It is often caused by the sciatica nerve. Numbness and weakness of the lower leg muscles may occur. These symptoms may appear without any involvement of other parts of the body. Usually, there is also pain in the lower back.

Symptoms:

• Pain in one hip or both

• Pain radiating down back of leg

• Pain in lower leg and ankle area but nothing is sore to the touch (pain is actually radiating down from the hip but is only felt in lower leg)

• Usually a sharp, shooting pain

May begin abruptly or gradually and is characterized by a sharp shooting pain running down the back of the thigh.

Movement of leg usually makes pain worse. Pain may be uniformly distributed along the leg or there may be a few hot spots where it is more intense. Sometimes pain is only felt in the ankle or calf but is actually a result of the sciatic nerve being pinched in the area of the tail bone (sacrum).

Rolfing may help with this by stretching fascia of the foot, ankle, leg and pelvis and by helping to bring about better alignment and balance throughout the body. Surgical intervention may be necessary if due to ruptured disc.