Sciatica Explained!

If you’ve ever had shooting pains from your lower back travelling down your thigh and leg, you’ve likely experienced sciatica. Here, DR COLUM NOLAN, senior consultant neurosurgeon at Oxford Spine & Neurosurgery Centre fills us in on this common cause of back and leg pain, and how it can be treated.

- DR COLUM NOLAN

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a symptom caused by an underlying injury to the sciatic nerve, the body’s longest, largest nerve, which originates from nerves in the lower spine and runs through the buttock and back of the thigh, with branches all the way down to the heel and sole of the foot. It usually occurs on one side but can occur on both sides.

Common causes of sciatica include:

herniated lumbar disc, or slipped disc;

lumbar spinal stenosis, a progressive wear and tear condition that causes narrowing of the spinal canal and compression of the nerve roots;

spondylolisthesis, where one vertebra slips out of line with the vertebra below it, compressing the nerve roots; and

osteoarthritis, where bone spurs develop and compress the nerve roots.

Who is at risk of sciatica?