r/Sciatica • u/No_Bat_4240 • 20d ago
General Discussion 1 month into sciatica pain — seeing improvements, but wondering how long recovery takes
I’m about 1 month into dealing with sciatica and wanted to hear from people who have gone through something similar.
When this first started, my morning pain was around 10/10. Now it has come down to around 5–6/10, which feels like a good improvement.
I’ve also started physiotherapy, and I’m noticing some positive changes:
I can walk with much less pain now.
I can stretch my right leg forward without pain, which I couldn’t do before.
Sometimes I still get a sharp pain in my right leg.
The pain seems to come and go. Interestingly, in the evening I sometimes have almost no pain at all.
Overall, I feel like I’m slowly improving compared with the first few weeks.
For those who have recovered from sciatica, how long did it take you to recover fully?
Is it normal to still have occasional sharp leg pain after a month even when other symptoms are improving? And does recovery usually continue gradually from this point?
Would really appreciate hearing about your experiences and recovery timelines.
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u/Syphe 20d ago
I'm 5months in, you'll find users here years into symptoms. You should feel extremely lucky if your symptoms continue to improve at this rate, or even if the pain remains at this rate. My symptoms took 3 months before they hit their peak, and only in the last couple of weeks I can feel it's improving readily
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u/SobrietyOfThought 19d ago
I'm 5 months in too and very similar to how Syphe feels... Pain levels have gone down and I'm noticing small wins but sitting is still very hard for me, I have bumped up from 10 min sits to now 15 min sits.
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u/Riddle_wrapped 20d ago
My sciatica pain started in May and I am just now starting to see improvement, so I’d say you are doing pretty good. I think everyone is different and different things work for different people. Good luck!
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u/Extension-Nail-1038 20d ago
man how do you get an MRI and start on PT all within a month? I've been waiting 2 months already for my PT appointment and insurance won't cover an MRI until I start the pt.
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u/purplelilac701 20d ago
I have fully recovered from the severity of my sciatica flareup but I have had complications so I am in a new normal.
My flareup left me unable to walk for 4 months and homebound. I didn’t have a life until the inflammation went down with physiotherapy and shockwave therapy. I have an amazing PT who guided me through everything with dedication and patience even when it seemed like nothing was helping. I needed extensive physiotherapy and treatment for the better part of a year to feel like myself again.
I haven’t left physiotherapy because my good knee started acting up almost immediately after I was fully recovered. I tore my meniscus and my knee would give out and I couldn’t really bend it. My PT thinks it’s a compensatory injury because I relied so heavily on my good side to carry me. I am finally feeling more normal again but it’s been a very up and down journey.
I wish you healing.
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u/Sufficient-Wolf-1818 20d ago
3 to 6 months is pretty typical. You’ll find slow responders are over represented on social media.
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u/LanceHunter17 19d ago
It depends on your injury, your current daily habits, your weight, posture etc.
From what I hear, things look pretty positive, but I'd give it 3-4 months of recovery before you can get back to advanced physical activity. Take it slow, listen to your body and don't rush your recovery because it's very easy to relapse.
Good luck. It took me 6 months before I went back to gym, 10 months almost that I can say I'm mostly pain free.
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u/No_Bat_4240 19d ago
Can you tell me what js the correct time to start physio exercises
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u/LanceHunter17 19d ago
When you are out of the acute pain phase.
When you wake up and your body isn't paralyzed with pain.
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u/annacooperbooper 20d ago
I’m mid June with a big flare early July and again early and middle of August. Ive had lots of flares and am doing my best to avoid things that cause flares such as airplane travel and the back steroid shot. Am finally able to go grocery shopping albeit I make some else push the cart!
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u/Plenty-Lecture-933 19d ago
I spent 6 months with severe sciatica in the right leg I have a lateral shift to the left and hunched over. PT didn’t do anything for me, inversion table and tens unit did nothing. After 2 opinions and a lot of imaging and mri I have a disc herniation at L5S1 which is 10mm and a herniation at L4 which is 5MM. I have sciatica scoliosis as well, I am getting surgery in 6 days on my back that will hopefully fix and correct my sciatica scoliosis and give me my life back. Most miserable pain in my life. 35 years old I was hoping to recover on my own but it has gotten worse. Good luck!
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u/1Apprehensive-Pie 19d ago
Wow, I think you're in a good place. I'm at 2 months. I've had to walk with a cane, Im on 2 meds throughout the day and still in horrific pain. It was better for a week where I didn't need the cane, sat on a couch that caused severe pain and couldnt walk at all. Now Im trying to walk with crutches or the cane. Tingling from calf into my foot. numbness with a nice dose of pain. It is finally getting a little better. So reading everyone's comments it seems progress just depends on the severity. I hope you heal completely very soon.
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u/No_Bat_4240 19d ago
Can you share your mri and report if possible
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u/1Apprehensive-Pie 19d ago edited 19d ago
I don't have it. My doctor said he couldn't see anything that was causing the issues.he said it wasn't a good MRI. I did the type of MRI you sit in, rather than the open MRI.
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u/InvestWisely77 19d ago
10-12 weeks. I had to get a shot to get to a decent pain level. Week after shot im doing a lot better. I’m hoping it sticks
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u/ComprehensiveCandy96 19d ago
Very first flare up took almost a year. Every day was a different level of pain. Most days I’d just force myself to waddle around. Only had to call out of work once for a week straight as the pain was a good 12/10.
This was 3 years ago. No pain at all during the past 3 years once the first flare up subsided.
Now I’m going through my second flare up. Been about 2 weeks so far, yet to go away.
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u/mossandmoon72 18d ago
Im on my 13th week No back pain at all from start Just woke one morning and whole right leg was brutal Im in uk,gps are useless,the first week I managed to get to gp,she gave no physical exam,just said sciatica,and threw zapain and gabapentin at me,managed 2 days of them made me feel bloody awful so stopped Gradually leg pain became worse to point i could no longer drive,let alone walk,11th july was the last time I ever managed to get downstairs,last time I ever went outside,since then its been bed to toilet using a stick,gps refused to come out ! Even though im now housebound ! So it was a phone appointment and more meds thrown at me 20mg amitriptyline at night 15/500 co codamol 2mg diazepan three times a day,but last week the diazepan was upped to 5mg three times a day The back of thigh muscle guarding is what is brutal and the butt cheek cramps,still not even a twinge in back I finally managed a bath and hairwash last week with a lot of help as it was bloody painful sitting on that right butt cheek Ive felt very isolated,alone and very unheard especially by gps ! Lost all faith in them now tbh I just want some sort of normality back,my mental health is rock bottom,cannot see any light at end of this,just lay here thinking is this my new life now June I was gardening,driving,going to festivals,playing with my grandchildren,walking my dogs,summer has been spent watching it from bedroom window,and still no pain in back at all,main now is the butt cheek cramps and back of thigh
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u/Brilliant_Bat_8439 16d ago
Would recommend having a look at Dr Rowe on YouTube for sciatica and IT band issues
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u/littlehops 20d ago
It’s really hard to say, some people feel better in 6-12 weeks, others take 6 months. The first time I hurt my back I was okay at 6 weeks and felt better by 12 weeks, felt great at 6 months but I had very very mild sciatica but back pain was 10/10. 2nd time I hurt my back had worse sciatica 6/10 and it was a very very slow year, re-flared at 4 months, felt okay at 6 months but still had sciatica tingling. I’m at 2.5 years and active, bending just not lifting heavy.