In short
Sciatica describes pain travelling down the leg along the sciatic nerve. The pain is in your leg; the cause is almost always in your spine.
Sciatica is not a diagnosis in itself. It describes pain travelling along the path of the sciatic nerve — from the lower back through the buttock and down the back of the leg. The useful question is always what is compressing or irritating that nerve.
What causes it
- A herniated disc pressing on a nerve root — the most common cause, particularly under the age of fifty
- Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal, which is more common with age
- Spondylolisthesis, where one vertebra slips forward on another
- Less commonly, muscle-related compression or other structural causes
How it feels, and why that matters
Sciatic pain is typically sharp, burning or electric rather than the dull ache of muscular back pain. It follows a defined path down the leg and may be accompanied by numbness, tingling or weakness. Crucially, the leg pain is often worse than the back pain — many people with sciatica have little back pain at all.
Pain that is worse on sitting and on coughing or sneezing points towards a disc. Pain that comes on after walking a certain distance and eases when you sit or bend forward points towards stenosis.
What actually helps
- 1Staying active. Prolonged bed rest delays recovery and should be avoided.
- 2Physiotherapy including nerve mobility work, core control and graded activity.
- 3Medication aimed at nerve pain specifically, which differs from ordinary painkillers — this needs medical guidance.
- 4Epidural steroid injection where pain is severe and persistent, to reduce inflammation around the nerve root.
- 5Surgery, usually discectomy, if severe pain persists beyond six to twelve weeks or weakness is progressing.
What to expect
The reassuring reality is that most sciatica settles. Nerve symptoms can lag behind pain relief — tingling or a patch of numbness may persist for weeks after the pain has gone, and that is usually part of normal nerve recovery.
If your leg pain is severe, not improving after several weeks, or accompanied by weakness, book an assessment with our spine team rather than continuing to wait it out.
Frequently asked questions
How long does sciatica last?+
Most cases improve substantially within six to twelve weeks. A minority take longer, and persistent severe pain beyond this window is when injections or surgery are usually discussed.
Does walking make sciatica worse?+
Usually not, and gentle walking is generally encouraged. Prolonged sitting is more often the aggravating factor. Pain that consistently worsens on walking and eases on sitting suggests spinal stenosis rather than a disc.
Can stretching cure sciatica?+
Stretching may ease symptoms but does not remove nerve compression. A physiotherapy programme combining movement, nerve mobility work and strengthening is more effective than stretching alone.
This article is general health information, not medical advice, and it cannot account for your individual circumstances. Please consult a qualified orthopaedic specialist about your own symptoms before making treatment decisions.
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