Sciatica is a fairly common low back disorder that approximately 40% of the population will experience at some point in their lives.

Neurosurgeon Jaime Alvarez explains that many people suffer from pain every day due to sciatica. "Sciatica's a general term to describe pain going down the leg in the distribution of sciatic nerve which is the major nerve that supplies the leg, the lower extremity, the toes."

Patient Mary Jeanne Allen says if you have sciatica you'll know it almost immediately by the unusual painful symptoms. "It was pinching nerves, which were causing the pain that was in the rear end and it radiated down the backs of my legs. I didn't know a back problem could not hurt your back."

Dr. Alvarez says, "In most cases sciatica is due to a pinched nerve as a result of what we call spinal stenosis or a herniated disc. Spinal stenosis is a fancy term to describe a narrowing."

Dr. Alvarez also says that while physical therapy is an important treatment option for people dealing with sciatica, its actually exercise that helps alleviate the pain. "In most cases sciatica from a herniated disc or a pinched nerve gets better on its own, when the pain has lasted for a week or two weeks without relief and instead of getting better it's staying bad or getting worse, and if it's associated with numbness and tingling then a patient should see a doctor."

Seeing your physician for treatment and learning how to cope with this condition makes the discomfort of sciatica easier to manage. Surgery is a treatment option of last resort.

Pregnant women can also tend to get sciatica because of the pressure in the lower abdomen, which can lead to pressure on the nerve.