My wife has sciatic pain frequently from a back injury many years ago. Someone else I know has sciatica but doesn’t feel much pain at all. What are the symptoms of sciatica and how common is it?

Sciatic pain can be caused by several things, so it isn’t uncommon. It can be caused by a slipped disk in the back (also called a herniated, bulging, or ruptured disks), trauma to the back, buttocks, or pelvis, or pressure directly to the nerve. Sometimes, the doctors don’t know what caused it.

The symptoms of sciatica can be different from person to person. They include: tingling or pins and needles down one or both legs, changes in sensation to the legs, pain in the buttock area radiating up or down, difficulty walking, and in severe cases, difficulty moving the affected leg or foot.