When nerve symptoms are present.

If symptoms travel into the hip, leg, or foot—or you’re dealing with pins and needles, numbness, burning, or “electric” pain—we add a specific layer to the assessment: neurodynamic testing, integrated with McGill Method mechanical pattern-finding.

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This is where precision matters.

Leg Pain
Changes the Game

Most people are told they have “sciatica,” “piriformis syndrome,” or “tight hamstrings,” and then left with labels that don’t tell them what to do. Without precise testing, these problems look the same.

The McGill Method assessment process is built to identify the dominant driver so treatment is targeted, specific, and effective. When nerve symptoms are present, guessing prolongs the problem. Precise answers shorten the process.

Why is your leg hurting?

Not just where. Not just what the MRI says.

Why.

When pain travels into the buttock, thigh, calf, or foot, there are usually a few possible reasons. The testing helps us sort them out.Your symptoms may be coming from:

Something pressing on the nerve
Inflammation around the nerve
A nerve that has become irritated and sensitive
A segment of the spine that is moving too much and repeatedly irritating nearby tissue
Or a mix of these factors

Here's why this matters.

If the problem is pressure, we change positions and loading.
If it’s due to a disc bulge we offload the disc.

If inflammation is present we calm it down.
If the nerve is irritated, we restore its tolerance gradually.
If the spine is unstable, we build control and endurance to stop the repeated irritation.

Without testing, these problems all look the same. They all get called “sciatica.” But each one requires a different plan.

The value of this assessment is clarity. Instead of random stretches, generic core exercises, or repeated flare-ups, you leave knowing:

What is driving your leg pain
What movements to avoid (for now)
What to work on
And why you are doing it

What are nerve symptoms?

Nerve-related symptoms often present as:

Pain that travels below the glute
Burning, zapping, or electric sensations
Pins and needles
Numbness
Cramping with prolonged sitting
Symptoms that worsen with spinal flexion or prolonged postures
Pain that fluctuates with neural loading

Not all leg pain is nerve pain. And not all nerve pain is caused by a disc.

That’s why testing matters!

Where Neurodynamic Testing Fits
Inside the McGill Assessment

The McGill Method begins with a detailed history and a movement-based mechanical assessment.

The objectives of this assessment is to identify:

The dominant pain trigger (what reliably causes symptoms)
Which movements your back currently doesn’t tolerate
Specific postures that provoke or reduce symptoms
The loading pattern driving symptoms
Signs of instability

When nerve symptoms are present, neurodynamic testing becomes a critical additional layer.

This allows us to determine:

Is the nerve mechanically sensitive?
Is neural (nerve) restricted in mobility?
Is the nerve irritated but moving normally?
Is the spine the true driver, with the nerve simply reacting?

This prevents mislabeling someone as having “tight hamstrings,” “sciatica,” or “piriformis syndrome” without evidence.

What does Neurodynamic Testing Actually Evaluate?

Neurodynamic testing answers one simple question:

What is driving your leg pain—and how sensitive is it right now?

The Process:

During the assessment, I place you in specific positions that gently challenge the leg and back while we watch what happens.

We’re looking for clear patterns:

Does this light-up your familiar leg pain?
Does changing your posture reduce it?
Is it sharp and immediate, or slow and dull?
Is it the same every time?

These responses tell us whether:

The nerve itself is irritated
The spine is the primary driver, with the nerve reacting
Or both are involved

This is why this matters: If we know exactly what triggers your symptoms, we stop guessing.

We stop random stretching.
We stop exercises that flare things up.

Instead, we target the true driver of your leg pain — and move forward with purpose.

This is why precision matters.

If a nerve is truly sensitized:

Aggressive stretching can make it worse.
Repeated flexion can increase symptoms.
Poorly prescribed mobility work can prolong irritation.

If the spine is unstable:

Neural symptoms may be secondary to repeated shear or flexion loading.
Stabilization becomes the priority — not nerve glides.

If true neural mobility restriction exists:

Targeted neurodynamic interventions can restore tolerance safely.
Dosage and progression must be exact.

There is no guessing in this process.