Why is Pain Shooting Down My Legs? Understanding Sciatica

A sharp, burning, or electric pain traveling from your lower back or buttock down your leg is often described as sciatica. Some people also experience numbness, tingling, weakness in the affected leg, and/or shooting leg pain. 

Sciatica isn't a diagnosis by itself. Rather, it describes a pattern of symptoms that most commonly occurs when one of the nerve roots in the lower back becomes irritated or compressed. 

What Causes Sciatica? 

The nerves that form the sciatic nerve originate in the lower spine and ultimately provide sensation and muscle function throughout much of the leg. If a nerve root gets irritated or compressed, pain can travel from the lower back or buttock down the leg. 

Common causes of sciatic nerve pain include:

• Herniated disc: Disc material can protrude into the spinal canal and irritate or compress a nearby nerve root.
• Spinal stenosis: Age-related changes can narrow the space available for the nerves within the spinal canal or where the nerves exit the spine.
• Degenerative disc disease: Over time, spinal discs can lose height and hydration, which may contribute to narrowing around the nerves.
• Arthritis and bone spurs: Degenerative changes in the joints of the spine can also reduce the space available for the nerves. 

Determining the underlying cause of nerve pain is important because treatment depends on which nerve is affected, the severity of the compression, and the symptoms the patient is experiencing.

When Is Surgery Considered? 

Most people with Sciatica do not require surgery. 

Surgery may be considered when symptoms remain significant despite appropriate nonsurgical treatment, when imaging identifies nerve compression that corresponds with the patient's symptoms, or when there is significant or progressive neurologic weakness.

At Schneck Orthopedic Spine, we evaluate each patient individually to determine the source of their symptoms and develop a treatment plan tailored to their condition. When surgery is appropriate, our goal is to relieve nerve compression while using the most effective and least invasive approach appropriate for the patient.