Radicular pain is often secondary to compression or inflammation of a spinal nerve. When the pain radiates down the back of the leg to the calf or foot, it would in lay terms be described as sciatica. 5-10% of patients with low back pain have sciatica. Radicular pain may also be accompanied by numbness, tingling and muscle weakness. With this condition, the leg pain is typically much worse than the low back pain, and the specific areas of the leg and/or foot that are affected depends on which nerve in the low back is affected.

Radicular pain can occur in any part of the spine, but it is most common in the lower back (lumbar radiculopathy or sciatica) and in the neck (cervical radiculopathy).

It is usually recommended that a course of nonsurgical treatment (such as manipulation, medications and exercise) should be conducted for eight to ten weeks. If nonsurgical treatment does not alleviate the pain, decompressive surgery, such as laminectomy and/or discectomy, may be recommended.

Causes of this type of pain, in the order of prevalence, include: