Content Reviewed By: Dr. Jeremiah Shaft, D.C., L.M.T. on September 30, 2026
Michigan State Chiropractic License Number: 2301008888 (NPI: 1053360768)
Table of Contents
- Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Pain Treatment At A Glance
- What Is A Pinched Nerve And What Is SI Joint Pain?
- What Care For Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Pain Can Help With
- When Low Back And Leg Symptoms Require Urgent Medical Care
- Related Low Back And Nerve Conditions We Evaluate
- Who May Be A Good Fit For Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Care
- How True Health Chiropractic Evaluates And Treats Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Pain
- What To Expect At Your First Visit
- What Our Patients Say About Their Care
- Related Services That May Support Your Recovery
- Serving Livonia, Romulus, And Nearby Detroit Communities
- Meet The Team Supporting Your Care
- Sources And Clinical References
- Frequently Asked Questions About Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Pain
Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Pain Treatment At A Glance
A pinched nerve and sacroiliac joint irritation are two of the most common reasons low back pain does not stay in the low back. Both send pain into the buttock, hip, groin, or leg. Both are frequently mistaken for each other, which is why some people cycle through treatment without a clear answer.
We evaluate where the pain is coming from rather than only where you feel it, assessing spinal and pelvic movement, joint function, muscle tension, and nerve involvement before recommending anything.
When conservative care fits, your plan may include chiropractic adjustments, massage and soft tissue therapy, laser therapy, shockwave therapy, and home guidance. When the findings point elsewhere, we say so and help you get to the right provider.
What Is A Pinched Nerve And What Is SI Joint Pain?
A pinched nerve in the low back means a nerve root is compressed or irritated where it exits the spine, known clinically as lumbar radiculopathy. Contributors include a herniated or bulging disc, degenerative change, bone spurs, or narrowing of the space the nerve travels through. Symptoms usually affect one side and can include pain radiating into the buttock, thigh, calf, or foot, along with numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness. Symptoms are often worse at night or after prolonged sitting.
SI joint pain comes from a different structure. The sacroiliac joints sit where the sacrum meets the pelvis, one on each side, and transfer load between your upper body and legs. When that load transfer is disrupted by degenerative change, pregnancy-related ligament laxity, trauma, a leg length difference, repetitive strain, or prior spinal surgery, the joint can become a genuine pain source.
The clinical problem is overlap. SI joint pain is typically a deep, one-sided ache low in the back that can spread down the back of the thigh toward the knee, a pattern that closely mimics nerve pain and is often misdiagnosed as such. The two can also coexist, and treating only one tends to produce partial results. That is why we assess the spine, pelvis, hips, and nerve pathway together.
What Care For Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Pain Can Help With
A Clearer Answer About The Pain Source. We work to determine whether symptoms are primarily nerve-related, joint-related, muscular, disc-related, or a combination. The plan changes depending on the answer.
Symptom Management Tied To Findings. Conservative care may help selected patients reduce low back, buttock, hip, and leg discomfort. What we use depends on how irritable the tissue is and how you respond.
Restored Movement Through The Low Back And Pelvis. When the lumbar spine, SI joints, or hips stop sharing load well, surrounding muscles compensate and pain lingers. Care focuses on restoring motion without pushing irritated tissue past tolerance.
Return To Daily Activity. Sitting through a shift, driving, sleeping on one side, and getting up from a chair are usually what people want back first.
Better Load Capacity Over Time. Pain that returns after activity often reflects a capacity problem rather than a single injury. Home guidance and progressive loading may be included.
Monitoring For Change. Follow-up visits track strength, sensation, reflexes, and activity tolerance so we can adjust the plan or refer if the picture changes.
When Low Back And Leg Symptoms Require Urgent Medical Care
Seek emergency or urgent medical attention if you have loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in the groin, buttocks, or inner thighs, new or worsening leg weakness, difficulty walking or a foot that drags, or severe pain after a significant fall or collision.
This combination can indicate cauda equina syndrome, a compression of the nerve bundle at the base of the spinal cord that is treated as a neurosurgical emergency. Delays in diagnosis can cause lasting impairment.
Medical evaluation is also the safer first step when low back pain comes with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, a suppressed immune system, known osteoporosis with a recent fall, or severe night pain unrelieved by any position. We will refer rather than treat when your presentation calls for it.
Related Low Back And Nerve Conditions We Evaluate
Because the low back, pelvis, hips, and nerve pathways share load, we evaluate the full symptom pattern and recommend care only when the findings support it.
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Who May Be A Good Fit For Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Care
Conservative care may be considered for people without urgent warning signs who have mechanical low back pain, pelvic or buttock pain, restricted movement, or nerve symptoms that have not responded to rest.
An evaluation may be appropriate when:
- Low back pain travels into the buttock, hip, groin, or down one leg.
- You feel a deep, one-sided ache near the base of the spine or back of the pelvis.
- Sitting, standing from a chair, rolling over in bed, or climbing stairs reproduces the pain.
- You have tingling, numbness, or burning following a consistent path down the leg.
- Symptoms settle with rest but return every time you resume activity.
- You have been told you have back pain or sciatica but have not had the pelvis assessed.
Care is adapted for patients who are pregnant or postpartum, who have had prior spinal surgery, or who have osteoporosis or other conditions that change what is appropriate. In some cases the recommendation is medical referral instead of treatment.
How True Health Chiropractic Evaluates And Treats Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Pain
Our evaluation is built around one question: what is actually driving this. Treatment follows the findings.
History And Symptom Mapping
We ask where the pain sits, where it travels, how it started, what worsens it, and how it affects work, sleep, and activity. How your symptoms behave often narrows the possibilities before the physical exam begins.
Movement, Orthopedic, And Neurological Testing
We assess lumbar and pelvic movement, hip mobility, muscle tone, and functional patterns. Testing may include straight leg raise and a cluster of sacroiliac provocation tests, since no single SI test is reliable alone. Neurological screening checks strength, sensation, and reflexes to establish a baseline we can measure against later.
Imaging Or Medical Referral When Indicated
Imaging is not required for every case, and routine imaging does not improve outcomes. We may recommend X-rays when history and exam suggest they would clarify structure or rule out a concern, and we refer for advanced imaging or medical evaluation when there are progressive neurological findings or other signs outside conservative chiropractic scope.
Individualized Conservative Care
Our chiropractic care ranges from gentle, low-force techniques to traditional manual adjusting, matched to what your tissue tolerates. Soft tissue work, massage therapy, laser therapy, or shockwave therapy may be added when the examination supports their use.
Home Guidance And Load Management
Most recovery happens between visits. We give specific guidance on positions, sitting and driving setup, lifting mechanics, and a small number of exercises appropriate for your stage. For SI joint and nerve-related pain, movement and graded loading usually matter more than extended rest.
Progress Reviews
We recheck movement, neurological findings, and activity tolerance as care continues. If you are not progressing as expected, that may mean changing the approach, reconsidering the working diagnosis, or referring you for a medical opinion.
What To Expect At Your First Visit
Bring a list of your medications, any previous imaging reports or specialist notes, and your insurance information. Wear clothing you can move in.
Step 1: Consultation And History. You describe when symptoms started, how they behave, what you have tried, and which activities you want back.
Step 2: Examination. We assess posture, spinal and pelvic movement, hip mobility, and muscle tone, then perform the orthopedic and neurological testing your presentation calls for.
Step 3: Imaging Or Referral Decision. If imaging would clarify structure or rule out a concern, we discuss it. If your findings point toward a condition needing medical management, we tell you and help you take the next step.
Step 4: Findings And Recommendations. We explain what we found in plain language, whether conservative care is appropriate, and how we will measure progress.
Step 5: Beginning Care. Treatment may begin the same day when findings support it. If care is not appropriate that day, we explain why and what happens next.
What Our Patients Are Saying
Related Services That May Support Your Recovery
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Massage Therapy
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Serving Livonia, Romulus, And Nearby Detroit Communities
Our Livonia office at 28404 W. Five Mile Road is convenient for Redford, Detroit, Northville, Plymouth, Novi, Farmington Hills, and surrounding Livonia neighborhoods. Our Romulus office at 9340 Wayne Road also serves Belleville, New Boston, Huron Township, Taylor, Wayne, Canton, and workers near Detroit Metro Airport.
Meet The Team Supporting Your Care
Dr. Jeremiah Shaft, DC — Clinic Director
Dr. Jeremiah M. Shaft, D.C. is a chiropractor, regenerative health practitioner, and entrepreneur…
Dr. Christopher Lee, DC — Chiropractor
Dr. Christopher G. Lee, D.C. brings more than 30 years of clinical experience to our team…
Dr. Alonda Walker, DC — Chiropractor
Dr. Alonda Walker, D.C. is a Detroit native with a deep commitment to natural, drug-free, non-surgical chiropractic care…
Sources And Clinical References
These references support the definitions, symptom patterns, safety screening, and conservative care context on this page. They do not replace an in-person evaluation.
Source: Mayo Clinic: Pinched Nerve. Supports: Defines nerve compression, describes radiating pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness, and notes symptoms may worsen at night.
Source: NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls: Radicular Back Pain. Supports: Describes lumbosacral radiculopathy, its common causes, the frequency of paresthesia, and the observation that most cases are self-limited.
Source: NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls: Sacroiliac Joint Pain. Supports: SI joint anatomy and load-transfer function, the deep posterior thigh pain pattern, and the frequency with which SI pain mimics and is misdiagnosed as radicular pain.
Source: NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls: Sacroiliac Joint Injury. Supports: The contributing factors listed here, including trauma, repetitive microtrauma, degenerative change, pregnancy, prior lumbar fusion, and occupational or athletic overuse.
Source: NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls: Cauda Equina And Conus Medullaris Syndromes. Supports: Urgent-care guidance on bowel or bladder dysfunction, saddle numbness, and leg weakness, and the characterization of these presentations as neurosurgical emergencies.
Source: American College of Physicians: Noninvasive Treatments For Acute, Subacute, And Chronic Low Back Pain. Supports: Nonpharmacologic options including exercise, massage, superficial heat, low-level laser therapy, and spinal manipulation as initial treatment choices, with the quality of evidence behind each.
Source: NIAMS: Back Pain. Supports: General background on causes, risk factors, and management, and that most cases improve with conservative measures.
Evidence limit. These sources do not establish that chiropractic care is appropriate for every pinched nerve or SI joint presentation, or that any technique resolves nerve compression. The ACP guideline applies primarily to nonradicular low back pain and rates the evidence for spinal manipulation as low quality, meaning the benefit for any individual is uncertain. Evidence for laser therapy in low back pain comes largely from low-level laser studies rather than higher-powered devices. SI joint pain also cannot be confirmed by clinical testing alone; image-guided diagnostic injection remains the reference standard and is outside our scope.
Location alone usually cannot tell you. Nerve root pain tends to follow a consistent path down the leg with numbness, tingling, or weakness. SI joint pain is more often a deep one-sided ache low in the back that flares with transitions like standing up or rolling over. Movement testing, provocation testing, and neurological screening are how we separate them.
It may help when symptoms relate to joint restriction, movement dysfunction, muscle tension, or certain types of nerve irritation. It is not appropriate for every case, particularly with progressive weakness or other neurological change. We evaluate first and tell you honestly whether it is a reasonable option.
Not usually. Imaging is recommended when your history and exam suggest it would clarify structure or guide a safer decision. Imaging every case does not improve outcomes and often shows age-related changes that are not causing symptoms.
It depends on the driver of the pain, how long it has been present, and how you respond. Many nerve-related episodes settle within weeks, while longstanding pelvic or load-tolerance problems take longer. We reassess as we go rather than promising a timeline up front.
Yes. Pregnancy-related ligament laxity and changes in how the pelvis manages load are recognized contributors. Care is adapted in technique and positioning, and we coordinate with your medical provider when appropriate.
No referral is needed to book an evaluation. If your insurance plan requires one for coverage, our team can help you check beforehand.
Same-day appointments and walk-ins are available when scheduling allows. A same-day appointment should not replace emergency care if you have bowel or bladder changes, saddle numbness, new leg weakness, or symptoms following major trauma.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pinched Nerve And SI Joint Pain
Book A Pinched Nerve Or SI Joint Evaluation In Livonia Or Romulus
Low back pain that travels into the hip or leg deserves a real answer about where it is coming from. Book an evaluation and we will assess your movement, joint function, and neurological findings, explain what we find, and recommend care only when it fits your situation. If another provider is the better next step, we will say so.
Medical Disclaimer: This page is for educational purposes only and does not replace an in-person evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment plan from a licensed healthcare professional. If you have severe, worsening, or urgent symptoms, seek appropriate medical care.