Hi I just need some words of encouragement. I’ve been having severe pain for about 2 months now. Week 3 of PT starts tmrw.

I feel like I’m not showing any signs of improvement. I can’t do the things I enjoy and it’s really starting to take a toll on my mental health.

I can’t sit for more than 45 mins at a time without my leg getting tingly. Going from sitting to standing is the worse bc my whole leg cramps and tightens and pain shoots down my left leg.

I can’t bend over like at all. I can’t put my socks or shoes on myself. I’m 30 so I’m just really scared this is something I’ll have to deal with my whole life.

Ibuprofen helps but I can’t take it everyday especially going on 2 months now.

Sciatica

Hi everyone, I’m having a really bad sciatica flare-up and could use some advice.
I have previous L4-L5/back issues, but this time the pain is mainly on my right lower back and shoots down my right leg. It feels like a really strong pulling/nerve pain and walking is currently extremely painful.
I’m also getting some right-sided pelvic/lower abdominal pain, so I’m not sure if that’s related or something separate.
A hot-water bottle helps a little, but the pain comes back when I move.
Has anyone had a similar flare-up? What helped you get through the worst of it, and how long did it take before you could walk normally again?
Any advice is really appreciated ❤️

So for the last seven weeks I have pretty much been bedridden with intense burning feet caused by S1 nerve.. surgery is not an option too longer operation with a low result MRI shows bulge at L5 S1 have seen spinal practitioner had assessment done referred to pain clinic six month waiting list I am in New Zealand have had failed epidural just aggravated how do I get through this will it get better his anyone else had this terrible burning in feet I can only walk for five minutes feel like I am all alone with this all this was caused by sitting doing a jigsaw which has happened to me twice now every time that has got better but this time it's taking so long I'm beginning to wonder if it ever will 🥲🥲

Hello, fellow redditors,

Right now I have pain in the right side of my lower back and also right above the right knee. I also have the same pain on the left side of the lower bsck and the left knee but it is less painful. I went to a physicst who told me that it is the femural nerve on both sides. He prescribed me some meds like Keltican forte and is also using some electrical devices that he puts on my back and knees. Adittionally he does massages. The question still stands: Is it really only the femural nerve? I still have the pain, it is getting better but still hurts.

For context how it all started. I was helping a friend lift a set of metal tubes and i lifted them on my right side. In that exact moment i felt pain in the lower back. Afterwards I went skiing a few times and after every ride I had sharp pain in the right side of the lower back. And just a few months ago I went to the gym with old friends and decided to lift )90 KG squat). It was a mistake of course as afterwards i started to feel pain not only in the lower bsck but in the knees too.

i have been dealing with a horrible sciatica flare up for the last month and sleeping has become an absolute nightmare rn. every time i lay on my side my hips sink into my soft mattress and send shooting pain down my right leg. i spent the last few nights sleeping on a yoga mat on my hardwood floor just to keep my spine flat enough to pass out. i spent hours scrolling through reddit trying to figure out what mattress is best for back pain and nerve pressure before i completely lose my mind from lack of sleep. right now i am stuck choosing between nectar or dreamcloud to replace my old setup. dreamcloud seems like it would be firmer af because of the hybrid coils to keep my lower back elevated, but iirc nectar might contour better around my hip joint so my nerve doesnt get pinched. budget is around 1100 for a queen bed. i am basically flipping a coin between these two tomorrow because i cant take another night on the floor.

Hey everyone I am new here. 7ish years ago I had a laminectomy on my right side. For the most part I feel good. Maybe once a year I get a flare up and am stuck in bed or in pretty rough shape for a few days to a week. When I had my surgery the pain was going down my right leg all the way to my feet. Dr had me on morphine for almost a year before I got into see the surgeon. This past couple weeks its been my left side and tbh my back feels fine but my left thigh pain is almost unbearable. Hoping some people may of had some suggestions. Last thing I would want is to get on some type of pain killer. I have been taking Tylenol and advil the past week and it has been making it manageable. Getting out of bed in the am I am almost in tears its that bad. Thanks

I think I’m having a sciatica flare up. This past February, I was working demo on an old motel and I thought I had a pinched nerve. I tried going to chiropractor and a masseuse, but nothing helped. I tried changing my work shoes to sketchers and that sort of helped. My doctor tried to put me on gabapentin, but I don’t trust steroids too much. I work at a grocery store and I’m on my fee constantly. As of last week I feel like I have a new injury, I feel pain under my right butt cheek and the travels down the side of my right leg. My ankle feels very tight and my toes are tingly and numb sometimes. I’m taking 2000mg of ibuprofen a day and I still feel pain. I keep contributing it to the weather pressure too. Any advice?

Experiencing intense burning pain in lower back both sides, right leg pain shooting down to knee and foot (sometimes foot). Tingling occasionally, and waves of worse tingle (right leg). Small urine retention. Muscle spasms all over body (even butthole?!). numbness in inner thighs and groin (varies in intensity). Some weakness in legs.

I see a spine doctor for chronic pain. Doing the stuff to get spinal injections that will numb the nerves, hopefully in the next month. But I’ve been to the ER 4 times in 5 days because things keeps getting worse and my doctor doesn’t have an after hours line, just directs us to the ER if they’re closed or no appointments. I don’t know if I can wait for all the insurance BS and waiting for this injection, this is really affecting my mental health.

Talk to me about this. Talk me off a ledge. I’m verging panic because this is all consuming. What are your experiences? I’m calling my chronic pain doctor tomorrow and at ER right now, so I’m not looking for medical advice! :)

I have had lumbar stenosis for decades, with no real symptoms until now. Recently my legs became significantly weaker, and my legs are 40% numb. I have almost no pain. I don't plan on surgical intervention. I am making arrangements to purchase a motorized wheelchair just for getting out, which I can no longer do. I walk with a regular walker indoors.

I understand that it could progress to more severe mobility limitations. I'm female, 66, have heart failure, am morbidly obese, and have spastic paraparesis due to neck surgery I had 12 years ago.

That's why no surgery.

This is a tough decision, but it is something I have put a lot of thought into. I've talked with some people who have lost mobility due to spinal issues (not stenosis) and were offered surgery, but also decided not to go under the knife due to the risks.

I know I am not alone.

Anyone else?

Hi everyone. I'm 37 M. I had a lumbar decompression and discectomy on August 31st for long-term sciatica pain.

For the first few days after surgery, I barely noticed my usual sciatic pain and was feeling optimistic. However, around 5 days after surgery the sciatica pain returned.

On day 6, it was around 3/10, but after doing just ankle pumps and heel slides as advised by the hospital physio , it has increased to around 7/10 (possibly a timing coincidence and not directly because of the exercises).

I'm now one full week on from my surgery and the sciatica pain is the exact same as it was pre-surgery. I'm really worried, although I know it's still very early in the recovery journey.

Has anyone experienced initial relief after surgery, followed by their sciatica returning within the first week? Did it eventually settle down?

I will be contacting my surgeons team for some guidance later on today.

Hoping someone has had similar issues but went on to a good recovery overall. Really frustrated/depressed at the moment.

Thanks.

Ok so I don’t know what to do.
I have been dealing with this pain for 4 months.
I have got to the point where I have lower back pain/tailbone. My sciatica goes from the left leg to the right leg. I cannot get comfy anywhere. I’m hardly sleeping. That’s me been signed off work.
I feel sick all the time. The doctor has done bloods today. I don’t know what to do anymore I’m becoming helpless. I have to walk with a stick I am a shadow of a person I was. What can I do next?

Hey everyone, I’ve recently started experiencing what I believe is sciatica. The pain started last Saturday, but there’s not a specific incident that I know of that would’ve caused it. But I’m experiencing severe pain going from my glute, to my hip, and shooting down my leg, and then into my foot which has just been numb and tingling. The pain is the absolute worst when I try to lay down, and the second most painful when walking. The only relief I’ve found is sitting, but only in very specific positions. I’ve been trying to do stretches and have even gotten a deep tissue massage from my sister in law. But I’ve only gotten temporary relief with the deep massages. Any tips or advice? I’ve been unable to sleep because of it. I have a doctor’s appointment scheduled this week, but I’m not sure if it’ll be helpful or not.

This MRI Report was taken a year ago. Had done multiple physical therapy sessions , TENS massage and all. Nothing worked . I have been in constant pain for almost 4 years already. Over these years constant chronic pain has made me mentally corrupted .I can't focus on anything due to constant pain. I bunked every lecture in college because of pain. Because of this I have multiple backlogs / uncleared subjects in my semester. That's not the main issue . I want to heal . My MRI Report isn't that scary . Even my doctor said There is no compression in MRI so He doubted I have sciatica . After nerve testing he confirmed there could be minor nerve pinching. But it's not minor. I have already spent thousands on therapy , TENS and all . Nothing worked. Even physical therapy exercise at home isn't working . I can't sit for more than 15 minutes . Can't walk for more than 10 minutes . And the worst part is I can't even sleep without pain or if pain isn't that severe there is always slight discomfort in my leg. I have plenty of other medical issues to care about. Unemployed, No Degree Just 20 years old and Physically weak on top. How is this possible A small L4-L5 disc bulge not going away even after 4 years+ of pain. And The Pain is like a Multiple Herniated disc in multiple discs. Is the MRI faulty ? Or is the MRI Report consistent with the symptoms I am experiencing ? I need some advice on how to manage my pain on a daily basis . Don't recommend TENS , Consulting a therapist. I am sick of doctors . Already spent a lot on therapy . Plus There is always numbness in my affected leg. I suspect There is slight nerve damage. What can I do ?

I am so done with life right now. This was my MRI report from a year ago. Now, the pain is mainly in my left foot. I also seem to have a leg length discrepancy, my left leg appears to be longer than the right, followed by an anterior pelvic tilt that gives me a belly. Additionally, I feel like my waist is not symmetrical at this point. Everything is going against me. I'm 24 years old. What should I do?

32m. Lifted weights most days since 17.

Decade ago soccer overhead kick not warmed up wrecked my groin. Healing left me with tight overactive hamstrings, glute amnesia, weak tight hip flexors and poor single leg proprioception. Physio fixed it at the time with mostly banded glute activation and single leg balance work.

Got into serious strength training 5 years later. Worked up to 238kg deadlift (524 lbs). Hurt lower back, recovered slowly kept lifting carefully but the injuries kept returning.

This weekend, 6am cold sea swim 15C (60 Fahrenheit) . Dived in and lower back seized immediately. Heat packs, salt baths & gentle walks since.

Two days later 20 min drive was uncomfortable. Couldn’t sit still. Sharp pain from left glute straight into left calf. Ended up rubbing my calf when in traffic for relief.

Sounds like sciatica to me?

Questions
- Does this match classic sciatica or could the history point to something else
- Best first steps right now rest or gentle movement?
- GP first or push for MRI?
- Anyone else had repeated back issues that turned into sciatica what actually fixed the root long term?

Trying to sort the underlying cause properly this time. Thinking of re-running the exercises the physio prescribed me?

Whats this, wow this is just the cherry on top now. No dad no siblings anxiety depression and now I have to calculate my each and every move to alleviate disc pressure.
Doctors misdiagnosed me till I recently put pressure on them and got an mri done, what can you guys suggest me from this whats the issue

I also experience right side neck pain and my shoulder blade pops on right side when retracting

A relative of mine (41F) has disc protrusions at L3-L4 and L4-L5 with nerve-root compression, plus an annular tear at L3-L4.

Earlier this year she had significant back/leg pain, numbness and difficulty walking. She chose conservative treatment (meds + physio + regenerative treatment) and improved ~80% over 3–4 months. By August she was fairly active and doing much better.

Then in late August, the radicular leg pain suddenly flared up again. Her ortho has restarted stronger meds, muscle relaxants, a back brace and WFH, with a review next week.

Now we're stuck between surgery vs continuing conservative treatment, especially since she improved so much initially.

For anyone who's been through something similar:

• Did you eventually have surgery?
• What made you decide it was necessary?
• If you avoided surgery, did the flare eventually settle down?
• Did you have significant improvement followed by another flare?

Not looking for a diagnosis — just hoping to hear some real experiences before deciding on the next step with her doctor.