What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a neurological disorder that causes intense pain in the lower back, buttock and legs due to irritation and/or compression of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve originates from the lower back (lumbar spine L4, L5 and S1) and runs deep into the buttocks (sacrum) and travels down to the hamstrings and lower legs. It’s important to note from the back of the knee, the sciatic nerve branches into two separate nerves, known as tibial nerve and the peroneal nerve. Therefore, any pain felt from the back of the knee down is not necessarily associated with the sciatic nerve. However, any compression or irritation along the sciatic nerve can cause pain, tingling, numbness and weakness anywhere along the entire nerve root.
