The sciatic nerve branches from your lower back, through your hips and glutes, and down each leg, making it the largest single nerve in the entire body. It controls muscles in the back of your knee and lower leg, while also providing sensation to the back of your thigh, part of the lower leg, and the sole of your foot. This master nerve can sometimes get compressed or "pinched," causing pain and discomfort in your glutes or leg. Sciatica itself is not a medical diagnosis but a set of symptoms ca