Sciatica in primary care – a case discussion

It is thought that more than half of adults will experience back pain in their life, and practice nurses will often be the first practitioners consulted. Cheryl Johnson and Gerri Mortimore explain what nurses need to know when they encounter this common complaint.

Back pain is a common problem encountered in practice. It is estimated that 60% of the adult population experience low back pain throughout their lifetime (Campbell and Colvin, 2013) that over 80% of the population will report low back pain throughout their lifetime (Walker, 2000) with between 13–40% developing sciatica (NICE, 2022). This article will discuss a case study who presented to a community trainee enhanced clinical practitioner (tECP) with symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy. and After clinical examination and further tests a diagnosis of acute sciatica was given. This article will explore how the history taking, clinical examination and special tests led to this diagnosis. Moreover, it will examine the underlying evidence underpinning the examination and tests undertaken.