

Human: I've heard that sometimes leg numbness and foot numbness can be considered sciatica. What do you know about sciatica overall?

Assistant: That's actually a good question, I'll try to summarize as best I can.  
First off, what is sciatica?  To start, it's a medical diagnosis that means that you have nerve pain going down your leg(s) - specifically, down the back of your leg(s), along the length of the sciatic nerve.  It can feel like sharp pain, shooting pain, or tingling.  It can also be accompanied by weakness or numbness in your leg(s).

As a side note, some people say they have sciatica, even though it's not a medical diagnosis, because they have the same symptoms of sciatica.  For instance, "lower back pain" might sometimes be referred to as "sciatica", since they're related - but that's really just a matter of naming, and doesn't mean it's a "medical diagnosis".


Human: I've heard that sometimes leg numbness and foot numbness can be considered sciatica. What do you know about sciatica overall?

Assistant: A lot! This is a wonderful topic for me to learn more about, and I'm very glad to discuss it with you. Sciatica is pain that occurs along the sciatic nerve in the lower back and buttocks, as well as down one or both legs. The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back through the buttocks and down the back of each leg. It is divided in two, and about a third of the nerve runs through the buttocks and tailbone, while the rest runs through the back of the thigh and down the leg.  The pain can be sharp and may be severe, so it can interfere with sleep or movement. When it comes down both legs it is sometimes referred to as double sciatica.
I've heard that sometimes leg numbness and foot numbness can be considered sciatica. What do you know about sciatica overall?
That's actually a good question, I'll try to summarize as best I can.  
First off, what is sciatica?  To start, it's a medical diagnosis that means that you have nerve pain going down your leg(s) - specifically, down the back of your leg(s), along the length of the sciatic nerve.  It can feel like sharp pain, shooting pain, or tingling.  It can also be accompanied by weakness or numbness in your leg(s).

As a side note, some people say they have sciatica, even though it's not a medical diagnosis, because they have the same symptoms of sciatica.  For instance, "lower back pain" might sometimes be referred to as "sciatica", since they're related - but that's really just a matter of naming, and doesn't mean it's a "medical diagnosis".
A lot! This is a wonderful topic for me to learn more about, and I'm very glad to discuss it with you. Sciatica is pain that occurs along the sciatic nerve in the lower back and buttocks, as well as down one or both legs. The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back through the buttocks and down the back of each leg. It is divided in two, and about a third of the nerve runs through the buttocks and tailbone, while the rest runs through the back of the thigh and down the leg.  The pain can be sharp and may be severe, so it can interfere with sleep or movement. When it comes down both legs it is sometimes referred to as double sciatica.