What Sciatic Nerve Pain Feels Like and When to Treat It

Causes & Risk Factors

There can be multiple reasons for sciatica but the main ones usually occur after an accident, trauma, or physical injury. Some of the causes are listed below:

1) Herniated or Slipped Disk

Sciatica/Radiculopathy frequently results from a herniated disc in the lower back. The discs of the vertebrae are cushioned with a gel-like sac in between each disc. This reduces the friction between the bones and makes the movement of the spine smooth. Sometimes due to an injury, especially a fall, for example at a staircase, the body weight is completely directed towards the spinal cord.

This can damage the sciatic nerve and causes sciatica. Somewhere between 1% to 5% of Americans suffer from a herniated disc at least at one point in their lives.