Car accidents cause many different types of back injuries such as herniated discs and lumbar sprains causing trauma to the sciatic nerve allowing you to experience extreme muscle strain specifically over the sciatic nerve. Sciatica occurs when the nerve is being squeeze or pinched by some protruding object such as a bone spur or a herniated disc. If you are experiencing pain in the leg or numbness, it may be a result from trauma to your sciatic nerve. Symptoms often include:
Sharp pain starting from your lower back or buttock shooting down the back of your leg (typically only one side)
Pain may even continue all the way down to the foot.
Numbness in leg or foot
Lower back pain
Standing up may cause a more intense pain; laying down relieves pain