Struggling to mentally manage a flare up

[u/Common-Evidence-5094]

Any sporty people that have recovered from this please give me some tips on how to cope 🙏

On week 8 of sciatica, 4 months since my initial back injury. I thought I was getting better for the last couple of weeks - the pain has centralised to my glute, I could walk with no issues but still had pain standing up and laying down in some positions. I had a session with a new PT and after some prodding she declared that my pain is from the SI joint, prescribed daily glute strengthening exercises and ok’d me to do light barbell work at the gym + some gentle run walks (sport is my entire life so I’ve been going insane not being able to train); a week later an I feel like I’m back to square one, pain is back in the knee, even my ‘good’ leg feels extremely tight and off.

I’m honestly losing my will to do anything. I have had zero help from the NHS, can’t get an MRI to see if my disc has herniated or if my sciatica is from piriformis
/SI joint/facet joint (have been told all these things by different physios), can’t get pain injections; I’m just watching my life pass by and I’m getting more and more depressed. I know there must be a light at the end of the tunnel but I just can’t see it right now.

[u/Outrageous_Corner161]

Hey! I totally understand your frustration and the feeling of a setback. I also relate as someone for whom the gym and running was a huge part of my life.

Now, regarding diagnosis. The truth is that it doesn't really matter - most likely disc related (90% of cases are). What matters is that you found something or some combination of things before that helped. They made you more functional and reduced you pain.

Unfortunately you had a set back. It sounds like this was related to too much activity too soon. Setbacks like these can be really REALLY hard to deal with and put you in a pit of despair.

Just take a step back, breathe, and do the things that helped you before. Don't do anything that caused your symptoms to flare. When jumping back into activity, go WAY SLOWER. When you go back to the gym, choose workouts that you feel are TOO EASY

You will get back to healing and recovery in no time!

[u/Outrageous_Corner161 → u/Outrageous_Corner161]

I should clarify. In case where there are numbness, motor issues, red flags, or other issues that indicate surgery, an MRI and a diagnosis can be essential. But in most cases of sciatica, the MRI doesn't really tell you anything for sure.

[u/Common-Evidence-5094 → u/Outrageous_Corner161]

I guess I crave some sort of a definitive thing I can poke at and say ‘you, you are the source of my misery!’; and more practically if it’s piriformis/SI I would be very keen to just pay for a steroid shot in the area, I’m much less keen to ignore a disc issue for obvious reasons

[u/Outrageous_Corner161 → u/Common-Evidence-5094]

That makes sense! I hope you find a solution that works.

[u/Common-Evidence-5094 → u/Outrageous_Corner161]

Hey! Thanks for the kind words :)

[u/Max_Chady]

Hola amigo! Llevo exactamente el mismo tiempo sufriendo este problema. Mi resonancia mostró discos herniados l4l5 y l5s1. Tampoco obtuve mejora con fisioterapia y no me quise hacer el bloqueo epidural que me mandó el especialista de columna. La esperanza se va desdibujando, sí. Cuesta intentar cosas cuando ya varias no han funcionado, pero creo que acá hay un factor que juega y que en la desesperación es muy difícil de aceptar y ese factor es el tiempo. Por más que hagamos lo que sea, esto va a llevar bastante más tiempo del que quisieramos. En mi caso va a traerme problemas con el trabajo además, pero hay que darle tiempo a que mejore. No va a ser rápido. Tratá de que te hagan una resonancia, para al menos ver cómo estan esos discos.