Sciatica means pain in the sciatic nerve, the long nerve that runs from your low back down the back of your leg. 

It is usually caused by an irritation or pressure from something in the back, such as a bulging disc, stenosis (narrowing) in the spine, or general wear and tear.

For some people its mild and recovers quickly, for others it can be more debilitating and severe. Symptoms are usually aggravated by sitting, standing and walking. 

Your physiotherapist will assess you and determine what is the best course of treatment, based on why they think your sciatic nerve is being irritated. There are lots of things you can do to help sciatic nerve pain, and sciatica does settle down and recover, although it can be (but isn’t always!) a little slower than other types of pain.