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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. Sciatica is diagnosed from your symptoms and simple movement checks, and managed with activity, exercises and pain relief; scans, injections and surgery are in person.
- What it is: pain, tingling or numbness from an irritated or squeezed sciatic nerve, felt in the bottom and the back of one leg, often down to the foot.
- Most common cause: a slipped (prolapsed) disc in the lower back. Narrowing of the spine and a slipped vertebra are other causes.
- How long it lasts: usually a few weeks to a few months; about 90% of people are better within 3 months.
- Emergency: call 112 or go to an emergency department for sciatica in both legs, numbness around the genitals or bottom, or new problems peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels.
Do not book a video appointment if you have sciatica in both legs, severe or worsening weakness or numbness in both legs, numbness around or under your genitals or around your bottom, or new difficulty starting to pee, controlling your pee or controlling your bowels. These can be signs of cauda equina syndrome: call 112 or go to an emergency department, and do not drive yourself.
Can an online doctor treat sciatica?
Yes, usually. Sciatica is a diagnosis made from your story: where the pain runs, how it started and what makes it worse, together with simple checks of movement and strength that work on camera. Most sciatica settles with activity, exercises and pain relief, and a scan is needed only when it does not, or when a nerve is getting weaker. The doctor checks the emergency signs of cauda equina syndrome first, and tells you plainly if you need hospital care.
How an online consultation helps with sciatica
- Nerve warning signs checked first: Numbness around the genitals, bladder or bowel changes and weakness in both legs are asked about before anything else.
- Sciatica, or another cause?: Hip problems, back strain and narrowing of the spine can cause leg pain too, and the pattern of your symptoms tells them apart.
- Pain relief that can help: Paracetamol alone rarely helps sciatica. The doctor explains what is more likely to work and what suits your health and other medicines.
- A plan to keep moving: Exercises, work and sleep advice, and clear points at which physiotherapy, a scan or a specialist makes sense.
What the doctor checks in an online sciatica consultation
The doctor asks about the emergency signs first, then about the pain and how your leg is working. The doctor asks about:
- Emergency signs: pain in both legs, numbness around the genitals or bottom, and any change in peeing, bowel control or sexual function.
- The pain: where it starts and how far down the leg it goes, and whether the leg pain is worse than the back pain.
- The nerve: tingling, numbness, and weakness, such as a foot that drags or trips, which the doctor may ask you to show on camera by walking on your heels and toes.
- How it started: suddenly after lifting or bending, or slowly, and what eases it or makes it worse, such as sitting, coughing or sneezing.
- Other symptoms: a fever, feeling unwell, weight loss you cannot explain, or a history of cancer.
- Your health: your work, earlier back problems, long-term conditions and the medicines you take.
Before the call, wear loose clothes, and if you can, sit where there is room to stand up and take a few steps in view of the camera.
What is sciatica, and what causes it?
Sciatica is pain caused by irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve, the large nerve that runs from the lower back through the bottom and down the back of each leg. It is a symptom rather than a condition, and the cause is usually in the lower back:
- A slipped disc: the most common cause, more likely with age. The soft centre of a disc bulges out and irritates a nerve root. The prolapsed disc page covers it in detail.
- Spinal stenosis: narrowing of the spine where the nerves pass through, usually in older age.
- Spondylolisthesis: a bone in the spine slipping out of position.
- A back injury.
Smoking, being overweight and lifting with a poor technique raise the risk of sciatica coming on or coming back.
Sciatica or back pain?
In sciatica, the leg pain is usually worse than the back pain and runs below the knee. If you have only back pain, you probably do not have sciatica, and the back pain page will suit you better.
What does sciatica feel like?
Sciatica usually affects the bottom and the back of one leg, often down to the foot and toes. The symptoms can start suddenly or slowly, and include:
- sharp, shooting or burning pain down the back of the leg
- tingling or pins and needles
- numbness
- weakness in the leg or foot
- pain that is worse when you move, sneeze or cough
Pain in the buttock that runs down the leg is typical of sciatica. Sitting with the leg stretched out in front of you, such as with your feet up, driving or sitting up in bed, can make it worse.
How a doctor confirms it
Sciatica is diagnosed from the symptoms and an examination, often with a straight leg raise, in which lifting the straight leg brings on the leg pain. A scan is not needed to confirm it.
How long does sciatica last?
Sciatica usually gets better in a few weeks to a few months, although it can last longer and can come back. In an NHS hospital’s figures, about 90% of people are better within 3 months. Progress is usually gradual, over weeks rather than days, and an early sign of improvement is that the symptoms no longer travel as far down the leg.
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| Time | What usually happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| First few weeks | Pain is often at its worst, and slowly starts to ease | Keep moving, use heat, start gentle exercises, and get advice on pain relief |
| After a few weeks | Most people are clearly improving | See a doctor if it is not improving, is getting worse or stops you doing normal things |
| 6 to 8 weeks | If the pain is still severe, a specialist opinion is worth considering | Physiotherapy; surgery can be discussed if the pain is not improving |
| After 12 weeks | About 9 in 10 people are better | An MRI scan if the pain persists, or if a nerve is getting weaker |
Can sciatica be cured for good?
Sciatica usually goes away, but it can come back. Staying active and exercising regularly, lifting with a safe technique, good posture when you sit and stand, losing weight if you are overweight and not smoking all lower the risk.
How can you ease sciatica pain?
By staying as active as you can. Carry on with normal activities as much as possible, and start gentle exercise as soon as you can. Sitting or lying down for long periods does not help, even if moving hurts, and moving can help you recover faster.
- Move little and often: short walks, and gentle movement exercises through the day, within what is comfortable.
- Nerve sliding exercises: a physiotherapist can show you gentle movements of the leg that help the nerve glide; each is usually held for about 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times.
- Strengthen: once the pain allows, exercises that feel like hard work help, using bags, water bottles or books if you have no weights.
- Heat: a heat pack or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel on the back or bottom can ease muscle spasm. Some people prefer an ice pack.
- Break up sitting: get up regularly, and avoid sitting with your leg stretched out straight.
How should I sleep with sciatica?
Put a pillow under your knees when you lie on your back. You do not need a new mattress if you are sleeping well; if you do change it, choose the one you find most comfortable. Cutting down on caffeine and keeping the bedroom dark and quiet help too.
Which painkillers help sciatica?
Paracetamol on its own is unlikely to help. Anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or naproxen may help some people, but it is unclear how much, and they do not suit everyone, including people with a stomach ulcer, kidney problems, heart disease or asthma made worse by anti-inflammatories. Ask a pharmacist or a doctor before you start them, and take pain relief so that you can keep moving.
Which sciatica treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on how severe the pain is, how long it has lasted, and whether a nerve is getting weaker. This is the framework the doctors use:
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| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg pain below the knee for a few weeks, managing day to day | Keeping active, exercises, heat and pain relief | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Pain stopping you sleeping, working or moving | A review, prescription pain relief if it suits you, and physiotherapy | Yes | For physiotherapy |
| No better after 6 to 8 weeks, or still severe at 12 weeks | An MRI scan and a specialist opinion | Partly | For the scan, an injection or surgery |
| Weakness in one leg or foot that is getting worse | Urgent assessment | Yes, to assess | Prompt examination in person |
| Back pain with a fever, a history of cancer or weight loss you cannot explain | Tests for another cause | Yes, to assess | For blood tests and a scan |
| Sciatica in both legs, numbness around the genitals or bottom, or bladder or bowel changes | Emergency assessment | No | Call 112 or go to an emergency department |
Not sure whether your leg pain is sciatica? A doctor can tell you in one consultation what will help.
See available times →Treatment options for sciatica
What you can do yourself
- Keep going with your normal activities as much as you can, and avoid long spells of sitting or lying down.
- Do your exercises little and often, and build up strength as the pain settles.
- Use a heat pack, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, on the painful area.
- Ask a pharmacist about pain relief; paracetamol alone is unlikely to help.
- At work, take regular breaks, and talk to your employer about a phased return if you need time off.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. If you can take them, the doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory such as naproxen for a short time, after checking your stomach, kidneys, heart and other medicines. For some people with severe nerve pain, the doctor may discuss a medicine for nerve pain such as amitriptyline, which is taken at night. Pregabalin and gabapentin, opioid painkillers such as codeine and tramadol, and benzodiazepines are never prescribed online; in a large trial, pregabalin did not ease sciatica leg pain any better than a dummy pill and caused more side effects. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
Treatments in person
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| Treatment | What it involves | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapy | Exercise advice and hands-on treatment such as massage | Early, if the pain is slow to settle |
| MRI scan | A scan of the lower back | Pain lasting beyond about 12 weeks, a nerve getting weaker, or before an injection or surgery |
| Epidural steroid injection | A steroid injected near the irritated nerve | Severe pain when other treatments have not helped |
| Radiofrequency denervation | A procedure that seals off some of the nerves in the back | Selected people with lasting pain, through a specialist |
| Decompression surgery | Removing what presses on the nerve, such as part of a slipped disc | Pain not improving after 6 to 8 weeks; it speeds recovery, but results at one year are similar to other treatment |
What does not help
Bed rest, or long spells of sitting. Waiting for the pain to go before moving. Paracetamol on its own. Pregabalin or gabapentin, which did not ease sciatica in trials. An early scan when you are improving, which rarely changes the plan.
Special situations
Long journeys and flights
Sitting for a long time, especially with the leg stretched out, can make sciatica worse. On a long drive or flight, get up and move regularly, and take your pain relief and a small cushion for the small of your back. Other travel health problems are covered on the travel illnesses page.
Work
If you can manage only a few minutes of activity, you may need time off, then a phased return. Desk workers can help themselves with regular breaks and a chair that supports the small of the back.
Sciatica that keeps coming back
Regular exercise, a safe lifting technique, a healthy weight and stopping smoking lower the chance of another episode. If you are not improving despite your exercises, ask about physiotherapy or a specialist opinion.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When sciatica is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: leg pain that fits sciatica, advice on activity, exercises, sleep and work, pain relief, sciatica that is slow to settle, and deciding when physiotherapy, a scan or a specialist is worth it.
In-person care: MRI scans, injections and surgery, a leg or foot that is getting weaker, and any sign of cauda equina syndrome, which is an emergency.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- sciatica in both legs
- severe or worsening weakness or numbness in both legs
- numbness around or under your genitals, around your bottom or in your inner thighs
- new difficulty starting to pee, being unable to pee, or not being able to control when you pee
- not noticing when you need to poo, or not being able to control your bowels
Get medical advice the same day for:
- weakness in one leg or foot that is getting worse, such as a foot that drags or slaps
- back or leg pain with a fever or feeling generally unwell
- pain that is severe and not eased by any position or pain relief
- new back pain with a history of cancer, or weight loss you cannot explain
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your pain: show where it starts and how far down the leg it goes, and say what makes it worse and what you have tried.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s sciatica? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Prolapsed disc can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about sciatica
What is sciatica?
Pain, tingling or numbness caused by irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the bottom and down the back of each leg. It usually affects one leg, often down to the foot.
What causes sciatica?
Sciatica is most often caused by a slipped disc in the lower back pressing on a nerve root. Narrowing of the spine, a bone in the spine slipping out of position, and back injuries can cause it too.
What does sciatica feel like?
Sciatica feels like a sharp, shooting or burning pain from the bottom down the back of one leg, often with tingling, numbness or weakness. It is usually worse when you move, sneeze or cough, and the leg pain is worse than any back pain.
How long does sciatica last?
Sciatica usually lasts a few weeks to a few months. About 90% of people are better within 3 months, although it can last longer and can come back.
How can I relieve sciatica pain at home?
To relieve sciatica pain, keep moving rather than resting, use a heat pack, do gentle exercises little and often, and ask a pharmacist or doctor about pain relief. Avoid long spells of sitting, especially with your leg stretched out.
Can sciatica be cured permanently?
Sciatica usually goes away on its own, but it can come back. Regular exercise, a safe lifting technique, good posture, a healthy weight and not smoking lower the chance of another episode.
How can I prevent sciatica coming back?
Keep your back strong and supple with regular exercise, including walking, swimming and core and back exercises; lift with bent knees and the load close to your body, and avoid twisting while lifting; sit less and break up long spells at a desk or in the car; keep to a healthy weight; and stop smoking, which weakens the discs. Sciatica comes back in a fair number of people, so start the exercises again at the first twinge rather than waiting.
How should I sleep with sciatica?
With sciatica, lie on your back with a pillow under your knees, or in whichever position eases the leg pain. A new mattress is not needed if you are sleeping well.
Can naproxen help sciatica?
Naproxen is an anti-inflammatory that may ease sciatica for some people, though it is unclear how much these medicines help. It does not suit everyone, including people with a stomach ulcer, kidney problems or heart disease, so check with a doctor or pharmacist first.
Do I need an MRI scan for sciatica?
Not to diagnose sciatica. A scan is useful if the pain lasts beyond about 12 weeks, a nerve is getting weaker, or an injection or surgery is being considered. Emergency signs need a hospital scan straight away.
Is sciatica the same as a slipped disc?
No. Sciatica is the leg pain from an irritated nerve, and a slipped disc is the most common cause of it. Narrowing of the spine and other back problems can also cause sciatica.
Is it sciatica or something else?
Sciatica runs from the lower back or bottom down the back of one leg, often below the knee, with tingling or numbness, and is worse with coughing, sneezing or sitting. Pain that stays in the buttock and hip and is worse lying on that side is more often hip bursitis or piriformis muscle tightness, and calf pain with a swollen, warm leg can be a blood clot, which needs urgent care.
When is sciatica an emergency?
Sciatica is an emergency when it affects both legs, causes numbness around the genitals or bottom, or comes with new problems peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels. These can be signs of cauda equina syndrome: call 112 or go to an emergency department.
Can an online doctor treat sciatica?
Yes, usually. A doctor can diagnose sciatica from your symptoms and simple checks by video, advise on activity, exercises and pain relief, and tell you when physiotherapy, a scan or a specialist is needed.
- Sciatica, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 3 December 2024.
- Sciatica, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, physiotherapy leaflet, approved 16 July 2024.
- Sciatica: self-help, Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, musculoskeletal service, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Diagnosis and treatment of sciatica, Jensen RK, Kongsted A, Kjaer P, Koes B. BMJ, 2019.
- Trial of pregabalin for acute and chronic sciatica, Mathieson S, et al. New England Journal of Medicine, 2017.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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