Sciatica

Sciatica is pain radiating along the sciatic nerve’s path, usually caused by irritation or compression of lumbar or sacral nerve roots.

Lumbar radiculopathy: A disorder in which a lumbar spinal nerve root is compressed or irritated, causing pain, numbness, or weakness along its pathway. It is the usual nerve-root mechanism behind sciatica.
Sciatic nerve: The largest nerve in the body, formed from lower lumbar and sacral nerve roots and running through the buttock into the leg. Its course gives sciatica its name and the route along which pain may radiate.
Lumbar disc herniation: Displacement of material from a lumbar intervertebral disc, which can press on or irritate a nearby nerve root. It is a frequent cause of nerve-root compression associated with sciatica.
Piriformis syndrome: Buttock pain attributed to irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve near the piriformis muscle. It can resemble sciatica while involving the nerve outside the spinal canal.
Foot drop: Difficulty lifting the front of the foot because of weakness in the muscles that raise it. Severe nerve-root involvement can weaken these muscles and impair walking.
Lumbosacral plexus: A network of nerve fibers formed by spinal nerves from the lower back and pelvis that supplies the lower limbs. The sciatic nerve draws fibers from this network’s contributing spinal roots.
Nerve root: The part of a spinal nerve that connects directly to the spinal cord. Compression or irritation of these roots commonly initiates sciatica.
Lumbar spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal or nerve openings in the lumbar spine that can compress neural structures. This narrowing can irritate nerve roots and produce sciatica-like leg symptoms.
Hip osteoarthritis: Degeneration of the hip joint’s cartilage and surrounding structures, often causing groin or thigh pain and stiffness. Hip-joint pain can be mistaken for radiating nerve pain but has a different source.
Chronic pain: Pain that persists or recurs over an extended period, often beyond the expected course of tissue healing. Sciatica that persists can become part of a longer-lasting pain condition.

Linked from 4 pages