Is it Sciatica or my sciatic nerve

One of the questions I frequently get asked in my practice is what is the difference between sciatica and sciatic nerve. Many patients tell me that they have a problem with their sciatic nerve and that is why they came in to be seen. The term sciatica come from the latin ‘sciaticus’ and is used to describe pain affecting the back, hip, and outer side of the leg, caused by compression of a spinal nerve root in the lower back, often owing to degeneration of an intervertebral disk.