Sciatica is a term used to describe irritation or trapping of the sciatic nerve in the leg. This can result in pain, numbness or tingling, often to the toes. 

The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body and actually encompasses several spinal nerves. It runs from the lower back, through the pelvis, and into the legs and feet. It commonly affects only one side of the body as the sciatic nerve is pinched by either joint inflammation, bulging discs or very tight muscles.  This condition is often described as “toothache” and has varying symptoms. Firstly, it can feel like a persistent tight muscle in the back of the leg. Secondly, it can present as an excruciating sharp pain shooting down the leg. Thirdly, there can be a numbness in the toes.   The term sciatica describes the symptoms, but does not explain what is causing the pain.  We are trained to evaluate the whole body, specifically the lower back, pelvis and lower limbs, when sciatica is present.