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Benfotiamine is a synthetic derivative of vitamin B1 (thiamine) that reportedly helps in nerve healing, particularly in diabetics and in those with other forms of polyneuropathy (nerve damage from any number of causes). It is also being promoted as a treatment for sciatica and related back pain, and it probably does help sciatica in certain instances.

Sciatica can be caused by a number of underlying conditions. Benfotiamine is potentially beneficial for those people with sciatic - type symptoms related to metabolic conditions that cause nerve damage, such as diabetes and idiopathic poyneuropathy.

On the other hand, since the majority of sciatica cases are most likely due to mechanical pressure on the sciatic nerve and/or it's components due to disc bulging and/or muscular compression, I do no know of any plausible mechanism for benfotiamine to be helpful in such cases. I suppose it could help ease symptoms somewhat by promoting nerve healing, but with ongoing direct mechanical irritation of the nerve tissue, the benefits of benfotiamine would presumably be minimal at best.

If you do happen to have diabetic neuropathy, idiopathic polyneuropathy, or any other diagnosed metabolic neuropathy, benfotiamine may be worth a try. For those whose sciatica and back pain are most likely due to mechanical nerve irritation, I doubt that benfotiamine would make a significant difference.