Sciatica usually affects only one side of the lower body. Often, the pain extends from the lower back all the way through the back of your butt and thigh and down through your leg. Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also extend to the foot or toes. The pain may worsen when you cough or sneeze.

Most people with sciatica will experience pain more in their lower extremity than in their back. The pain will often extend below the knee and into the foot and, in many cases, it is accompanied by numbness or tingling. On occasion, patients will experience muscle weakness in the affected leg.

Sciatica is a condition that happens when nerves in your lower back are compressed. This compression can cause pain and numbness that radiates from your back and into your lower extremities, sometimes including the feet. Sciatica can also be caused by sciatic nerve compression in the buttocks or leg.

When the sciatic nerve becomes impaired in any way, such as from a low back problem that pinches or compresses the nerve roots that join together to form the sciatic nerve, a series of symptoms generally known as sciatica may manifest in the form of leg pain and foot pain as opposed to back pain.

The pain or numbness may also be felt on the back of the calf or on the sole of the foot. The affected leg may feel weak. Sometimes, your foot gets caught on the ground when walking. The pain may start slowly.