Sciatica basics
What Are Sciatica Problems? Causes and Symptoms Explained for Worried Readers
Your back or leg hurts, someone said sciatica, and you want the basics without the sales talk. Here they are.
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Quick answer
MedlinePlus calls sciatica a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body. It can bring pain, weakness, numbness or tingling from the lower back down the leg. Common causes include a ruptured disk, spinal stenosis and pelvic injury. Treatment may include exercises, medicines and surgery.
Key facts
- Sciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body.
- Pain, weakness, numbness or tingling can start in the lower back and run down the leg to the calf, foot or toes.
- Common causes: a ruptured intervertebral disk, spinal stenosis and pelvic injuries. Sometimes no cause is found.
- Treatment may include exercises, medicines and surgery. Sometimes sciatica goes away on its own.
- A dietary supplement is not on the list of treatments, and Sciatica PRO+ does not claim to treat sciatica.
- New or worsening leg pain, weakness or a change in bladder or bowel control needs a clinician right away.
What are sciatica problems, and what does the word mean?
People say sciatica problem to mean pain that travels down the leg. MedlinePlus is more exact. It says: Sciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body.
The word symptom is the key. Sciatica is not a disease on its own. It is what one big nerve does when something presses on it or irritates it. The pain you feel is the report. The cause sits somewhere else, usually in the back or pelvis.
That is why two people with sciatica can need very different care. The label sciatica names the pattern. A doctor works out the cause.
What are the symptoms of sciatica problems?
MedlinePlus describes the feeling in one sentence: pain, weakness, numbness or tingling that starts in the lower back and extends down your leg to your calf, foot, or even your toes.
- Pain that travels from the lower back down one leg.
- Weakness in the leg or foot.
- Numbness along the path of the nerve.
- Tingling along the same path.
Our sources do not list every possible symptom, and they do not say how often each one occurs. Some signs matter more than the rest. A leg that is getting weaker, numbness in the buttocks or pelvis, and any change in bladder or bowel control need a provider right away.
A note about bladder and bowel
Our sources say any change in bladder or bowel control is a same-day medical question. Whether sciatica causes constipation or diarrhea is not covered here. Ask your doctor about any bowel change at once.
What causes sciatica problems, and why does it happen?
MedlinePlus names three usual reasons: a ruptured intervertebral disk, spinal stenosis and pelvic injuries. In many cases, doctors cannot find a cause.
| Cause | In plain words |
|---|---|
| Ruptured intervertebral disk | Material pushed out from between two bones of the spine, pressing on a nerve. |
| Spinal stenosis | A narrowing of the channel that the nerves run through. |
| Pelvic injury | An injury near the base of the spine that affects the nerve. |
| No cause found | This happens in many cases. |
All three named causes are mechanical. Something presses on the nerve. That fact explains why treatment follows the cause, and why the research on nerve damage from high blood sugar is a different subject.
Whether sciatica problems run in families is not covered by our sources. We will not guess. Ask a doctor about your own history.
Can sciatica problems be fixed? How do you treat them?
MedlinePlus says treatment may include exercises, medicines and surgery. It also says sometimes sciatica goes away on its own. Both statements matter.
Your doctor chooses among those options after finding the cause. A doctor uses imaging to look for the cause. We do not publish a treatment plan, and we do not publish a protocol. Please be wary of any page that offers one without examining you.
Is sciatica curable? Our sources do not use that word. They describe causes and treatments, and they say it sometimes resolves by itself. Longer-term outlook is not published here.
A dietary supplement is not on MedlinePlus’s list. Sciatica PRO+ is named after the condition, but its label only claims Supports Nerve Health. It does not claim to treat sciatica, and no supplement may.
Is sciatica the same as neuropathy?
No. Peripheral neuropathy is NINDS’s term for the many conditions that involve damage to the peripheral nervous system. The leading cause in the U.S. is diabetes. Sciatica is a pressure problem on one nerve.
This matters when you read supplement pages. Most research on nerve supplements, including alpha lipoic acid, is about diabetic neuropathy. NCCIH calls even that evidence inconsistent. It does not follow that the same result would hold for sciatica.
Questions we cannot answer here include how long sciatica lasts, whether it will return and how to pronounce the word. Those are for your doctor or a medical dictionary.
Frequently asked questions
What are sciatica problems?
Sciatica is a symptom of a problem with the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body, according to MedlinePlus. It is the feeling that results when something presses on or irritates that nerve.
What are the symptoms of sciatica problems?
Pain, weakness, numbness or tingling that starts in the lower back and extends down the leg to the calf, foot or toes. A leg getting weaker or any bladder or bowel change needs a provider right away.
What causes sciatica problems?
The usual reasons are a ruptured intervertebral disk, spinal stenosis and pelvic injuries. Sometimes no cause is found.
Can sciatica problems be fixed or cured?
Treatment may include exercises, medicines and surgery, and sometimes sciatica goes away on its own. Our sources do not use the word cured. A doctor can advise on your case.
Is sciatica hereditary?
Not covered by our sources. Ask your doctor about family history. We would rather say not published than guess.
Can sciatica cause constipation, diarrhea or knee pain?
Our sources do not say. They do say any change in bladder or bowel control is a same-day medical question. See a clinician about any new bowel change or new pain.
Sources and related reading
Sources used on this page
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Sciatica. medlineplus.gov.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH. Peripheral Neuropathy. ninds.nih.gov.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Diabetes and Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know. nccih.nih.gov.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. nccih.nih.gov.
Related pages on this site
Our view
A good explainer of sciatica is short, because the settled facts are short. It is a symptom, it has mechanical causes, and care follows the cause. Everything beyond that belongs to your own clinician.
We wrote this page because a supplement named after a diagnosis can blur the picture. Knowing what sciatica is helps you hear what a bottle claims and what it does not.
If your symptoms are new, strong or spreading, book a visit. If you are weighing a supplement as well, bring the bottle and ask whether it suits your health and your medicines.
Plain reminder
Sciatica PRO+ is not FDA approved, and no dietary supplement is. This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please ask your own doctor about any medical question.
Last updated . Medically reviewed by Dr. Kiran V. Patel, MD, Physician on .