Sciatica Home A-Z Health Information Health Library A-Z Sciatica Overview Sciatica is a symptom of pain radiating down from the lower back to buttock, thigh, calf, and foot. It is a sharp shooting pain that is aggravated with activity and relieved with rest. Risk Factors Adult age groupHeavy weightliftingHeavy labour activityObesityPoor postureTrauma Symptoms Pain radiating down the leg and is associated with tingling and numbness.Some patients may develop weakness in the muscles of their legs.Sometimes severe nerve compression may cause retention of urine and numbness in the perineal region. Diagnosis A thorough clinical examination to rule out all possible causes of sciatica and ensure that the pain is not being referred from any adjacent joint.A comprehensive clinical neurological examination to rule out any pinch on the nerve tissue.X-ray of the lower back to identify abnormal findings. This would also rule out any fractures, malalignment, or abnormal soft tissue shadows.Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to locate the site of disc prolapse and confirm the diagnosis. Treatment Non-surgical treatmentMost of the patients get relief with analgesics and rest.Some patients may require epidural injections for spine pain management. This is done by the treating physician or a pain management specialist.Surgical treatmentPatients who do not improve or those who present with severe symptoms require surgery.The surgery aims to reduce the compression on the spinal nerves and alleviate patient symptoms. Complications Avascular necrosis of the femoral head: Decrease in blood supply due to slippage of the head (ball part).Chondrolysis: This is a rare but serious complication where the head of the femur (ball part) is resorbed.Impingement: The hip movements are affected due to abnormal positioning of the femoral head.