Start with a symptom
Sciatica: Pain That Travels Down the Leg
Sciatica is the everyday word for pain that travels from the lower back or buttock down the leg. It describes the symptom rather than the cause, and more than one condition in this library is described by it. Each guide below sets out what that condition is, what it involves, and the warning signs it lists.
11 guides on this page, including 3 conditions that mimic spine pain.
This article is general education, not medical advice. It cannot account for your history, imaging, or examination. Talk to a qualified clinician about your own care.
Spine conditions covered here
- Lower Back
Lumbar Disc Herniation
Also called: slipped disc, sciatica, herniated disc in the lower back, ruptured disc
When part of a disc in the lower back displaces and presses on a nerve root, causing sciatica: pain, numbness, or weakness down the leg.
Read the full guide - Lower Back
Lumbar Radiculopathy
Also called: pinched nerve in the lower back, sciatica, trapped nerve in the lower back, nerve pain down the leg
A pinched or inflamed nerve root in the lower back that sends sharp, burning, or electric pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness down the leg.
Read the full guide - Lower Back
Lumbar Foraminal Stenosis
Also called: narrowed nerve exit in the lower back, pinched nerve where it leaves the spine
A narrowing of the bony exit channel through which a lumbar nerve root leaves the spine, causing sharp, radiating leg pain, numbness, and sometimes weakness.
Read the full guide - Lower Back
Lumbar Lateral Recess Stenosis
A focal narrowing of the subarticular zone of the lumbar spine that compresses a traversing nerve root, producing leg pain, numbness, and sometimes weakness along a specific dermatomal pattern.
Read the full guide - Lower Back
Degenerative Spondylolisthesis
Also called: slipped vertebra, vertebra slipping forward, spinal slippage from wear and tear
A condition in which one lumbar vertebra slips forward on the one below due to age-related wear, narrowing the spinal canal and causing back pain and leg symptoms.
Read the full guide - Lower Back
Isthmic Spondylolisthesis
Also called: slipped vertebra from a stress fracture, pars defect with slippage
A forward slip of one lumbar vertebra onto the one below, caused by a stress fracture in the small bony bridge at the back of the spine.
Read the full guide - Lower Back
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Also called: narrowed spinal canal in the lower back, lower back spinal stenosis
Narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back that crowds the nerves, causing leg pain and heaviness with standing and walking that eases when you sit or lean forward.
Read the full guide - Lower BackCan be a medical emergency
Cauda Equina Syndrome
Also called: cauda equina compression, nerve compression at the bottom of the spine
A spinal emergency caused by compression of the lumbar and sacral nerve roots, producing leg weakness, saddle numbness, and loss of bladder or bowel control that can become permanent without immediate treatment.
Read the full guide
Conditions that mimic spine pain
These are problems elsewhere in the body. They are covered in this library because they are commonly mistaken for a spinal cause, and telling them apart changes who you should be seeing.
- Pelvis
SI Joint Pain as a Spine Mimic
Also called: sacroiliac joint pain, si joint dysfunction, pain where the pelvis meets the spine
Pain from the SI joint, where your pelvis meets the base of your spine, is commonly mistaken for a lumbar disc or nerve problem.
Read the full guide - General
Hip Osteoarthritis as a Spine Mimic
Also called: hip arthritis, worn out hip joint, wear and tear hip arthritis
Hip osteoarthritis frequently mimics lumbar spine conditions by producing groin, thigh, and buttock pain that overlaps with spinal nerve-root territories, making accurate diagnosis essential before any treatment is started.
Read the full guide - General
Peripheral Neuropathy as a Spine Mimic
Also called: nerve damage in the hands and feet, numbness and burning in the feet
A disorder of the peripheral nerves that produces numbness, tingling, burning pain, and weakness resembling a spinal pinched nerve or cord compression.
Read the full guide
Common questions
- Do most disc herniations need surgery?
- No. The natural history is favorable. Most people improve within six to twelve weeks without surgery as the herniated fragment shrinks and the inflammation settles. First-line care is non-operative.
- Will lumbar radiculopathy (sciatica) go away on its own?
- Often, yes. The natural history is generally favorable, and most disc-related radiculopathies improve substantially over six to twelve weeks with conservative care such as activity modification, anti-inflammatory medication, and physical therapy.
- Will lumbar foraminal stenosis improve without surgery?
- Many patients do improve or stabilize over time with conservative care. Physical therapy, activity modification, anti-inflammatory medications, and transforaminal epidural steroid injections help the majority of patients avoid surgery. The natural history is variable, however, and a small proportion of people experience persistent or progressive symptoms that eventually require a surgical decision.
- Is lateral recess stenosis the same as spinal stenosis?
- They are related but distinct. Spinal stenosis is a broader term that includes central canal narrowing, while lateral recess stenosis refers specifically to narrowing of the subarticular gutter where the traversing nerve root passes before it enters the foramen. The two often coexist, and lateral recess stenosis is responsible for the dermatomal leg pain that distinguishes this condition from pure central narrowing.
- Will degenerative spondylolisthesis get worse over time?
- The natural history is generally favorable and slowly progressive. Most patients remain stable or improve with conservative care. Significant neurologic deterioration can occur but is not the typical course, which is why regular follow-up rather than immediate surgery is appropriate for most people.
- Will the vertebral slip keep getting worse over time?
- Most low grade isthmic slips remain stable in adulthood. Progression is most likely during the adolescent growth spurt. In adult life, accompanying disc degeneration and facet changes can cause modest additional slipping, but dramatic progression is uncommon in low grade disease. High grade slips and cases with dysplastic anatomy carry a greater risk of progression.
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