Condition guide
Sciatica Symptoms
Radiating leg symptoms often come from irritation of your nerves in the low back or pelvis.
Pattern
What “sciatica” can look like
People describe pain, tingling, numbness, or a heavy sensation that travels from the low back or buttock into the leg. Symptoms often change with sitting, bending, driving, or standing.
Symptom clusters
These are common patterns people report. Your exam clarifies which ones matter and what they mean.
- Pain that travels into the buttock, thigh, calf, or foot
- Pins and needles or numbness in part of the leg or foot
- Burning, electric, or sharp sensations
- Symptoms that worsen with sitting or long drives
- Symptoms that worsen with bending forward or lifting
- Pain that flares with coughing, sneezing, or straining
- A feeling of heaviness or fatigue in one leg
- Leg symptoms that improve when you change position
- Pain that is worse in the leg than in the low back
- Weakness when climbing stairs or getting up from a chair