It’s easy to self-diagnose and simply assume you have sciatica. But how do you go about actually diagnosing your pain? And how do you know if your pain stems from sciatica or from another, unknown cause? In this guide, we hope we’ll answer some of your questions and help you determine whether or not your pain might be sciatic in nature.
How is sciatica diagnosed? Along with a complete medical history and physical exam, tests for sciatica may include: X-ray. Electromagnetic energy beams make images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).