Sciatic Pain

Sciatic pain is the pain which is radiating through the longest peripheral nerve in human body constituted by the nerve roots L4, L5 and S1. The pain originates from the back and radiates to the thighs and legs.

The most common reason for sciatic pain is the lumbar disc herniation and nerve pressure located at L3-4, L4-5 or L5-S1 level followed by osteophytes or spinal tumors. Most of the spinal tumors are metastatic in natüre.   

Sciatic pain can be caused by priformis syndrome which is compression of the nerve by priformis muscle. This is also called false sciatic pain. Similarly, low back pain originating from the faset joint degeneration can mimic sciatic pain.

An experienced neurosurgeon can diagnose the sciatic pain through detailed neurological examination with the help of Magnetic Resonance (MR) and/or Computerized Tomography (CT) evaluations and decide treatment modality.