Sciatica

Was diagnosed with mild sciatica in the summer, seemed to develop after I had a heavy fall on the stairs at home, landing on my lower back.

Back is more or less fine now although I've not really done anything other than try and keep active, particularly at work as I am desk based, although my left leg has been aching the last few days in the colder weather.

Anyone else suffered with numbness in their left foot/lower leg with sciatica too? Not so much a complete numbness, but like a tingling/pins and needles sensation. Seems to be worse when I am at work as I am sat down more.
 


The Breen Machine said:
Was diagnosed with mild sciatica in the summer, seemed to develop after I had a heavy fall on the stairs at home, landing on my lower back.

Back is more or less fine now although I've not really done anything other than try and keep active, particularly at work as I am desk based, although my left leg has been aching the last few days in the colder weather.

Anyone else suffered with numbness in their left foot/lower leg with sciatica too? Not so much a complete numbness, but like a tingling/pins and needles sensation. Seems to be worse when I am at work as I am sat down more.
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I did. I know this might sound daft but having trousers with a tight waistband (jeans etc.) or a stiff belt used to make me much worse.
 
Hmm, a dull but sore enough ache/kind of numbness to the outside of the leg - midway down the thigh to more or less ankle - had it for a couple of weeks but only during the night, absolutely no trace when on the go. Could that be the start of it or just another symptom of getting awld?
 
The Breen Machine said:
Was diagnosed with mild sciatica in the summer, seemed to develop after I had a heavy fall on the stairs at home, landing on my lower back.

Back is more or less fine now although I've not really done anything other than try and keep active, particularly at work as I am desk based, although my left leg has been aching the last few days in the colder weather.

Anyone else suffered with numbness in their left foot/lower leg with sciatica too? Not so much a complete numbness, but like a tingling/pins and needles sensation. Seems to be worse when I am at work as I am sat down more.
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Yes I still have it 2 years after last bout of sciatica. This was a new symptom for me but the GP and physio both said it is the piriformis syndrome which could be the reason for sciatica

Piriformis Syndrome - Lower Back - Conditions - Musculoskeletal - What We Treat - Physio.co.uk

If you are suffering from piriformis syndrome, find out more about what this diagnosis means, and about what Physio.co.uk can do to help you.
www.physio.co.uk
 
I suffer from it regularly in my right hip/leg due to having steel pins screwed into my spine after crushing 3 vertabrae. They took the bone graft from my right hip and since then I've had nothing but trouble with that hip. I go once a week for physio, private, binned the NHS one years ago. I have it quite bad at the moment and had physio last night. The relief was almost instant.
 
K3NA said:
I suffer from it regularly in my right hip/leg due to having steel pins screwed into my spine after crushing 3 vertabrae. They took the bone graft from my right hip and since then I've had nothing but trouble with that hip. I go once a week for physio, private, binned the NHS one years ago. I have it quite bad at the moment and had physio last night. The relief was almost instant.
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Do you find its worse in the cold weather?
 
I don't actually, I've had it bad quite a few times during the summer. Physio said it because when they put the pins in and rebuilt the vertabrae the spine would never be straight again and that other parts try to compensate putting pressure on those areas and they eventually go into spasm. Sometimes it's my shoulders, others my hip which puts pressure on the sciatic nerve and so on.
I broke my wrist years ago and that aches like f**k in the cold.
 
Had it for about 6 months 18 years ago due to slipped disk. Extremely painful and I couldn't walk for more than 100m without needing a rest. Was doing a lot of mountain biking on a bike which was too long for me, which seemed to be a factor. Doc recommended swimming and sit-ups, and it gradually went away. Got a shorter-framed double-suspension mountain bike and have been fine since, though I always worry it will come back.
 
Had problems with my back for 7 months now. In 2021 i had it but it went away after 6 weeks with physio support.

This year it keeps relapsing. Slowly improves then seizes up, cant walk, sit and lots of pain. Codeine doesnt help. Been seeing physio for a while, had acupuncture. Having an mri on Saturday. Its been really frustrating as I'm normally very active.
 
Mine is caused by scar tissue around the nerve, diagnosed 11 years ago. They won't operate even privately as there is a very high risk I will croak on the table. I use drink and morphine (not together) tho control the pain.
 
I had my mri scan yesterday. Should hopefully get the results this coming week and find out a bit more about what is going on. Im guessing others have found them useful for diagnostics?
 
Turner the Cat said:
I had my mri scan yesterday. Should hopefully get the results this coming week and find out a bit more about what is going on. Im guessing others have found them useful for diagnostics?
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I had mine 22 years ago. The surgeon told me the scan showed the best bulging disc he'd seen so yes definitely showed mine up. I remember my symptons started with a pain in my achilles tendon, I was certain I'd damaged that, it never entered my head it was back related. When I had the op he told me he'd 'shaved off' some bone that was rubbing on the nerve as well which had been giving me bother, I'm assuming that wasn't picked up by the scan?
About 10 years ago I had a bit more bother and had one of them lumbar epidural steroid jabs, which was an experience, but touching a massive bit of wood I've had no real problems since.
Good luck šŸ‘
 
Matt Hopkins said:
I had mine 22 years ago. The surgeon told me the scan showed the best bulging disc he'd seen so yes definitely showed mine up. I remember my symptons started with a pain in my achilles tendon, I was certain I'd damaged that, it never entered my head it was back related. When I had the op he told me he'd 'shaved off' some bone that was rubbing on the nerve as well which had been giving me bother, I'm assuming that wasn't picked up by the scan?
About 10 years ago I had a bit more bother and had one of them lumbar epidural steroid jabs, which was an experience, but touching a massive bit of wood I've had no real problems since.
Good luck šŸ‘
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Thanks for sharing your experience. I really appreciate it.

I have a degenerative disc and a bulging disc. Specialist says he doesn't want to operate because it will take a year to recover. Was that your experience? Problem is that I've been having physio and acupuncture for months now and it hasn't moved on. I compromised and said I'd see a physio he recommends with potential injections in early Feb. Can you elaborate on your injection experience?!
 
Turner the Cat said:
Thanks for sharing your experience. I really appreciate it.

I have a degenerative disc and a bulging disc. Specialist says he doesn't want to operate because it will take a year to recover. Was that your experience? Problem is that I've been having physio and acupuncture for months now and it hasn't moved on. I compromised and said I'd see a physio he recommends with potential injections in early Feb. Can you elaborate on your injection experience?!
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I had pain for a while had a bit physio and the TENS machine which did ease it a bit. Seem to remember having to stand like a flamingo at work as I could hardly put weight on my leg. Had 3 months off work with the physio etc went back to work for 3 months waiting for op (probably shouldn't have) then had 3 months off after op.
Did the same flamingo stance before the jab. Most strange thing with the jab. You lie face down with the scanner on, local anaesthetic, surgeon sticks the needle in, then keeps putting a bit further in and consulting the scanner then a little bit more then he'll say this is it then you feel as though you've been shot with an electric gun. Then if it's like mine all the pain will just go.
You then get wheeled back round to the recovery room and you can pretend you're Joey Deacon to your loved ones, well that's what I did and she didn't laugh :D
 
Turner the Cat said:
I had my mri scan yesterday. Should hopefully get the results this coming week and find out a bit more about what is going on. Im guessing others have found them useful for diagnostics?
Click to expand...
I've had a bad back/hip/sciatica for about a year and my journey hasn't been straightforward:

I went to GP first who referred me to NHS physio. "Nothing wrong with your back" he said and gave me a photocopy sheet of exercises which did nowt.
I'm lucky enough to have healthcare at work so referred myself.

1st MRI said I have moderate facet joint wear causing arthritis and nerve impingement. So off to physio. When doing the first tests he picked up a problem when moving my hip a certain way so he said I should get an XRay. Nothing untoward. So the doctor recommended another MRI on the hip which has picked up nothing.

The physio did wonders for the sciatica and I've gotten one of those thumper deep tissue massagers which is a game changer.

Otherwise still no further forward. It's all transient fixes with no end in sight.
 
Anyone know if it's possible to get this down one leg, to heal up fine, then a totally different incident years later affecting the other leg?
 

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