- Sciatica is one of the prominent symptoms of herniated disc disease in the lower back of the human body. This is because the disc applies pressure on the sciatic nerve. Other associated symptoms include pain and numbness in the buttocks that spreads to the legs. Sciatica causes pain in one side of the body that gets worse after the individual tries to move from a sitting position, coughs, laughs, stands, or even bends backward. Pain from sciatica is also most predominant at night.