Sciatica is a shooting pain that is prominent in the lower back of the human body. Individuals with this condition may experience numbness, tingling, or burning along the leg. They may also feel a cramp in the leg that worsens when they sneeze, sit, or cough. Sciatica is generally caused by conditions that may irritate or press against the sciatic nerve, the major nerve in the leg and the largest in the body.
Some of the conditions that may cause sciatica include herniated discs, spinal stenosis, trauma, osteoarthritis, and spondylolisthesis.