sciatica

American  

[sahy-at-i-kuh] / saɪˈæt ɪ kə /

noun

Pathology.

• sciaticas
  plural

1. pain and tenderness at some points of the sciatic nerve, usually caused by a prolapsed intervertebral disk; sciatic neuralgia.

2. any painful disorder extending from the hip down the back of the thigh and surrounding area.

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sciatica British  

/ saɪˈætɪkə /

noun

1. a form of neuralgia characterized by intense pain and tenderness along the course of the body's longest nerve ( sciatic nerve ), extending from the back of the thigh down to the calf of the leg

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sciatica Cultural  

1. Chronic pain in the hip and upper leg caused by irritation of a large nerve — the sciatic nerve — that runs through the pelvis and down the back of the thigh.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sciaticas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sciatica

1400–50; < Medieval Latin, noun use of feminine of sciaticus sciatic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sciatica sciaticas

McGinty, a pharmacy student at Queen's University Belfast, said her mum, who has sciatica, had been in a lot of pain while they waited for several hours following delays at the airport.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Once indestructible, the greatest basketball player of his generation—a talent America has known since he was in high school—was suddenly sitting out games with ailments like sciatica and arthritis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

It started at the beginning of the season, when LeBron James missed 14 games because of sciatica.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026

In the early hours of 20 January, he had a video consultation with an out-of-hours doctor, who diagnosed sciatica.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

“His sciatica flared. He went to rest in the tea shop.”

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Persistent sciaticas of this kind and lumbagoes are much more common than they are thought.

From Religion And Health by James J. (James Joseph) Walsh

With all this, however, we see a sufficiently large number of incurable sciaticas, on the one hand, and of severe trigeminal neuralgia cured on the other.

From Neuralgia and the Diseases that Resemble it by Francis E. Anstie