, and stress — but across all of Dr. John's patients, more than 90% get back to pain-free health with this approach.

Is treatment painful? +

Chiropractic adjustments are generally painless and often immediately relieving. Active Release Therapy and myofascial work can produce a "hurts good" sensation as tight muscles are released, but the intensity is always adjusted to your comfort level. Dr. John works with you — not on you — and communication throughout treatment is encouraged.

Do I need an X-ray or MRI before my first visit? +

No. Dr. John will conduct a thorough evaluation at your first visit and can determine the likely cause and appropriate treatment from clinical assessment alone. If imaging is indicated — for example, to rule out a fracture or assess a suspected serious disc injury — he'll let you know and refer you accordingly.

My back pain keeps coming back. Can you help? +

Recurring back pain is usually a sign that the root cause was never fully addressed — only the symptoms were treated. Dr. John's approach identifies the underlying drivers (joint restriction, soft tissue adhesions, core weakness, movement dysfunction) and corrects them, rather than providing temporary relief that wears off. Many patients with years of recurring pain find lasting resolution with this approach.

Will I need to keep coming back forever? +

The goal is lasting relief, not dependency. Most patients complete an active care plan and are discharged with a home exercise routine to maintain their results. Some patients choose periodic maintenance visits — especially if they have physically demanding jobs or active lifestyles — but this is entirely optional, not a requirement.

Do I have to be adjusted, or can I still get better if I'd rather not be? +

Chiropractic adjusting is genuinely helpful for lower back pain and sciatica — it restores lumbar joint mobility and often relieves nerve pressure quickly — so Dr. John does recommend it for most patients. That said, it's never a requirement. If you'd rather not be adjusted, he can still get you real results using Active Release Therapy, myofascial work, assisted stretching, and core and movement retraining on their own. Interestingly, many patients who start out preferring to skip adjustments end up trying them later, once they've seen their results improve and built trust in the process — but that's always your choice, never something we push.

Lower Back Pain & SciaticaTreatment in San Mateo

Not just a bad back —a nerve with a story to tell

Treating the joint and the nerve —not just the ache

Same pain,different starting points