Referred Pain: Pain Felt Near or Away from the Origin of the Injury
The best example of referred pain is pain caused from the sciatic nerve. If a disc becomes ruptured and the nerve is pinched in the lumbar region of the back, the pain may be felt anywhere from the lower back down the entire leg. Often times, a patient mistakes one pain for another due to referred pain.
Sciatica has different effects depending on which nerve root it is affecting. The sciatic nerve roots are extremely sensitive, thus herniations or inflammation can easily irritate the nerves.