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Physiotherapy vocabulary · Musculoskeletal Conditions

Sciatica

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/saɪˈætɪkə/nounCommon term

In physiotherapy, sciatica means: Pain that travels from the lower back or buttock down the back of the leg along the path of the sciatic nerve, sometimes with numbness or tingling.

In Turkish: siyatik, siyatik ağrısı

How it is used

Patients use the word for almost any leg pain, so physiotherapists check exactly where the pain goes and whether there are neurological signs. Clinicians may say lumbar radicular pain instead. A common cause is a herniated disc irritating a nerve root, and pain spreading below the knee is a typical feature.

Example sentences

  1. I've had sciatica down my left leg for three weeks.

  2. The straight leg raise reproduced his sciatica at 40 degrees.

Common collocations

  • suffer from sciatica
  • sciatica down the leg
  • sciatic nerve
  • radicular pain
  • herniated discA condition in which the soft inner part of a spinal disc pushes out through its outer layer and may press on a nearby nerve.
  • low back painPain felt in the lower part of the back, between the bottom of the ribs and the buttocks, sometimes spreading into the leg.
  • referred painPain felt in a different part of the body from where the problem actually is, for example hip problems felt in the knee.
  • pins and needlesAn everyday expression for a prickling or tingling feeling in the skin, which can be a sign that a nerve is irritated or being pressed on.

More terms: Musculoskeletal Conditions

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.