Sciatica

A term used to describe a symptom pattern of low back or hip pain with radiating pain into the leg, potentially also accompanied by numbness, tingling, and weakness in the leg or foot; it is a nonspecific diagnosis, which means that detailed history and physical exam will help to identify the cause of sciatica symptoms.

The sciatica symptom pattern can have a root cause of disc herniation with nerve root impingement (a true pinched nerve), lumbar spine stenosis, piriformis syndrome, dysfunctional mechanics of the lower extremity involving restriction in a series of joints with fibrosis and trigger points in multiple muscle groups.