Sciatica: What To Do
Pain radiating down the leg from compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve.
Last revised
Most cases improve without surgery, and the important skill is recognizing the small number that need urgent action.
Key takeaways
- Typical pattern: pain below the knee, often with tingling or numbness
- Most cases: improve over weeks to months without surgery
- Most useful single change: Keep moving within tolerance rather than resting.
- Commonest mistake: Prolonged bed rest.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Do
- Keep moving within tolerance rather than resting
- Ask about a structured exercise program or physical therapy
- Use over-the-counter pain relievers as advised to enable movement
- Expect gradual improvement over weeks
Do not
- Prolonged bed rest
- Assuming a scan is needed to start treatment
- Ignoring progressive weakness in the leg
The figures behind the list
Each item above follows from these, published in the guidance named at the foot of the page.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Typical pattern | pain below the knee, often with tingling or numbness |
| Most cases | improve over weeks to months without surgery |
| Imaging | only if it would change management |
| Physical therapy | commonly used to guide a graded return to activity |
Related topics
- Back Pain: What Published Guidance Supports (Bone and Joint)
- The Evidence on Neuropathic Pain, Without the Hype (Chronic Pain)
- Sensitive Teeth: What the Evidence Actually Says (Oral Health)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Circulation and the Feet (Foot Health)
Where to go next
- Sciatica: What to Do, in Order
- Myths About Sciatica, Checked Against the Guidance
- Sciatica — the reference entry
- Back and Posture: The Complete Guide
- Neck Pain: What the Evidence Actually Says
- Workstation Setup: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to get help
Go to the emergency room for numbness around the genitals, buttocks or inner thighs, difficulty passing or controlling urine, loss of bowel control, or weakness in both legs, and call 911 if you cannot get there safely. See your doctor urgently for progressive weakness in one leg, a foot that drags, or sciatica with fever or unexplained weight loss.
Where this comes from
- MedlinePlus — Sciatica
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke — Low Back Pain
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.