McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers
Sciatica Treatment in Fort Myers: What SoftWave Can and Can't Do
A sharp, burning line runs from your low back down the back of your leg. Sitting through a Red Sox spring training game at JetBlue Park sounds awful right now.
If you are looking for sciatica treatment in Fort Myers, you will find plenty of clinics saying SoftWave clears it up. Dr. Lee Angle treats sciatica often, usually with chiropractic care and SoftWave together. We will also be straight with you: the research on shockwave for sciatica is thin, and the cause of your pain matters more than any machine.
- 5.0 from 198 Google reviews
- Dr. Lee Angle, D.C.
- McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is pain that follows the sciatic nerve. That nerve starts in your low back, runs through your buttock and goes down the back of each leg. When something presses on it or bothers it, you feel pain along its path.
It can feel like:
- A shooting or burning pain down one leg, often past the knee
- Pins and needles in the foot or toes
- Pain that gets worse when you sit, cough or sneeze
Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis. A bulging (herniated) disc is a common cause. So is a narrow spot in the spine that squeezes the nerve. A tight muscle deep in the buttock, called the piriformis, can cause pain that feels a lot like it.
When is sciatica an emergency?
Go to the ER right away if you have sciatica plus any of these:
- Trouble starting to pee, or you can't tell when your bladder is full
- New trouble controlling your bowels
- Numbness in your groin, buttocks or inner thighs (the area that would touch a saddle)
- Pain or numbness in both legs
- A leg or foot that keeps getting weaker
These can be signs of cauda equina syndrome, when the nerves at the bottom of the spine are badly squeezed. It needs surgery fast. Do not book a mapping session. Go now.
See your medical doctor soon, too, if the pain started after a fall or crash, or comes with a fever, weight loss you can't explain, or pain that never lets up, even at rest.
Can SoftWave help sciatica?
Here is what we know and what we don't.
SoftWave devices have FDA 510(k) clearance for some uses, such as improving blood supply and activating connective tissue. They work on soft tissue: muscles, tendons and the bands around joints.
What SoftWave does not do is move a disc or open up a narrow spot in your spine. If a disc is pressing on the nerve, SoftWave won't change that.
When we looked in October 2026, we could not find a finished trial of shockwave therapy for sciatica. One trial was listed as still running. Two back pain trials we found left out people with pain down the leg, so they don't answer this question. Many clinic websites claim SoftWave pulls inflammation away from the nerve. We have not seen a study that shows it.
So why do we offer it? Because Dr. Angle sees it help in his office. Most of the time he uses both tools. Chiropractic care works on how the low back and pelvis move. SoftWave works on the tight, sore muscles and tissue around the nerve. It is the same approach we use for back pain in Fort Myers.
His line for sending someone elsewhere is clear: if you have obvious weakness or loss of function in your legs, you need a medical doctor first, not us.
Start with a $49 mapping session
- We find the spots that hurt
- A straight yes or no on SoftWave
- No pressure to buy a plan
- If it's not for you, you are out $49, not thousands
- 5.0 from 198 Google reviews
- Dr. Lee Angle, D.C.
- McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers
Who is a good fit, and who should go elsewhere?
Often a fit
There are no emergency signs. Your legs are as strong as ever. The pain runs down one leg, comes and goes, and your low back or buttock feels tight and tender.
See a medical doctor first
You have any of the emergency signs above, or clear weakness or loss of function in a leg: your foot slaps when you walk, your knee gives way, or you can't stand on your toes or heels.
Thinking about surgery? Read before you choose surgery for the questions we would ask first.
What happens at the mapping session?
- We ask about your pain. Where it runs, what makes it worse, and what your doctor has found so far. Bring any scan reports you have.
- Mapping. Matthew Mahoney moves the wand over your low back and buttock to find spots that react.
- A straight answer. If we don't think SoftWave fits your kind of sciatica, we tell you. You are out $49, not the price of a full plan.
Read the full walk-through of a SoftWave mapping session.
What does it cost?
The first step is a $49 mapping session. If SoftWave makes sense for you, most people need 6 to 8 sessions, once a week.
Plan price: $100 per session, or 6 sessions for $540 (that is $90 a session).
Paying: You can pay with your HSA card. See SoftWave cost in Fort Myers.
Who will I see?
Dr. Lee Angle, D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic), runs Upper Cervical Health Centers on McGregor Blvd. He has a 5.0 rating from 198 Google reviews, for all of his care. Matthew Mahoney runs the SoftWave sessions.
For his chiropractic approach to the low back, see low back pain at our main clinic.
Common questions
Can SoftWave fix a herniated disc?
No. SoftWave does not move a disc or take pressure off a pinched nerve. It works on the muscles and soft tissue around the area.
Has SoftWave been studied for sciatica?
Not well yet. When we checked in October 2026, we found a sciatica trial that was still running and no finished results. We will update this page when real results come out.
When is sciatica an emergency?
Go to the ER right away if you have trouble peeing or controlling your bowels, numbness in your groin or inner thighs, pain in both legs, or a leg that keeps getting weaker.
Do you treat sciatica?
Yes. Dr. Angle treats sciatica often, usually with both chiropractic care and SoftWave. If you have clear weakness or loss of function in your legs, he will send you to a medical doctor instead.
How many sessions would I need?
That depends on what is causing your leg pain. Your mapping session is where we tell you whether SoftWave makes sense and, if it does, how many visits we suggest.
Want an honest opinion on your leg pain?
No emergency signs, and tired of guessing? Book your $49 mapping session, or call 239.243.8810. We are at 12651 McGregor Blvd Ste 102, Fort Myers, FL 33919. Get directions.
Call to book $49