Sciatica

Sciatica is pain in the leg, usually caused by back problems, and occurs when something blocks the path of the spinal nerve on its way out of the spinal column.

Most back pain is a simple joint problem – the back's equivalent, you might say, of a twisted ankle – but when the problem persists, the swollen joint can irritate the nearby spinal nerve. Degeneration of the inter-vertebral disc can have the same result.

Another type of leg pain is called referred pain. When a joint becomes inflamed and painful, its nerve supply picks up the pain messages and pain is felt in the back. However, other tissues sharing the same nerve supply as the inflamed joint may also feel pain. It could be the sensation to the skin of the lower leg giving you a vague nagging pain in the buttock, hip or leg, far removed from the back itself. So, the back is the problem, and the pain in the leg is the symptom.

Whatever the cause of your pain, we can help bring relief by identifying the root of the problem and treating the source of the discomfort.

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