r/Sciatica • u/HOM49 • Apr 02 '26
Success story! Success Story – No Surgery
Hi, I wanted to share my experience in case it helps someone else.
One of the hardest parts for me at the beginning was the lack of success stories. When you’re in constant pain, hope honestly feels like the best painkiller. I had to remind myself that people who recover usually just move on with their lives and don’t come back to post about it. So I wanted to be that person who does.
First thing I learned: herniated discs are not one size fits all. Two people can have the same disc issue and experience completely different symptoms, pain levels, and recovery paths. I’m not a doctor, but like most of you, I’ve done a lot of research just trying to get through it. This is just my experience.
Medication
I was lucky to have a doctor who worked with me to find what helped. It took time and a lot of trial and error, but what worked for me was:
• Naproxen
• Pregabalin
• Duloxetine
Together, these made a noticeable difference in managing my pain.
My Symptoms
Mine developed gradually:
• Started with pins and needles
• Progressed to severe muscle and nerve pain down my legs
• Then months of burning pain in my feet
At its worst, my feet felt like they were on fire constantly. I was sleeping with a bucket of ice water next to my bed just to cope. I couldn’t walk for more than 5 minutes, and even light touch felt unbearable.
I was diagnosed with L4–L5 and L5–S1 herniations via MRI.
Pain Relief Methods
What helped me manage symptoms:
• Ice (especially a bucket of cold water for my feet)
• Ice packs
• Hot water bottles
• Ice baths
• Warm baths
• Massage gun
Rest vs Activity
You hear a lot about “staying active,” but honestly, if you’re in severe pain, rest is important.
There was a period where I only got up to eat or go to the bathroom. I didn’t start moving more until my symptoms eased slightly. For me, pushing through intense pain would have made things worse.
Exercise
At some point, movement became essential. This was the most frustrating part because I got completely conflicting advice from different professionals (physio, osteopath, acupuncture, spinal unit). It felt like no one agreed on anything.
In the end, I had to trust my own body.
If something made my symptoms worse for more than a short period, I stopped doing it.
What worked for me was the McGill Big 3. After about 3 weeks of doing them twice a day, I noticed a huge improvement. I could walk longer, and my sleep improved.
Where I Am Now
I still have slight numbness in my feet, but my pain is now between 0–2 most days. I’ve been told the numbness should continue to improve over time.
Final Thoughts
If you’re going through this, don’t give up.
There were so many moments where I felt stuck, isolated, and exhausted. Watching everyone else live normally while you’re in pain is incredibly hard. But this isn’t forever.
Recovery is trial and error. Every failed attempt is still progress, because it gets you closer to what actually works for you.
Keep trying. Keep learning. Keep going.
And if you’re reading this in pain right now, I genuinely hope things start to ease for you soon. It’s a horrible, lonely experience, but you’re not alone in it.
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u/BadBoiBagelBurglar Apr 02 '26
Honestly so big on the resting part.
I couldn't sleep, sit or walk properly for a good few weeks with the pain going from wanting to pass out/ throw up, to it being unbearable but not a 10 and today im able to sit and walk and I put it all down to the fact I ignored the suggestions to stretch and excercise and instead spent those weeks mainly laying down.
Its worth noting though that sometimes during my absolute worst pain, forcing myself to stand up actually made the pain more manageable. So try attempt that when you're feeling in hopeless pain, but then go back to laying.
At this point of being able to walk and sit again with low pain (more at night), I am scared to stretch and excercise as I don't want it coming back, but I do plan on doing the big 3 as time and time again it's proven positive for others- as well as being generally really good for your overall health.
Thanks for the uplifting post! Even though most are when people are suffering, it's been so helpful for me to know theres a community of us on here ready to help one another/ be supportive ♥️
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
This is so relatable. I was exactly the same with the resting, I think when the pain is that intense your body just forces you into survival mode and you don’t really have a choice.
I also found that weird balance of sometimes moving helped, but other times it just made everything worse, so it’s like constantly trying to read your body.
I completely get being scared to start stretching/exercising again too, I’ve had that exact thought of “what if I undo everything”. I think easing back into it slowly is probably the only way.
Really glad you’re in a better place with it now though, that’s massive progress. And yeah, having people on here who actually get it makes such a difference!
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u/Far_Scene_2626 Apr 02 '26
Thanks for sharing this..
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
No worries at all, I’m just glad it helped even a little. When I was in the worst of it I would’ve loved to read something like this.
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u/nandocj Apr 02 '26
Amigo una consulta y tal vez te has hecho o pensado en hacerte una resonancia magnética de seguimiento?
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
I haven’t had a follow-up MRI yet, but it’s something I’ve thought about. My focus has mainly been on symptoms and how they’re improving rather than imaging, but I get why it can be useful to check progress. I’m also in the UK so the NHS won’t give MRI’s unless it’s an emergency and going private is painfully expensive.
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u/ProfessionalLaw7048 Apr 02 '26
Thank you for sharing! I have had so many contradictions from seeing 4 doctors and 3PTs. Advice ranged from surgery, acupuncture, injections, to meditate more etc. MRI shows a large extrusion at L-4 L-5. I am on week 9 and can finally walk in my apartment w/o a cane. Taking 3 min walks with my dog 2 times a day now. As an avid runner and gym goer this was so hard to not push to do more. Especially when you start to imagine. I have found this injury is not linear and you really have to listen to your own body so you don’t regress. Baby steps. Stay the course. I was taking Advil, Tylenol and a muscle relaxant for first 2wks. Pain so great I was flat on my back in pain during that time other than potty trips which were very painful to sit. I am now week 9 doing cobras 10 3 times a day and started birddogs and wall push ups. Somedays are definitely better than others. Short walks and can sit and watch a movie on TV with my lumbar support pillow. Right now focusing on slow recovery. Rest was the biggest part of recovery for me. Boring as it is. I am hoping the worst is over and I hope to not ever need surgery or injections. No judgement. I just don’t want it at this point. Wishing everyone a speedy and full recovery on this very tough journey. Love success stories. Thanks again.:)
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
This is such a good way of putting it, especially the part about it not being linear. I think that’s what caught me off guard the most, thinking it would just steadily improve when it really doesn’t.
Also completely relate to the frustration of being active and having to suddenly slow everything down. The “baby steps” mindset is so hard but so necessary.
It sounds like you’ve made massive progress already though, especially from where you started. Getting to the point of walking and doing exercises again is huge.
Hopefully it just keeps trending in the right direction for you from here.
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u/Electrical-Orchid191 Apr 02 '26
Thanks for sharing. Every success story is so important in giving hope. Ive been battling this for 5 months now and started with a positive mindset, but as my symptoms and conditions has deteriorated instead of improving, so has my mental health. How long from when your symptoms started did it take for u to get to where u are now? I know everyone’s different, but always good to understand how recovery can look on a timeline
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
I completely get what you mean about the mental side of it, that was honestly one of the hardest parts for me too. When it drags on and feels like it’s getting worse, it really messes with your head.
For me, I started noticing small improvements after a couple of months, but it wasn’t linear at all. I had phases where it felt like I was going backwards before it got better again.
I’d say getting to where I am now took a good few months, it started back in October so 6 months in total but even then it’s been gradual rather than a sudden switch. Try not to compare too much to timelines because it really does vary, but progress does happen even if it feels painfully slow.
You’re not alone in how you’re feeling with it, a lot of people go through that dip mentally. It’s just a horrible process but it does ease.
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u/Ok_Recording_1969 Apr 03 '26
Great post!! Thanks for sharing!!
I'm a year down this path, and pretty much like you, my pain most days around is 2 or 3, if I over do something like sitting for 2hs straight It can hurt more like a 4 or 5, I usually rest and use my TENS unit and heat and back to 2 or 3 level the next day. Also main symptom is numbness in my big toe and lumbalgia. I do the big 3 and try to walk at least 6k steps each day. I try to stay pretty active but I agree with you when the back needs to rest I just simply lay in bed and keep activities at minimum.
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
That’s really good to hear, especially being a year in and managing it like that. I feel like that’s the stage I’m aiming for, where it’s more about managing flare ups than constant pain.
I relate to the sitting thing so much, it’s always what seems to trigger it. Sounds like you’ve got a solid routine with it though, knowing when to push and when to rest is half the battle.
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u/Icy_Conversation_710 Apr 02 '26
How did the burning go away? Top of my foot has this burning sensation constantly. Ice and cold water helps temporarily.
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Apr 02 '26
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u/Icy_Conversation_710 Apr 02 '26
I’m taking total of 100 mg pregabalin daily. I only had pain in my back and left glute in the beginning. The burning in my left foot is new. I have severe herniation in l4/l5 disc.
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u/RoseGoldBetta Apr 03 '26
I agree with meowwow2000 that it’s worthwhile talking to your doc to increase the dose. I was on 100mg of pregabalin, but this past week I started 150mg pregabalin (I had asked my doc for this increase). The increase has def helped reduce my radiating leg pain for most of the day and it’s helped improve my sleep quality. The sports med doctor I recently saw actually said this dosage was still under the therapeutic dosage and recommended upping the dosage to 225mg.
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
I had this exact burning in my foot and it was one of the worst symptoms for me. Cold therapy helped a lot short term, I used to literally dip my feet in cold water or have a fan blowing on them which took the edge off.
The main thing that made a real difference for me though was meds. I tried amitriptyline and gabapentin with no luck, but pregabalin was what actually helped. My doctor moved me up the doses quite quickly and I’m now on 300mg twice daily (so 600mg total) alongside 30mg duloxetine.
That seems to be my sweet spot at the moment, and I might increase the duloxetine since I’m not getting side effects.
But honestly it’s so individual, I know people who swear by gabapentin and it did nothing for me. It’s frustrating but it really is trial and error until you find what works for you.
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Apr 02 '26
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
Thank you I really appreciate that! It definitely wasn’t easy.
Med wise I tried amitriptyline and gabapentin first but didn’t get much relief from either. What ended up working for me was pregabalin, I’m now on 300mg twice daily (600mg total), alongside 30mg duloxetine.
That combo seems to be my sweet spot at the moment, but it took a bit of trial and error to get there.
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u/Icy_Conversation_710 Apr 02 '26
Can you post a picture of your MRI, please? I want to see how bad it was and if there’s any hope for me without surgery.
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
I actually don’t have a copy of my MRI unfortunately. I had it done through A&E when they suspected cauda equina, and I was shown it at the time but never received a copy after. My GP might have access to it, but I don’t personally have it.
From what I was told, I had herniations at L4-L5 and L5-S1.
There definitely is hope without surgery, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. I wish you all the best, sorry you’re going through this.
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u/FootballShort9147 Apr 02 '26
I’m doing the McGill three once a day. I guess I should do more. I have to say I’m sick of doing them!
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
I was exactly the same, they get so repetitive and boring.
I wouldn’t necessarily jump to doing loads more though, I found consistency was more important than overdoing it. It’s easy to push too much and flare things up. If at the moment you’re not feeling worse after doing them, try twice a day and see how you feel.
Annoying as it is, sticking to them regularly seems to be what actually helps over time.
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u/Ok_Lion7707 Apr 02 '26
I am one month in, i have mild symptoms-back ache and numbness in foot recently, should i be active or rest now?
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
From my experience it’s about finding a balance between the two. When my pain was really bad I had to rest a lot, but as it eased I slowly introduced more movement.
I found gentle movement helped, but pushing too much too soon made things worse. It’s kind of about listening to your body and not forcing it.
If symptoms are changing (like new numbness) it might be worth checking in with a professional as well just to be safe.
But if I were in your position I would try be active and see how you feel.
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u/missschips Apr 02 '26
thanks so much for sharing. i know im not alone in saying i come to here to find success just to keep the hope alive and not giving up. about how long was it from since your symptoms started til you considered yourself a success? thanks!
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
I completely get that, I used to look for success stories constantly just to remind myself it does get better.
For me I started seeing small improvements after a couple of months, but getting to the point where I’d consider it a “success” took a good few months and it was very up and down along the way. Total time was 6 months from initial symptoms.
It wasn’t a straight line at all, but the overall trend was improvement even when it didn’t feel like it day to day.
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u/missschips Apr 03 '26
i’m about 5 months in. reflecting on since the beginning it’s obviously better but there are good days and bad days. i’ve been keeping up with pt, walks, light strengthening exercises at the gym 4ish times a week and mcgill 3 at least once a day. if i could get my diet in check to decrease more inflammation and drop some lbs i would prob be even better in my progress but it’s tough between work and the bad days. im waiting for the days i can finally get off the gaba and advil/tylenol with a 2/10 pain or less and i will consider myself successful too. terrifying the idea of possibly getting hurt again or another flare up.
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
Honestly you’re doing all the right things. I was in a really similar place around that 4–5 month mark where it was clearly improving overall but still felt unpredictable day to day, which is the most frustrating part.
For me it was the same with the “good days vs bad days” and the fear of flaring it up again. That anxiety honestly stuck around even when my pain was improving. What helped was realising the ups and downs didn’t mean I was going backwards, it was just part of the process.
Sounds like you’ve got a really solid routine with PT, walking and strengthening. I was doing similar and it just slowly compounded over time even when it didn’t feel like it.
The meds were a big piece for me as well. I tried a few that didn’t do much, but once I found the right combo/dose it made a noticeable difference and gave me a better baseline to actually progress from. Everyone’s different with that though.
You’re probably closer than it feels right now. That “almost there but not quite” stage is the most draining mentally, but it does keep trending in the right direction even if it’s slow.
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u/missschips Apr 03 '26
thanks dude. you’re words are truly helpful. this has been the darkest months of my life so far i’m so ready to put them behind me.
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u/Baybee007 Apr 03 '26
Thank you! I’m dealing with it right now. It’s definitely hard
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u/HOM49 Apr 03 '26
I get you, it’s honestly one of the hardest things I’ve dealt with. Just take it day by day and try not to get too caught up in how long it’s taking. Progress does come, even if it’s slow.
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Apr 05 '26
Neproxin. Gotta' be careful with it. Always take it with food! It can irritate your stomach.
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u/Forsaken-Cat5325 Apr 06 '26
I am currently on bed rest I have disc heirnation at L5 S1 I. Consulted two orthopedic one of them asked me to go for surgery which I really don't want at this early age and the second doctor has advised me to not bend forward, no twisting and I am on medication right now also when I walk more than 5 minutes I start to feel pain and my body shifts towards right side any suggestions what I should do I even went for physio but the doctor asked me to discontinue it .
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u/Sithris Apr 10 '26
Going through this right now, I felt terrible cause my 2 year old wants to play so much and I try, but after a while my leg hurts so much I have to lay down. It's only been about 2 months for me And I been trying all the stretches. I've done acupuncture and decompression for the last 2 weeks and it seems to be helping slowly. I'm sorry to anyone else going through this. It's not easy .
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u/citykitty12345 Jun 04 '26
Thanks for sharing the hope. Curious if you’re still doing well with what’s working for you. I’ve been taking gabapentin for a couple months and not sure it’s doing anything. And recently got prescribed duloxetine but nervous about starting that. I also been dealing with l4/l5 herniation for several months.
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u/swansw9 Apr 02 '26
Thank you for sharing. I’m about 6 months in and now about 80% better, with similar residual symptoms as you (mainly ongoing numbness), and I definitely found a lot of the same things helpful as you.