If youve never experienced the pain of an inflamed sciatic nerve, consider yourself very lucky. For those who have suffered and continue to suffer, the condition is likely to provoke unpleasant memories, and is enough to strike fear in those who have been previously victimized by pain of that nature. While there may be a number of different words patients use to describe the painful sensations caused by an inflamed sciatic nerve, there are certain descriptions that seem to be reported quite consistently. An inflamed sciatic nerve might start off seeming like a cramp; this might occur in the area of the leg, the back, or both. As the inflammation increases, the pain in the back also worsens and more often than not is experienced in combination with painful sensations down the buttock area and continues down one leg. In addition to the pain, an inflamed sciatic nerve usually creates tingling and a feeling of numbness. Muscle weakness is also often described as occurring. At its worst, sciatic nerve pain can feel like an electric shock that shoots down the back and into the leg.