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Summary
Sciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body. It controls muscles in the back of your knee and lower leg and provides feeling to the back of your thigh, part of your lower leg, and the sole of your foot. When you have sciatica, you have pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling. It can start in the lower back and extend down your leg to your calf, foot, or even your toes. It's usually on only one side of your body.
Causes of sciatica include:
- A ruptured intervertebral disk
- Narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerve, called spinal stenosis
- An injury such as a pelvic fracture.
In many cases no cause can be found.
Sometimes sciatica goes away on its own. Treatment, if needed, depends on the cause of the problem. It may include exercises, medicines, and surgery.
Treatments and Therapies
- Epidural Injections (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
-
Tarlov Cysts
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Specifics
- Piriformis Syndrome (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
-
Piriformis Syndrome
(Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Sciatica
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Find a Physical Therapist Near You (American Physical Therapy Association)
-
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- MRI and low back pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Piriformis syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Sciatica (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.