Sciatica – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Sciatica is pain that starts in the lower back or buttock and travels down the leg along the sciatic nerve. It is not a diagnosis in itself but a symptom – most often of an irritated nerve root in the lower spine – and with the right treatment it usually improves.
What sciatica is
The sciatic nerve is the longest and thickest nerve in the body. It is formed from nerve roots in the lower spine, passes through the buttock and runs down the back of the leg. When the nerve or its root is pinched or irritated anywhere along this path, the typical pain – sciatica – appears.
The pain is usually felt in one leg only. It is often worse in the leg than in the back and may feel burning, shooting or like an electric shock. The most common cause is a lumbar disc herniation, but sometimes the source is a narrowed spinal canal or tension in the buttock muscles.
Most cases of sciatica improve within a few weeks to months with conservative treatment. Complete bed rest usually does not help – gentle movement and the right exercises speed up recovery.
Common causes
- lumbar disc herniation
- narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis)
- piriformis syndrome – tension in the deep buttock muscle
- spondylolisthesis – a slipped vertebra
- prolonged sitting, especially on a hard surface
- injury or sudden overload
How it feels
- burning or shooting pain from the back to the buttock and leg
- pain mostly in one leg
- numbness and tingling in the leg or foot
- muscle weakness in the leg
- pain that worsens with sitting, coughing or sneezing
- difficulty walking or standing up
How we can help
We start with a thorough assessment to find where the nerve irritation is coming from. We combine manual therapy, exercises to mobilise the nerve and stabilise the spine, therapeutic massage and physiotherapy equipment to ease the pain. The goal is to reduce your symptoms and give you exercises that stop them coming back.
When to seek urgent medical help
Seek urgent medical care for sudden loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin area, rapidly worsening weakness, or pain after a serious injury. See a doctor as well if the pain has not eased after a few weeks.
This page is for information only and does not replace an assessment by a specialist.