Q: What is Sciatica?

A: Contrary to popular belief, sciatica is not a disorder in and of itself. Instead, sciatica is a symptom of another problem involving the sciatic nerve, which is the longest nerve in your body. Depending on the cause, the pain of acute sciatica usually radiates from your lower(lumbar) spine to your buttock and down the back of your leg. You may feel the discomfort anywhere along the nerve pathways. Other symptoms include: numbness or muscle weakness, and tingling or a pins - and - needles feeling. Sciatica frequently occurs when a nerve root in your lower back is compressed due to a herniated disk, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or trauma. It can also be caused by a tightness in the pirifomis muscle which the sciatic nerve runs through or under.

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