Sciatica -also known as sciatic neuritis or lumbar radiculopathy-is used to describe a symptom than a specific disease.The symptoms may be caused by compression or irritation of one of the five spinal nerve roots that give rise to each sciatic nerve,or by compression or inflammation of the left or right or both sciatic nerves.The symptoms described by the most of the patients usually are:

• constant pain in one side of the buttock or leg
• pain when sitting
• burning or tingling down the leg
• weakness ,numbness or difficulty in moving the leg
• sharp pain which makes it difficult to stand or walk

Sciatica is one of the conditions for which acupuncture can be an effective treatment except of course the cases which need surgical intervention.The insert of the needles in specific points in the skin of the back and leg stimulates the secretion of analgetic and anti-inflammatory substances which reduce the pain and the numbness and as a result can increase the mobility of the affected leg.