Sciatica is a sharp, often shooting pain that radiates down from your buttock to the back of one thigh and into your leg. It occurs when a protruding disk in your lower spinal column presses on the roots of your sciatic nerve.

Causes
Sciatica may be the result of general wear and tear, or any sudden pressure on the disks that cushion the vertebrae of your lower (lumbar) spine. The gel-like substance (nucleus) inside of a disk may protrude into or through the disk's outer lining and press directly on nerve roots that become the sciatic nerve. The nerve may also get inflamed and irritated by chemicals from the disk's nucleus. About one in every 50 people experience a herniated disk, and most sufferers are between 30-50 years of age. Of these, 10-25 percent have symptoms lasting more than six weeks. About 80-90 percent of people with sciatica get better, over time, without surgery.

Symptoms
Sciatica (lumbar radiculopathy) may feel like a bad leg cramp that lasts for weeks before it goes away. You may have pain, especially when you sit, sneeze or cough. You may also feel weakness, "pins and needles" numbness, and a burning or tingling sensation down your leg.

Treatment
Treatment is aimed at helping you manage your pain without long-term use of medications. Your physician may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, aspirin or muscle relaxants at first to help reduce pain and inflammation. You may find it soothing to put gentle heat or cold on your painful muscles. Most of the time, your condition should get better with rest within a few weeks. Sometimes, your doctor may inject your spine area with a cortisone-like drug. As soon as possible, start physical therapy with stretching exercises to help you resume your physical activities without sciatica pain. Treatment is available at The Complete Spine Center.  If three or more months of treatment have passed and you still have disabling leg pain, surgery may be required.