CHIROPRACTOR IN MCKINNEY, TXWhich Is It?
Simple Leg Pain,
Sciatica, or
SI Joint Dysfunction?
and SI joint pain, including causes, symptoms, and conservative care options in McKinney, TX.
Simple Leg Pain
Simple leg pain is discomfort that travels into the leg due to muscle tension, joint stiffness, or posture-related strain. It is often mechanical in nature and tends to resolve on its own with movement and basic care fairly quickly
Sciatica Pain
Sciatica pain occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated, causing pain that can travel from the low back into the hip, leg, or foot. It may feel sharp, burning, or electric and often follows a specific nerve pathway.
Sacroiliac Joint Disfunction
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction involves irritation or imbalance in the joints that connect the spine to the pelvis. It commonly causes low back, hip, or buttock pain that worsens with standing, walking, or single-leg movement.
SI Joint Pain vs. Sciatica: How They Differ (and Why It Matters During Pregnancy)
Lower back pain that travels into the hip, buttock, or leg can be confusing—especially during pregnancy, when new aches and limitations may appear without warning. Two of the most commonly confused causes of this type of discomfort are sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction and sciatica. While they can feel similar at first, they originate from very different structures and behave in distinct ways.
Understanding which one is driving your symptoms matters. The pattern of pain, how it responds to movement, and what aggravates it can provide important clues—and help guide conservative, appropriate care rather than guesswork.
Sciatica: Nerve-Related Pain With a Recognizable Path
Where Sciatica Comes From
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated or compressed. This nerve exits the lower spine and travels through the buttock and down the back of the leg, sometimes reaching the foot.
When nerve irritation is involved, pain tends to follow the course of the nerve rather than staying in one place. During pregnancy, changes in posture, spinal loading, and muscular tension can sometimes increase sensitivity along this pathway—even without a disc injury.
How Sciatica Typically Presents
Sciatic pain is often described as sharp, electric, burning, or shooting. It frequently radiates from the lower back or buttock down the leg, sometimes past the knee. Tingling, numbness, or weakness may accompany the pain.
Symptoms often worsen with prolonged sitting, bending forward, coughing, or sneezing—movements that increase pressure or tension along the nerve.
SI Joint Dysfunction: A Pelvic Stability Problem
What the SI Joint Does
The sacroiliac joints sit at the junction where the spine meets the pelvis. Their primary role is stability, not motion. They help transfer forces between the upper body and the legs and are heavily influenced by posture, gait, and ligament support.
During pregnancy, hormonal changes increase ligament flexibility around the pelvis. While this is necessary for childbirth, it can also make the SI joints more vulnerable to uneven movement or strain.
How SI Joint Pain Typically Feels
SI joint pain is usually more localized than sciatica. It is commonly felt in the lower back, buttock, or near the small dimples at the base of the spine. Pain often stays above the knee, though it may refer into the upper thigh.
The discomfort may feel like a deep ache, pressure, or sharp stabbing pain during specific movements. Activities such as climbing stairs, standing on one leg, rolling in bed, or transitioning from sitting to standing frequently aggravate SI joint symptoms.
True numbness or weakness is uncommon with SI joint dysfunction.
Why Leg Pain Creates Confusion
Both conditions can produce pain in the hip or leg, which is why they are so often mistaken for one another. The key difference lies in how the pain behaves.
Sciatica tends to follow a nerve pathway and respond to spinal loading. SI joint pain tends to react to asymmetrical movement, weight transfer, and pelvic instability. Careful mechanical assessment—rather than imaging alone—is often what helps distinguish between the two.
Pregnancy, Pelvic Changes, and Lower Body Pain
Pregnancy places unique demands on both the spine and pelvis. As the center of gravity shifts and ligament support changes, the SI joints often absorb increased stress. This is why many pregnant patients experience one-sided pelvic pain, discomfort with walking, or pain that worsens with movement rather than rest.
Sciatic-type symptoms can also occur during pregnancy, but they are more often related to mechanical strain than true disc injury. Understanding the source of pain is essential when choosing conservative, pregnancy-appropriate care.
Serving McKinney and the Greater DFW Area
Legacy Family Chiropractic is located in McKinney, Texas and works with patients from Allen, Frisco, Prosper, and surrounding North Dallas and DFW communities who are dealing with lower back, pelvic, or leg pain. Many people find our office after struggling to determine whether their pain is nerve-related, joint-related, or influenced by pregnancy-related changes.
Patients often seek care here when they want a clear explanation of what is happening mechanically and a conservative plan that respects both comfort and safety. Dr. Amber Galipp-Leger focuses on careful evaluation of spinal and pelvic movement, with an emphasis on clarity, education, and collaboration with other providers when appropriate.
Don’t Ignore Leg Pain—Take Action Today
If you’re experiencing ongoing leg pain, pelvic discomfort, or lower back symptoms—especially during pregnancy—it’s important to understand the source before the problem progresses.
At Legacy Family Chiropractic, we help you identify whether SI joint dysfunction, sciatica, or pelvic imbalance may be contributing to your symptoms and take thoughtful, conservative steps toward relief.
Contact Marisa today to schedule a leg pain and pelvic evaluation and find out what may be driving your discomfort.
📍 Legacy Family Chiropractic – Chiropractor in McKinney, TX
📞 Call or Text Now: (214) 880-6330
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📍 Address: 3721 S Stonebridge Dr. Suite 202 | McKinney, TX 75070
Medical disclaimer: This page is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your OB or midwife regarding pelvic pain, monitoring, and delivery planning.
Typical Questions
Sciatica typically feels like nerve pain—burning, shooting, or electric—and may travel below the knee into the calf or foot, sometimes with tingling, numbness, or weakness. SI joint pain is usually more localized near the low back/buttock (often near the “dimples”) and commonly flares with weight transfer (stairs, standing on one leg, rolling in bed). A proper exam matters because overlap can happen.
Sciatica often worsens with prolonged sitting, bending forward, coughing/sneezing, or positions that increase nerve tension. SI joint dysfunction often worsens with stairs, standing from sitting, rolling in bed, walking with uneven steps, or single-leg loading.
For many pregnancies, prenatal chiropractic care is considered a gentle, conservative option when delivered by a trained provider using pregnancy-appropriate techniques and positioning. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or new/worsening neurological symptoms, coordinate with your OB/midwife and seek appropriate medical evaluation.
Sciatica pain can improve on its own when the irritation to the sciatic nerve is mild and temporary, such as when it’s caused by short-term inflammation, postural strain, or muscle tension. In those cases, symptoms may ease over days or weeks as the body settles and pressure on the nerve decreases.
However, sciatica does not reliably “just go away” when the underlying cause remains. If nerve irritation is being driven by ongoing mechanical stress—such as spinal compression, pelvic imbalance, or altered movement patterns (which are common during pregnancy)—pain may persist, fluctuate, or return repeatedly.
If sciatica pain is severe, worsening, or accompanied by progressive numbness, weakness, or changes in bowel or bladder function, medical evaluation is important.