What Is Sciatica?
Sciatic pain (sciatica) is a pain in the lower back, buttock, leg and/or foot, usually on one side at a time, caused by one of disorders affecting the sciatic nerve:
- Pinched nerve due to:
- Bulging or herniated disc
- Degeneration disc disease (DDD)
- Spinal stenosis (narrow spinal canal)
- Fracture of one or more of spinal vertebra or direct injury of the nerve
- Tumor of the spinal cord or spine
- Spondylolysthesis (slipping disc – from several reasons)
- Piriformis syndrome (pressure from piriformis muscle that extends from the sacrum to the outer hip bone)
- Spondylosis – degeneration due to wear and tear of spinal vertebra
- Spondylitis – inflammation of spine
- Osteoporosis
- Tuberculosis or osteomyelitis of spinal vertebra
- Peripheral neuropathy e.g. from diabetes or alcoholism
