The pain can radiate from the lower back, down the leg, to the feet and toes. This pain is moderate and sometimes so pronounced that it is unbearable and completely disables a person. Most often, it occurs suddenly during improper bending or pulling of a load, during which a sharp cutting pain occurs but it can also occur gradually. It usually occurs in one leg but it is possible for it to be present in both legs. More precisely, it is a set of symptoms among which the pain along the leg is the most pronounced because tingling, burning or reduced sensitivity in the leg may also be present.

A frequent companion of sciatica is stiffness in the back which can be expressed to such an extent that it twists the body into a position where the pain is the least (antalgic position). It is also characteristic that this pain increases when sitting and decreases when walking or lying down and vice versa. It is usually possible to find a painless or minimally painful position in the supine position. In more severe cases, it is possible that there is no position in which the pain decreases, followed by uncontrolled urination or defecation, weakness or muscle atrophy of the foot and lower leg, and walking difficulty.

Sciatica occurs when some factor or cause presses, irritates or otherwise interferes with the sciatic nerve or its nerve roots. There are many causes of sciatica and the most common are disc herniation, spondylosis, spondyloarthrosis, dyskarthrosis and spondylolisthesis.

Sciatica should be understood as a signal red light that lights up to show us that there is a problem that needs to be eliminated in order to avoid an accident and major damage to the nervous structures, and that is why it is necessary to go to a doctor as soon as possible.