Sciatica

Sciatica is pain that travels from the lower back through the buttock and down the leg, often along the sciatic nerve. A slip disc is a common cause. Narrowing of the spinal canal can cause a similar pain that limits walking in older adults.

A few days of relative rest, then gradual walking, is reasonable for a first episode without weakness. See a doctor sooner if the leg is weak, the foot drops, pain is unbearable, or bladder and bowel habits change. An operation, when it is advised, aims to free the pressed nerve. How much the pain settles varies from person to person.