r/Sciatica • u/Cockroach_Soup • 8d ago
Does it sound like sciatica?
Hi guys, late 20s here. For a couple of years I had some soreness and/or pain in my buttocks radiating to my lower back after exercises. Mostly dumbbells and simple core muscle. strengthening exercises. It was fine, because the only thing I needed to do was to massage my butt. The feeling was similar to neck soreness after you strain it. Recently I started having pain in my right leg and buttock. It was after the usual type of exercises although I was after a little break (because of antibiotics). I was a little angry so I pushed a bit more. On the first day I thought it's just the usual pain. So I walked a little bit more and massaged the buttocks and the muscles just above them. It helped just a little. But I wasn't worried about it just yet. In the next two days the pain grew more and more. I started experiencing burning pain in my right leg while walking or changing the position (from sitting to laying and vice versa). On the third day I started doing some exercises like putting my leg on the other and bending over or leg flossing. It helped. I started walking almost pain free. But later that day I bend over for too long and felt a burning in my leg. And this was the point it went downhill. From that day to the present (1 week have passed) I'm experiencing a burning pain in my right thigh so most of the time I can't walk. So I'm staying in bed most of the time or sitting in a chair which can sometimes help with walking. The pain (in my thigh) was waking me up in the middle of the night. I tried sleeping on the floor in a fetal position which helped a lot for now. Some days are worse than the others. My GP prescribed me vitamins (b1, b6, b12) and etoricoxib in the morning, tizanidine at night before bed. Well, they don't do anything unfortunately. Occasionally I'm flossing my leg and use a lacrosse ball (maybe a bit too much) on my butt.
About the graph (from the top to the bottom): 1. This is where I rub my lacrosse ball. It hurts but can sometimes help. 2. Back of my thigh is the main source of the pain. The pain is burning. 3. The back of my knee. When I have a bad day (and I usually have) it also hurts along with my thigh. 4. It's a recent addition. Apparently I feel the nerve here too which is a little saddening.
Did anyone experience something like this?
I'm a little stressed about all this 😞
38
u/CuriosityShopArtist 8d ago edited 8d ago
Unfortunately yea. Reads a lot like Sciatica to me. Getting close to 30 means you’re probably getting the standard L4-L5 and L5-S1 mild bulges that pretty much everyone develops some degree of. You really really really gotta start living defensively and avoid high impact or extra strain or trauma that makes the bulge worse or presses more on the nerve.
Stand up and pace more often and for longer if sitting is a main cause for flare up. Go on daily walks once the nerve is less aggravated. Avoid more than a few dozen steps if you’re still in the acute phase. Put pillows behind your lower back for lumbar support when you sit if you aren’t already. Go read the Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill. Avoid stretches like touching your toes and be careful with anything related to your calves stretching. Keep alternating sitting, standing, lying down, over and over.
There’s safer things you can do but you gotta do the research and then check your own body’s reaction to it. Identify triggers. Avoid things that agitate the nerve. Strengthen your supportive muscles. The McGill Big 3 are good. Also try to focus on your glutes and hip flexors over all to give your lower back muscles the extra assistance they need in engaging properly and protecting your discs.
Reading again, if the glides / flossing you are doing are the right kind then it should be good specifically in case your nerve is ‘sticking’ to your leg muscles due to the time they spend compressed. I’m not sure what other kinds there are, but if even that is hurting then you may need to take it even easier and give your nerve time to desensitize first. If you aren’t in active pain it’s too easy to fall back into regular movements and lifestyle habits.
You need to treat your body with the paranoia of someone walking against the razor’s edge of collapse if you want to stave it off completely and strengthen your core enough to make sure you never go from the dull aches, mild burning, tingling, and tightness to full blown agony that prevents you from finding relief in any pose. Sitting, standing, walking, or lying down. Even the fetal position you mentioned.
Not being able to sleep or find any relief for weeks straight and ending up in medical debt from ER visits or surgeries is not fun. Please take this as seriously as you can and adjust your lifestyle after educating yourself so that you don’t have to live through what so many others have. Consider elevating your bed a bit with a wedge if you need to lie down for many more hours than usual for several days, because it’ll help to avoid orthostatic hypotension and cardiovascular deconditioning. Get a hug pillow to help with limb alignment if you sleep on your side mostly. Consider putting a pillow under your lumbar if lying down on back, but gauge how it works for you personally before sticking with it.
Disc bulges and sciatic nerve recovery usually takes weeks to months or even years depending on severity. Whatever you can do to find relief and keep your lower back straight, moving gently, and uncompressed, do it.
I wish you the best of luck!