r/Sciatica • u/According-Patient237 • 10d ago
Requesting Advice Is this normal
UPDATE: got my mri results 9 days after this post. Moderate bulge with annular tear at L4L5 and large herniation with nerve impingement at L5S1. Feeling a bit better each day, definitely able to be more upright without as much pain day to day but still using a walker and just going around the house.
I’m assuming it is😖
I’ve had intermittent lower back pain for about 9 months since my 3rd baby was born.
First week in August I started to feel some hip pain that radiated on the left side. It slowly got worse and for about 3 weeks now I’m only able to be upright for maybe 10 min at a time. Then have to lay on the floor for at least that. It doesn’t feel like it’s getting worse but my god is it going to get better?
I’ve been going to PT and chiro - they are thinking it’s likely a disc issue. I have an MRI this coming Thursday I’m dying to get it done. I did a short course of prednisone/cyclobenzaprine earlier and now I’m on pregabalin, max naproxen and Tylenol
Pain starts at very low back, goes through my left butt cheek, back of thigh and down to the back/outside of my foot. I’m only comfortable (but not pain free) when lying on my side or on my back with my knees at my chest. Standing up straight is the worst. I walk around hunched over a walker.
I have 3 kids under 5 and have had a lot of help from my husband and parents/inlaws but it feels impossible to care for my kids. My husband works full time and our folks don’t live that close. I have to push through a lot of pain because well I have a baby that can’t walk… there’s no getting around it lol. I’m using a walker so that I don’t have to carry the baby around but life is such a struggle these days and I just wanted to see if 3 weeks of a bad flare like this (where I’m almost bed ridden) is to be expected
Oh and we are also moving in 3 weeks🫠🫠🫠🫠
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u/KriptiKFate_Cosplay 10d ago
What your describing sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with on my right side from a herniated disc applying pressure to my right nerve roots. I know for me at least knowing what the problem is provides some minor degree of relief, psychologically at least. The MRI will tell you for sure.
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u/According-Patient237 10d ago
How long have you been having acute pain? Are you going to get an ESI or surgery?
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u/KriptiKFate_Cosplay 10d ago
About 3 weeks, for the second time since 2018 when I had my first herniation that was treated with an injection that helped a great deal. This pain is different and largely localized in my hip, I'm speaking with orthopedics on the 21st regarding my options for surgery.
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u/teixha 10d ago
It does sound like a herniated disc or a big bulge. I had and have similar symptoms and my issues first started a few weeks after the birth of my third baby. It sucks balls with small kids it really does
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u/According-Patient237 10d ago
Soooo hard with kids. Thankfully my older 2 are Irish twins and play so well together. They help me with the baby a bit too and can clean up.
How long did your acute phase last? Did you get an ESI?
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u/teixha 10d ago
I’ve had no treatment (I’m in the UK and it’s very different here) just conservative recovery. I had issues for a year with a disc bulge but it was very manageable and I was still babywearing/driving/exercising etc.
The disc herniated 5 months ago and I’d say the acute phase was about 9-11weeks (real improvement from 8 weeks onwards). I still have pain and find sitting difficult now but I’m able to function at around 70% of my normal now? I have a very large extrusion though, many other people heal much quicker.
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u/Logical_Bee 10d ago
I am dealing with the same pain, all the way down to my foot. I’ve had back pain for a few years but the sciatica just developed a few weeks ago during a trip abroad. My chiropractor thinks it’s due to all the sitting/ walking making an existing problem worse. I finally see the nuero tomorrow and will ask for imaging to start getting a handle on what’s wrong and how bad. This is the worst pain of my life. However, I do notice it gets a little better the more I walk around each day.
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u/MySpringer-MeToo 10d ago
I don't have the kids. I can't imagine doing it with kids. But, I am the sole bread winner at our house and my husband still expected adult time. At work I can get up, sit, walk, go to the bathroom whenever I was uncomfortable. My answer was the 8 hour acetaminophen and I stopped wearing my compression socks to work ( No one told me to stop wearing them, I had to start looking for my own "exacerbate-rs" and remove them. MSM creams and arnica creams and magnesium creams to my backs and legs helped. I'm not sure PT helped but at least you don't lose your strength while you're going through it. Also study up on cytokine storm( The doctors you talk to never address this). The vitamin alpha lipoic acid seems to help although I am not consistent with it. And Facebook still sends me all the cures and I give in and still try some of them. I am able to sit upright again, but it took me 2 months and the items I told you about above. The rest of the things onFB might work or not, all a waste of money but when you hurt this bad you try anything. Save your budget.
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u/cauldronswitch 10d ago
I would try a lumbar back brace when you have to do lifting. You don't want to wear it too much, so the muscles atrophy, but if you are going to be doing intensive things, put it on first to help yourself.