Sciatica is a general term that refers to pain caused by compression or irritation of one or more nerves exiting the lower spine that make up the sciatic nerve. There are a number of different conditions that can cause sciatica pain.

Sciatica can result from direct nerve compression caused by external forces to the lumbar or sacral spinal nerve roots. Examples include motor vehicle accidents, falling down, football and other sports.

Sciatica is not a condition as such, but a symptom which can be caused by numerous conditions. The common sciatica symptoms involve pain that starts in the back and radiates down one (or both) of the legs.

The cause of pressure can be varied from a slipped disc something less common such as a tumors, bony growths (stenosis) and infections.A prolapsed disc or slipped disc as it is sometimes known is not simply a disc that has ’slipped’ out of place. Intervertebral discs separate the bones of the spine (or vertebrae) and their function is to act as shock absorbers or cushioning for the spine and allow movement.

Courtesy: sportsinjuryclinic.net

Sciatica is the inflammation of the sciatic nerve, usually begins in the hip and buttocks and continues all the way down the leg. This condition is often

accompanied by low back pain, which can be more or less severe than the leg pain.

Several nerve roots leave the spinal cord and exit through holes in the sacrum to combine and form the sciatic nerve, which then passes between layers of the buttock muscles into the deep muscles of the back of the thigh.