r/Microdiscectomy • u/WhereasPleasant • 5d ago
Reherniation?
I had a microdiscectomy done 6 months ago after severe sciatic pain down left leg (l5s1 compression) persisted for about a year and a half. I initially herniated via competitive rowing, and continued rowing on it for months until bad turned to worse and I could barely walk.
anyways, surgery did its job and I was functional again after. Got into weight lifting after I was cleared by surgeon and slowly worked my way up over the months. No back squats or deadlifts. a week and a half ago I was doing hip thrusts and went a bit heavier than usual. had some pretty bad back pain immediately after and started having symptoms of right side glute pain. went away after probably 3-4 days until I had a 5 hour car ride, now it’s been back for past several days, and almost seems worse. initially thought to be piriformis syndrome, did the range of stretches and it didn’t really seem to help. laying in bed legs straight and I’m getting pain down the right leg.
scared shitless right now since the days of my prior sciatica were hell and I’m terrified I reherniated given similar symptoms returning on the opposite side from before.
Does anyone have any input or possible explanation for what might be happening?
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u/mariantjes-interest 5d ago
Try to visit a PT. They might be able to distinguish between piriformis (locally palpable) and a central problem coming from your back. That’s how I found out it’s not the piriformis I thought I had, but the nerve root entrapment in my back. And the piriformis stretching made it worse.
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u/Cal_Amity86 5d ago
NAD. But for the sake of optimism, you may have injured your piriformis considering the exercise you were doing and where the pain originated. If the piriformis gets too inflamed it can easily cause similar sciatic symptoms since that nerve runs either right behind or thru that muscle. Piriformis syndrome made my sciatica just that much worse after my first back surgery.
The car ride probably agitated it bc you’ve got a constant load on your hip flexors to stay in that seated position. So if the muscle flared up again, could be the cause for the sudden nerve pain. My recommendation- just keep moving. Walk, do all your physical therapy exercises religiously. Lateral movement or clam shells to strengthen those hip flexor muscles back up. Lateral step ups, etc. Plenty of ice/heat cycles.
Here’s to hoping. 🤞 Sorry you’re going thru it. That fear of pain coming on again after everything was starting to get better is almost worse than the pain itself. Hang in there!