Fletcher Allen, a Vermont university hospital and medical
center, serves all of Vermont and the northern New York region.
Located in Burlington, Fletcher Allen is a regional, academic
healthcare center and teaching hospital in alliance with the
University of Vermont. What is sciatica? Sciatica is pain,
tingling, or numbness produced by an irritation of the nerve
roots that lead to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is
formed by the nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord into the
lower back. It goes down through the buttock, then its branches
extend down the back of the leg to the ankle and foot. What
causes sciatica? The most common cause of sciatica is a bulging
or ruptured disc (herniated disc) in the spine pressing against
the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve. But sciatica
also can be a symptom of other conditions that affect the spine,
such as narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis), bone
spurs (small, bony growths that form along joints) caused by
arthritis, or nerve root compressi