Can Sciatica hurt the front of your leg as well as the back?

I have a pain in my lower back and left leg. As I understand Sciatica hurts the back of the legs. My left leg hurts more than my back does but the pain is in the front of my leg above the knee and groin area. Can this be caused by the Sciatic nerve being injured or pinched?

The sciatic nerve involves a number of nerve roots from L4 to S3. Although some muscles and dermatomal distributions at those levels are in the front (mostly near the knee and in the lower leg), the majority of that innervation is in the back part of your leg (buttocks, thigh, calf). This doesn't mean that you can't have a pinching of some nerves causing you pain, it just means its not as likely to be the sciatic nerve. Around the groin and above the knee on the front of the thigh will involve the L1-L4 levels and if it is unilateral on the left, may be likely caused by a herniated disc (the cushion, if you will, between your vertebral bodies) that is putting pressure on nerve roots at this level. You would do well to seek out a consultation with a neuro-surgeon or orthopedic surgeon to get an MRI to properly diagnose your pain and evaluate your options. This can be cause for alarm as some cases can get worse to the point of losing sensation and/or use of muscles. A doctor will be able to give you a more precise picture of your situation.

Yes,

Especially if it runs down the inside of your leg. You may want to see a chiropractor about adjustments or get an x-ray to see if you have a compressed disk.

It is due to disc prolapse of L3-L4.
The site of pain depends upon vertebrae involved.
Acupuncture and surgery are the only options. Acupuncturist must be master, otherwise a single point here or there makes whole treatment in vein.
We have treated failed surgeries also!

Yes, I'm dealing with sciatic pain now. The link below has great stretches to relieve the pain. If there's any chance you have piriformis syndrome (you'll know if those stretches help), I found that it also helps to walk a bit toe-in (piriformis stretch) around the house, and to sit knees together, feet apart, like the snow plow position in skiing. That also stretches the piriformis muscle.

I was able to work on it better after getting muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories.

Yes, the nerve pathways are complex. My sciatica was caused by a muscle injury in my buttocks region from a fall, not from my back, sciatica does not always mean compressed vertebrae. It can also be caused from damaged mylean sheath, the outer protective coating of the muscles are damaged.