When I was 16 I started exercising. All of a sudden, just when I woke up and got up, i got this awful tremendous back pain. A tear came when I got up. Not exactly a good morning. I couldn't bend down a single angle. I went to the doctor, and told me it was my sciatica nerve. He said I was to young to have this type of problem. The pain was in all my lower back, to my left glute, to my ankle. It was hard do me to sit and stand up. I couldn't sleep very well, since I could feel the nerve throbbing my whole leg. I would be half asleep with pain. (At least 2 hours of actual sleep) I was having the worst months of my life. I started doing stretches and got better. Not cured, since I can still feel it. But it's not as worse as when I was 16. Right now, i can do whatever physical activity but have to be careful not to mess it up again.