Sciatica

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.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Sciatica National Institutes of Health

Diagnosis and Tests

• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Spine Radiological Society of North America
• Spine MRI Radiological Society of North America

Treatments and Therapies

• Epidural Injections Radiological Society of North America

Find an Expert

• Find a Physical Therapist American Physical Therapy Association
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Patient Handouts

• MRI and low back pain Medical Encyclopedia
• Piriformis syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
• Sciatica Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Piriformis Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Piriformis Syndrome American Academy of Family Physicians

Journal Articles

• Sciatica

Start Here

• Sciatica Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Related Issues

• Tarlov Cysts National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke