What is "sciatica"?

What is "sciatica"?

Marc Darrow (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Joint Rehabilitation Sports Medical Center, Inc. ) gives expert video advice on: What are some specific types of chronic pain?; What is "somatic pain"?; How is somatic pain treated? and more...

Sciatica is a syndrome of inflammation of a nerve. When we have a compression or an irritation of a nerve root in the lumbar sacrum spine, which is the lower spine, then where those nerves come out of the vertebrae, there may be an impingement in this plexus (complex of nerves). By impinging on a nerve in the back, a person can feel pain or numbness, or what we call a paraesthesia, which is an unusual sensation all the way and down the back of the leg, the side of the leg, and down into the foot.