Pain management health centre. Sciatica (sciatic nerve pain) - Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment. Sciatica is a common type of pain caused by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, going from the pelvis, through the buttocks, down the legs to the feet.
According to the Neuropathy Association, some 20 million Americans suffer from various forms of neuropathy, a potentially serious condition caused in part by blockage of small blood vessels within the nerves in the legs, with diabetes as the most common cause.
Neuropathy is the term used to describe a problem with the nerves, usually the 'peripheral nerves' as opposed to the 'central nervous system' (the brain and spinal cord). Neuropathy is seen with a number of different underlying medical conditions.