What is Sciatica and Radicular Pain

One of the most frequent reasons for scheduling a primary care appointment is lumbar pain radiating to the lower leg or legs. Pain physicians often define radicular pain or sciatica as involving neuropathic mechanisms, whereas other specialists, such as rheumatologists, rehabilitation physicians and orthopaedists, do not consider neuropathy as a pathophysiological mechanism in radicular pain. This divergence in approach raises important questions about the pathophysiology of lumbar radicular pain, questions that have important assessment and therapeutic consequences.