What you may feel
- Pain from the buttock down one leg, sometimes reaching the foot and toes.
- Pain is often burning or shooting and may exceed the back pain.
- Coughing, sneezing or certain movements may aggravate symptoms.
- Tingling, numbness or reduced strength may affect the same leg.
- Local back pain without leg symptoms is not necessarily sciatica.
How it is assessed
Examination checks leg strength, sensation and reflexes. Imaging is selected according to findings and progress.
Describe when pain began, which positions change it and whether it spreads into a limb. Bring any previous investigation reports.
Approaches to care
Care depends on severity and may include adjusted activity, rehabilitation and pain management. Increasing weakness needs prompt assessment.
Progress is also reviewed through sleep, walking and return to usual tasks. Tell your clinician what has helped or aggravated symptoms.
When to seek urgent help
New bladder or bowel problems, numbness around the saddle area, rapidly increasing weakness or pain after major trauma need immediate assessment.
Further reading: NHS
This is educational information and does not replace an individual medical assessment. Similar symptoms alone do not establish a diagnosis.