What Is Sciatica?
Sciatica is the pain that is felt along the path of the sciatic nerve. This nerve traces a path that branches from the lumbar area (the lower back), to the hips, to the buttocks, and down each leg. When the sciatic nerve is pinched or compressed, some people experience pain in varying degrees of intensity. A herniated disk bulging out onto the nerve, or a bone spur sticking out the spine, or a narrowing of the spine (spinal stenosis), are all possibilities as to why the sciatic nerve could get pinched or compressed.
Some cases of sciatica can cause severe pain. However, even with severe pain, some cases resolve within a few weeks, even without treatment. In the more extreme cases of sciatica, the pain is debilitating enough to prevent a person from walking, or sometimes cause severe weakness in the leg. Bowel or bladder issues are also known to happen as a result of sciatica. At this point, when mobility, bowel, and bladder are already affected, the patient may already be recommended for surgery.
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