Overview
Sciatica is nerve pain from an injury or irritation to your sciatic nerve. In addition to pain, it can involve tingling or numbness in your back or butt that may also radiate down your leg. More severe symptoms are also possible.
Your sciatic nerve is the longest and thickest nerve in your body. It’s up to 2 centimeters wide (a U.S. penny or a United Kingdom 1 pence coin are about the same width). Despite its name, it’s not just one nerve. It’s actually a bundle of nerves that come from five nerve roots branching off from your spinal cord.
You have two sciatic nerves, one on each side of your body. Each sciatic nerve runs through your hip and buttock on one side. They each go down the leg on their side of your body until they reach just below your knee. Once there, they split into other nerves that connect to parts farther down, including your lower leg, foot and toes.
Having sciatica means you can experience mild to severe pain anywhere with nerves that connect to the sciatic nerve. The symptoms can affect your lower back, hips, buttocks or legs. Some symptoms may extend as far down as your feet and toes, depending on the specific nerve(s) affected.
Types of sciatica
There are two types of sciatica. Regardless of what type you have, the effects are the same. The types are:
- True sciatica. This is any condition or injury that directly affects your sciatic nerve.
- Sciatica-like conditions. These are conditions that feel like sciatica, but happen for other reasons related to the sciatic nerve or the nerves that bundle together to form it.
Healthcare providers tend to refer to both types as just “sciatica.” The differences between them usually only matter when your healthcare provider determines how to treat it.
How common is sciatica?
Sciatica is a very common condition. About 40% of people in the U.S. experience some form of sciatica during their lifetime. It rarely happens before age 20 unless it’s injury-related.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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