The sciatic nerve is one of the longest in the body and runs from your spinal cord, through your pelvis, deep to the piriformis muscle before going down each leg to your feet. The origin of the pain is often difficult to pinpoint, because the nerve is so long and there are many potential causes. Sciatica is generally felt as tingling, numbness and pain in the bottom, that radiates down the back of the leg to the toes and feet. It can coincide with back pain but back pain on its own is generally not sciatica. The pain is a symptom of irritation caused by pressure from bone spurs, a herniated or slipped disc, spinal stenosis or irritation as the nerve passes through neighbouring muscles. Sicatica can be treated with a nerve block or cortisone injection, but these will only mask the pain without addressing the underlying cause. Massage and Pilates are excellent ways of helping to alleviate the pain and can ameliorate muscular causes. NHS guidelines advise you not to sit or lie down for long periods, but to carry on with your normal activities as much as possible. Take a look at the following videos on the NHS website for more information. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-and-flexibility-exercises/exercises-sciatica-problems/
