Sciatica refers to pain that travels anywhere from the low back down the path of the sciatic nerve. That pain can start in the low back, travel into the buttock, hamstring, down the calf and into the foot.

The most common causes of sciatic pain include: disc herniation, low back degeneration, piriformis syndrome, or strain along the sciatic nerve.

Patients will often describe this pain as sharp, shooting, deep pain that travels through the buttock and down the leg. This condition may also lead to weakness in the lower extremity, buckling of the knee or difficulty walking

If left untreated, sciatica can progress to more intense symptoms, resulting in more pain and difficulty walking making recovery more difficult.