Sciatica

A message from Sciatica Specialist Pierre Butheau

Pierre-Yves Butheau, MPT, CMP

Leading Physical Therapist and Facial Therapist In The Seattle Area

Many different conditions can be responsible for the symptoms commonly referred to as sciatica. It is obviously important to determine what exactly it is that is exacerbating that shooting feeling down your leg. Our treatment format allow patent and therapists to problem solve what to treat, address and change to alleviate the symptoms of sciatica.

More on Sciatica

You may ask, “how do I know if I truly have sciatica?” and when should I seek help to fix it? You may have sciatica if you are experiencing a combination of the following:

Pins and needles in your leg
Lower back pain
Pain in the buttock or leg that is worse when sitting or standing
Constant pain in your buttock
Numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot. This has made walking difficult and you might even have fallen because of it.

So… How do you fix your sciatica?
Lots of our patients, before we end up helping them with sciatica, have been diagnosed by their doctor, did some research on the internet, and found some exercises on YouTube that might have helped them…or actually made their symptoms worse. Because they never learn about what kind of sciatica they suffered from and so they did the wrong exercises… Which is one of the most common mistake people makes:

Because of the different types of sciatica, different exercises should be used depending on the root cause. Following a cookie cutter approach is likely not going to help you because that approach is not tailored to you, your anatomy and/or your type of sciatica. If you get lucky, it will help you…But you could also make the problem worse…or only experience temporary relief.
Many people who suffer from sciatica and back pain see a practitioner when their symptoms worsen episodically…they receive massage or chiropractic treatments and even physical therapy… they start feeling better, do well for a few weeks to a couple of months, and then have to do it all over again. They only experience a temporary relief. Why? Because it was a quick fix and their whole treatment was based on fixing their pain, not addressing the root cause of their sciatica. So if you would like long term relief, don’t just be satisfied with symptoms management, but instead look for help from someone that can help the root cause of your sciatica
Another mistakes would be to not have a specific outcome/ goal in mind when treating your sciatica. What do you want to achieve? What should be the outcome of treating your sciatica? When you pause and think of answering these questions, it will help and guide you in choosing the right specialist to fix your sciatica. For example, if you would like to move, return to a specific activities or sports that involves movement, you’d better work with a movement specialist. One that will listen to you and your story for more than 15-20 minutes, one that will figure out your concerns, your needs and goals.

How can working with a sciatica expert help you?

We identify the root cause of your issue and we can explain and educate you about it in a language you can understand.
We can decrease your pain significantly in just 2-3 sessions.
We can help you get back the focus and concentrate on other things that your pain has distracted you from, as well as sleep better at night: this will allow your body to heal better and faster.
We can give you peace of mind and take away the fear of living with sciatica for the rest of your life
In a nutshell, we help you get your life back… without that daily nagging ache.

Excellent

Based on 83 reviews

Paul Pfenning

February 24, 2024

My experience with Pierre at Butheau Physiotherapy was nothing short of exceptional. After a severe ankle sprain, Pierre’s expertise and attentive care were instrumental in my swift recovery. He stands out for his ability to listen and customize treatments, demonstrating an in-depth understanding of physiotherapy and patient needs. Pierre’s approach is both innovative and effective, focusing on not just healing but also strengthening, ensuring a comprehensive recovery. His dedication to patient well-being is evident, making each session a positive and reassuring experience. I highly recommend Pierre to anyone in need of top-notch physiotherapy services. His professionalism and commitment to recovery are unparalleled.

Lynne Marlow

February 11, 2024

I absolutely love working with Pierre. He has helped me recover so much with my Bells Palsy. He is very thorough and does a great job. I highly recommend him.

He Qian Wang

December 13, 2023

Pierre is very knowledgeable and helped resolve many of my chronic joint pain from sports. Pierre was awesome at diagnosing the problem and also hashing out a long term improvement plan. Definitely recommend!

J. Brandon Callister

December 12, 2023

Very knowledgeable, Pierre is the most qualified facial physio therapist you will find. His online content is abundant, in-depth, and very informative. After seeing multiple professionals following an occurrence of Bell's Palsy, Pierre was a stand out. Highly recommend.

Gisele Lima

November 5, 2023

Pierre was amazing! On the first week I got Bell’s palsy, I scheduled an online appointment with him. He gave me few exercises and orientation that made my recovery time in 2 weeks. Many Thanks Pierre for all your help and support during the treatment.

Antonio Bruno

October 21, 2023

fantastic experience . been struggling with facial nerve damage for 2 years . in just doing a few of his facial excercise routines ive already noticed drastically positive changes and will continue to improve

Lisa Alishio

September 12, 2023

I work in health care, but I have avoided physical therapy for years, as it can be hard to find a truly skilled therapist. I found Butheau PT in my Search. Wow! Pierre has a tidy and well appointed home clinic. During the evaluation he really made me feel that he wanted to see the big picture. He was curious with information gathering. It was obvious he was using his scientist/observer skills to piece together how the different movements and muscle use was causing me pain. I had described being historically bad with the exercise plan, and he encouraged in a way that was never patronizing, while empowering me to succeed. He uses a great emailed visual tool for exercise recall. What I really appreciate is his great manual skills at helping with hands on manipulation/massage. This isnt like a large clinic where you get send to use the exercise bike to burn through your minutes. I am telling all my OT/PT therapist friends, as Pierre is the type of therapist other therapists would be very happy to discover.

Ben Fleishman

September 2, 2023

Pierre did a great job working with me on my TMJ issues! He was really knowledgeable and a good communicator and I would highly recommend.

Alan Andrist

August 15, 2023

Very knowledgeable and a specialist. Very effective.

Alexander Feliz silie

August 9, 2023

All the work we’ve done had paid off! I’m feeling 100% now after only my 7th visit. Thank you!

Back Pain

Balance / Fall Prevention

Bell’s Palsy / Facial Paralysis

Hip Pain

Knee Pain

Neck & Shoulder Pain

TMJ / Jaw Pain

Sciatica Treatment & Relief

How Butheau Physiotherapy can help you