Most authorities state two basic sources of low back pain- the intervertebral disc and the articular facets. The “slipped disk” and “pinched nerve” are commonly heard terms as causes of low back pain and leg pain. Low back pain with or without leg pain pain afflicts 1 out of every 3 Americans.
The pain in the leg is called Sciatica and may occur anywhere in the buttock, thigh, leg, ankle, or foot. It represents irritation on the longest and largest nerve in the body- the sciatic nerve.