Sciatica, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Sciatica is a medical condition characterized by pain going down the leg from the lower back.This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg.Onset is often sudden following activities like heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often described as shooting.Typically, symptoms are only on one side of the body. Certain causes, however, may result in pain on both sides. Lower back pain is sometimes present.Weakness or numbness may occur in various parts of the affected leg and foot.

About 90% of sciatica is due to a spinal disc herniation pressing on one of the lumbar or sacral nerve roots.Spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome, pelvic tumors, and pregnancy are other possible causes of sciatica.The straight-leg-raising test is often helpful in diagnosis.The test is positive if, when the leg is raised while a person is lying on their back, pain shoots below the knee.In most cases medical imaging is not needed.However, imaging may be obtained if bowel or bladder function is affected, there is significant loss of feeling or weakness, symptoms are long standing, or there is a concern for tumor or infection.Conditions that may present similarly are diseases of the hip and early herpes zoster (prior to rash formation).