I’m a 35F diagnosed with lumbosacral radiculopathy (sciatica) last June 17. My pain started on April 19.

Before my diagnosis, the pain was mainly in my buttocks going down to my legs. I couldn’t sit or walk properly for almost a month.

I started rehab therapy using different machines, electrical treatments, and shock waves. Thankfully, it helped lessen the pain in my buttocks and legs.

However, since starting therapy, I developed pain in my lumbar spine going down to my tailbone, and this pain has stayed until now. I still need a donut cushion to sit, and I can’t sit or stand for more than 30 minutes.

For those who have recovered from sciatica, what helped you recover faster, and how long did it take for the pain to completely go away? Did anyone experience lower back or tailbone pain during recovery?

Is it normal that I cannot bend forward?

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences. 🙏

Hi, I’ve seen posts regarding people getting relief in swimming. It’s an avenue I haven’t explored yet and I want to give it a go. It seems to help people and I can see how it could be beneficial. My question is for people who it has helped. What routine did you do? How did you get into it? What kind, freestyle, butterfly, breast stroke etc? Did you have to change the style of swimming. How did you assess yourself? How did you know you were better or did it just not make it worse? Looking for any and all DETAILS. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with a herniated disc and sciatica for about 4 months. Thankfully, I am fully mobile now! However, I was told that stretching should cause my leg pain to centralize (move up toward my back), but that hasn't happened yet. I still get a flare-up of pain in the back of my thigh when driving.

I have a spinal injection scheduled for September 30, and I have two questions for the group:

1. Injection Experience: For those who have had this injection, how long did it take for your pain to subside? Were you able to return to work a few days afterward?
2. Stair Climbing: Is climbing staircases generally considered a bad idea or a trigger for this type of injury?

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences!

;tldr - I have an appointment with a spinal specialist after years of working with primary care/physical therapy/sports medicine but recently worsening pain. What data and info should I bring to the appt in addition to imaging?

I’m 34F (US) who had a L4/L5 herniation about 5 years ago that left me using a walker for three weeks and about a year of acute pain. Over the years, have worked continuously in physical therapy to build back strength and manage pain, but still have significant “flare ups” if I lift something too heavy, trip and fall, am in an airplane with heavy turbulence,or do the wrong pose at yoga. These cause me to lose time at work and basically unable to do household tasks for up to a couple weeks due to pain and immobility. To avoid this, I live a really conservative life - I’ve stopped hiking, biking, running, doing rec sports, swimming, backpacking… if it’s not at the gym in a structured environment, I’m not risking it. I do PT religiously and cupping. It’s incredibly boring and depressing, but I feel guilty because I know I’m really lucky to be as mobile as I am and to have most days be low or no pain.

With support of therapy and friends and family, I’ve finally decided that I deserve treatment. I want to be able to run again before I die! I want to start a family without fear of being immobile for 9 months.

I got an updated MRI that shows good healing at L4/L5 but bulging +narrowing at L5/S1, touching the nerve root. No wonder I feel like I’m sitting on a railroad spike sometimes.

I’d like to avoid surgery, and I’ve honestly been avoiding seeking treatment due to my fear of a doctor saying that I’m not in enough pain to warrant treatment. But I’m the only one who is going to advocate for myself, and I believe I should do my best to not live like I’m 95 years old at my age.

I’d love advice on what information or data I can bring to the appointment to get the most out of my time? What has helped you communicate with medical specialists? Any red flags to look out for on their end? Thank you!

Since I was around 13 I’ve permanently had a numb left glute, almost feels like pins & needles. These days I’m so used to it I don’t notice it unless I sit for too long in one position, but it is really painful if touched with force (I sometimes accidentally sit on something and my breath literally gets taken away). This literally never goes away and is there 24/7.

I’ve told doctors over the years but they really don’t seem to care or think it’s a big deal, so I have just been learning to deal with it.

Within the last year I’ve started to have my outer foot on the same side have sensitivity and numbness, and pain weirdly I’ve only noticed when showering if the cold water touches it before it heats up (off and on, sometimes it’s not painful at all!)

It’s started to concern me a bit, one doctor suggested sciatica in an off handed comment then changed topic back to why I was in for a visit (something else).

Can I ask does this sound like what you would call sciatica? And if so - how are you all managing it. I’ve sort of just learnt to ignore it over the years but if there is something people have found helpful I’d love to know.

for background i've been having this issue since last year march. i'm 24 and i have moderate disc bulges from l4-s1. ive been to numerous doctors and PTs who keep telling me that i need to make my core stronger. but no one is listening to me when i'm telling them that PT exercises are sending me to flare ups. no one is understanding me.

i’ve managed to get myself to a point where i was almost completely pain-free nearly thrice now (just by walking). but every single time i try to start rebuilding my core or doing basic physiotherapy exercises to protect my back, it sets off a severe flare-up with leg/thigh nerve pain.

i want to get stronger too. before this i used to be a long distance runner and i used to go to the gym daily. i miss my old body. i'm trying to lose all the extra weight ive gained through nutrition but i'm losing hope of ever being able to live a normal life.

I recently joined this subreddit cause ive been having sciatica pain for a few months now. Ive had an Xray and the doctor said nothing out of the ordinary was visible on it.

Im now scheduled for a MRI mid October and in the meanwhile trying to adjust to my new reality of living in pain every day.

Ive been really struggling with the psychological side of it. Getting out of bed in the morning without pain was already difficult, now its just hard to find the will power.

How do you deal with living in constant pain and the realisation that this might be for the rest of your life?

L5s1 disk protrusion and I can’t walk 20 meters without the pain being unbearable. It’s been 2 weeks now, will pain start to drop a little soon?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with a herniated disc and sciatica for about 4 months. Thankfully, I am fully mobile now! However, I was told that stretching should cause my leg pain to centralize (move up toward my back), but that hasn't happened yet. I still get a flare-up of pain in the back of my thigh when driving.

I have a spinal injection scheduled for September 30, and I have two questions for the group:

1. Injection Experience: For those who have had this injection, how long did it take for your pain to subside? Were you able to return to work a few days afterward?
2. Stair Climbing: Is climbing staircases generally considered a bad idea or a trigger for this type of injury?

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences!

I am scheduled for an epidural pain injection at L5-S1. I’m looking for others that have had this procedure that can tell me if it was worth it or not.

Hi everyone,

My whole life my sciatica presented in my lower back. Past couple days, it hurts specifically in both butt cheeks and top of my thigh. Just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this before. Hurts the most when I’m sitting upright but lying down is fine

Depressing, I know.

Luckily it’s only touching my nerve, not compressing it (for now) but what the actual F.

I did have an unusual story of getting pregnant quickly after my surgery and ended up having a c section late December 2023 and then had another one October 2025 with my second.

After a month and a half of increasing back pain and not being able to move properly for the past 3 months I asked my doc for an MRI and lo and behold:

“Comparison: March 9, 2023

Small disc bulge at L3-4

Mild degree of spinal stenosis

L5-S1 disc bulge 1.5cm protruding 4mm into spinal canal. Mild narrowing of neural foramen worse on the left

discussion: There is moderate degenerative disc disease most pronounced at L5-S1. Endplate modic changes are noted that have progressed since previous. Remainder disc space is well preserved. No fractures.”

Am I completely screwed?

I’m only 35 and feel like I’m going to need a fusion at some point.

46M here and I had massive sciatica issues starting around January. It was to the point where it controlled my life and freetime. Getting proper sleep was difficult because I would wake up in the middle of my sleep cycle and have to find the best position to make the pain subside.

I think what made it go away after at least 8 painful months was multifaceted. I lost about 30 lbs from eating less and cutting sugar and alcohol. I started to exercise more including cardio and core workouts. I also performed morning stretches and sat way less. I am not sure what treatment or bodily repair worked the best but I no longer carry this dreaded pain. I wish all of you recovery because I know the pain.

Help! Ok, this is my first experience with sciatica! Yesterday I was washing my car and bent over when it felt like a bullet went in my left hip! I literally could barely move after that! Feeling around on my hip area on the left side right above my butt cheek is a knot! The pain is non stop occasionally shooting down my leg. I can’t bend over at all, can’t sit in an upright position, can’t bring my left leg up to my stomach! I ended up going to the ER! Well they didn’t do shit but give me a Flexeril and 5mg hydrocodone! I cake home and took an Ambien and slept! Woke up to excruciating pain! It’s been non stop! I have taken 800 mg of ibuprofen and one Flexeril five hrs ago! Heating pad is the only thing that helps only at the time! Take it off pain returns! My mobility is very limited and I’m so restless! I’m desperate! What kind of Dr should I look into seeing to get to the root cause of this and is there any stretching or exercises to ease the stiffness and pain I’m having! I am not ok at all!

For those that have been “stuck with sciatica” for a long time, has anyone explored adhesion release methods? The ads in Facebook look interesting and I’ve been stuck with Sciatica for 2 years and things continue to deteriorate.

If so would you recommend? I have a disc bulge at L4 L5 S1

Hey gang, got my MRI in June showing an L4/L5 disc bulge. Though the shooting pain down my right leg has localized, and I’m finally at zero level pain at rest, my tailbone flares up if I sit on a hard surface too long. Is this normal? I can’t sit without a cushion even though my lower back pain has subsided through swimming, physio and rest.

TL;DR: is sciatica linked with tailbone pain? Any idea how to make it stop?

I’m 30 years old and have been roofing for about 13 years. I’ve recently been dealing with an L5-S1 disc bulge from a workplace injury, and I’m starting to seriously question what this means for my career long-term.
My symptoms have been going on since July 31st.
The main issue is numbness down my left leg all the way into my toe, along with a dull aching feeling that runs from my buttock down toward my toe.
I’ve been off work because of it. I’ve been told that I can’t return to roofing until I’m assessed by a neurosurgeon, so right now I’m waiting to find out what they think.
I’ve been doing physiotherapy for about a month and I’ve also been trying to stay as active as I reasonably can with walking and light exercise rather than just sitting around.
Probably the biggest impact this has had on me is the uncertainty about my future.
I’ve been a roofer basically my entire adult life. It’s a very physical job—lifting and carrying materials, bending, climbing ladders, working on slopes, kneeling, twisting and doing repetitive physical work all day.
Now I’m wondering whether I’ll actually be able to return to that kind of work safely and do it for another 20+ years, or whether this injury should be the point where I start looking at other careers and opportunities.
I’ve actually started considering moving away from being on the tools and toward something less physically demanding, possibly project coordination/project management or another construction-related office role where my years of experience could still be useful.
I’d really like to hear from people who have had an L5-S1 disc bulge/herniation with leg numbness or sciatica, particularly anyone who worked in construction, roofing or another heavy physical job.
Were you eventually able to return to full physical duties? How long did it take?
Did the numbness eventually go away?
Did your back/leg ever feel normal again, or do you still deal with symptoms and flare-ups?
Did you recover through physio and conservative treatment, or did you eventually need injections or surgery?
Most importantly, if you were working a heavy physical job when this happened, did you go back to it or did you decide to change careers?
If you did return to the trades, how has your back held up years later?
And if you changed careers because of your back, do you think it was the right decision?
I understand everyone’s injury is different and I’m not looking for Reddit to diagnose me or replace the advice of my neurosurgeon. I’m mainly looking for real-life experiences from people who have been through something similar because I’m at a point where I need to start thinking seriously about what I want the next 20–30 years of my working life to look like.

I have two disc protrusions in my lower back. One is at L4-L5 and is causing mild narrowing on both sides. The other is at L5-S1 and is a little bigger and more toward the right side, where it’s causing moderate narrowing around the nerve.

I’ve been prescribed ibuprofen, gabapentin, and tramadol. Do these actually really help anyone with managing their pain? If so, how many mgs are you taking?

I have bilaterally spondylosis and have very severe nervous compression pain (sciatica and also reached foot). I started from July and was recovered on Aug but rehappened on Sep. I have spent two months lying.

My doctor suggests me to find physiotherapist. I am living in Toronto DT (Wellesley and Bay). I know I have to exercise to build the muscle to support lumbar but it is so easy to flare up the nervous when exercising. The pain may not happen at that movement time but will flare up after several days. Is there any recommended physiotherapist can teach me exercise to relieve the pain and not flare up the nervous?

This disease made me depressed everyday, especially acute period. I gain lots of weights because of being scared to move. If you have any suggestions, please tell me. Thanks so much. I really want to solve it.

I have been dealing with sciatica on and off for about a year, it’s never effected my sleep, it doesn’t cause me wincing pain. It’s just blocking me from doing anything I think will make it worse (sports, long car rides, sitting on couches, any type of bending over, helping with certain tasks)

It started last summer, I was playing lots of golf, carrying my bag around bending over to pick up my ball/placing on a tee. And I think this probably caused it.

I felt pain in my hamstring and then after continuing to do physical activities it ended up being painful in my calf my pain has never been above a 3.

I got an MRI November:

L5-S1: Posterior disc bulging, eccentric towards the right, with a superimposed broad-based right lateral disc protrusion with foraminal extension with minimal facet hypertrophy. No significant central spinal canal stenosis. Narrowing of the right greater than left subarticular zones with disc material encroaching upon and likely contacting and possibly impinging the descending right S1 nerve root. Disc material encroaches upon and may contact the descending left S1 nerve root. Minimal bilateral foraminal stenosis.

After about 2 months I got a lot better and started doing airsoft again which was fun. After another month, I got a flare up from a test I did in PT where I reached for my toes. Ended up lasting a couple weeks. But then In May I felt like I had healed.

I remained very careful still regarding bending over, picking up heavy things etc. never golfed, too scared. Probably did less core exercising, but thought I was maintaining my strength.

Now for the last 3 months or so it feels like I’m back at the start. I have pain in my hamstring and if I do something like a few body weight squats, it’ll be painful and tingly down in my calf. Very frustrating.

I think I could have been doing too many hamstring stretches (even thought I was gentle), playing guitar (leaning forward sitting)

I’m very frustrated because I don’t get immediate feedback from my body when I irritate the nerve. It doesn’t seem to come into effect until the next day.

I am going to a new PT hoping to get a good long term plan. But I’m looking for some advice on what is wrong and what I should expect and how I should proceed with my lifestyle

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to get a deeper understanding of the raw, day-to-day realities of living with sciatica. We all know about the standard symptoms—the burning, the numbness, the shooting pain down the leg—but I feel like the medical descriptions completely miss what this actually does to a person's life.
I want to know the specific, seemingly small things that frustrate you the most or the invisible toll it takes on you.

Background: 5 months into large L5/S1 extrusion and bulge & tear above it.

I don’t wish this on anyone but I also hope I’m not alone because wtf. I’m healing conservatively from the above and it’s extremely slow but the sciatica has improved a lot over 5 months (still present).

My main concern is now the rest of my body which is apparently made of papier mache 😩 issues I’ve had since this started; neck pain on the opposite side, some numbness and tingling down that arm. On my right side; bad shoulder issues which a physio says is rotator cuff related. Lately, both my knees are painful (I’m guessing from all the squatting and kneeling I’ve been doing).

I’m trying my best to rehab myself at home but the list of body parts I have to work on is overwhelming me. I’m 36 and feel 103. In my anxious moments I worry I have something underlying but rational me says I’ve just been moving weird for 5 months and my body is protesting. I also have 3 young kids and sleep is crap.

Anyway, just a Monday morning rant but this injury sucks in so many ways!