The term sciatica is described as pain that passes through the distribution of the sciatic nerve, commonly known as a symptom of a spinal disorder and not as a spinal disorder itself. Symptoms of sciatica include pain due to compression of the sciatic nerve that may feel dull, sharp, tingling, numb, burning, or accompanied by pain that starts in the buttock and travels down the back of the thigh or leg. It usually affects one side of the body. It becomes painful when trying to stand up as it extends below the knee and may be felt in the feet. Coughing and sneezing intensifies the pain. The sciatic nerve fibers begin at the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae. The sciatic nerve passes through the sciatic foramen beneath the piriformis muscle to the posterior extension of the hip and the bottom of the gluteus maximus. It then runs vertically down the back of the thigh, behind the knee, the calf and further down to the feet. Nerve damage is rarely permanent, but paralysis rarely poses a danger because the spinal cord ends before the first lumbar vertebra. You should seek medical help when you experience increased leg weakness or incontinent bladder or bowel movement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated disc. Degenerative disc disease is a common natural biological process associated with aging that causes disc weakness that can lead to a herniated disc. Other causes include lumbar spinal stenosis which narrows one or more neural passages, causing damage to the sciatic nerve due to these changes. Isthmic spondylolisthesis results from a stress fracture often at the fifth lumbar vertebra combined with collapse of the disc space allowing the vertebrae to slide forward on the first sacral segment. Tumors and spinal infections are other disorders that can rarely compress the sciatic nerve. When diagnosing sciatica, the doctor may discuss the patient's medical history, recent accidents or injuries, and review current medications. A physical evaluation will be performed using one or more motor tests to determine the cause of the pain. Imaging tests may be performed to help confirm the diagnosis.Dr. Garfin described the causes of sciatica very well. There are many structures in the spine that can cause this type of pain, not all butt and leg pain is sciatica. For example, the sacroiliac joint can cause buttock pain, and the same goes for a facet joint sprain. Sometimes a ruptured disc can cause leg pain. Severe neurologic symptoms along with bladder or bowel control problems are considered an emergency and should be evaluated by a spine care specialist. It is important for individuals to be physically active to avoid sciatica as being physically active can maintain a healthy balance in life and avoid many health problems whose future can be life-threatening. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, introducing a healthy diet and moderate physical activity can achieve correct sitting posture which can play an important role in avoiding sciatica..