Refractures, would this cause major sciatica, unable to walk?

[fraid]

About 10 days ago I awoke with extreme pain in my left ischia ( seat bone) like a sharp knife, this travelled down outside of thigh to agony when I put weight on leg, try to walk. And I mean extreme! So wondering if anyone has had this? I have sciatica off/ on for years but this is too much though I have very high pain threshold. Only thing that helps is sit still. Already on Fentanyl patch 12 mcg, using Tramadol, Nurofen, Ibuleve, heat pad - what else, what is it? Presume refractured one of 6 older ones but not sure if it would cause this extreme sciatic pain? 😱

[Sunseaandsand]

Yes Fraid , I have also had this and from time to time it will come back again.

Two years ago it was so bad I could not put my foot to the ground at all I was sent for hip x rays ( all ok) we suspected it was due to a change in sleeping position owing to having had 3 fractures close together.

Once I was able to adjust my position slightly it began to improve.

Since then I have found it comes back after sitting in an unsuitable chair ( not my usual) or a chair I have been using becoming unsuitable owing to having had further fractures.

Just a slight change in my sleeping or seated position can bring it on again.

I recently tried sitting in my usual garden chair which has now proved unsuitable due to the problem you are having.

My wheelchair gives me relief with pressure relief cushion.

Hope this helps you to find some ease and an insight in to what may be the cause of your own pain x

[fraid in reply to Sunseaandsand]

Thanks. The problem is it's continuous either in seat bone or sciatica down leg, which I'm used to but this is extreme! My 6 # s are in a row T12 through L5 but this is new pain. I can only ever sit in one position, haven't fallen or felt something 'go'. Nor is it improving. Shall just have to hope it soon settles. 😩

[Sunseaandsand in reply to fraid]

When I had it for the first time I could not put any weight on my foot and I was in pain even when going into a seated position, toilet, commode, or chair.

I thought it was never going to leave me.

I have now had a total of 14 fractures in my spine and got Scoliosis as well as the Kyphosis.

I have just been diagnosed with severe Arthritis and had Osteoarthritis for years.

It is worrying when we get new pain and over the last couple of months I have had excruciating pain with certain movements which I have been told the ribs are now slipping over the pelvis.

I am sure if you speak to your GP they would send you for a stand up x ray of the hip area and Lumbar.

If you speak to the ROS nurses and explain your symptoms they will be the best to give you advice on possible causes and the way forward with it.

In the meantime I hope you find some ease.

The pain really drags us down😔x

[fraid in reply to Sunseaandsand]

Thanks and sorry to hear of your horrible bones misbehaving. I cannot travel to go for xrays nor sit in a wheelchair upright for more than a few minutes, and being pushed across the rough carpark all round the huge hospital, waiting hours etc. would cause further pain and damage, so not worth it. Anyway, what treatment is there, none, so what's the point? I may find out what the problem is but they can't fix it anyway, sigh. Hopefully the pain will abate eventually, heal when it feels like it. 🤞

[Sunseaandsand in reply to fraid]

As you can imagine with the amount of fractures I have it is really difficult to travel anywhere ( we even tried ambulance recently but that was worse than in car)

I have a reclining wheelchair so we thought it would be good to go by the ambulance but never again😫😫 we took the manual one the back dies adjust and I have pillow behind me.

A big ordeal but my husband took me to drop

Of point then parked and came back to me ( no bunny car parks)

We try to find a way around things sometimes it is impossible.

I do get what you mean about it not being worth it because nothing can be done now for me either.

I know when I get the fractures in the spine and this year in the ribs too.

I do not need x ray to tell me, but new pain in the hip area can be a worry.

It is always good to get an explanation for peace of mind.x

[fraid in reply to Sunseaandsand]

Ambulances are the worst! Been in many, usually 11 hours in A& E to be given meds I had in my bag! Not worth the trip plus at least 2 vertebrae # d by being manhandled despite my warnings, just ignored. Allergic to hospitals now. Bit easier today just sitting still so must just stop irritating it. Thanks for your support though. 🤗

[Fruitandnutcase]

That all sounds very painful and it reminds me of when I fractured my sacrum although I didn’t have the sciatica you are describing. I had that years ago when I had a herniated disc.

Is there any chance of having a pelvic MRI to see what is going on? I’m not sure a regular x-ray would show that sort of fracture.

From what I read about it at the time I gather a fractured sacrum is not something that doctors even think of with that sort of pain - mine certainly didn’t - when I asked to be x-rayed she refused saying ‘it’s probably just a touch of osteoarthritis, quite common at your age’, considering she was new to the practice and knew absolutely nothing at all about me, I was not impressed. In the end it was my physio who referred me for private MRI scans. Walking or trying to walk with it was just absolute agony. I was only taking paracetamol though so if you are still in agony and have lots of painkillers then hats not great.

So for what it’s worth I’d say your pain needs some sort of investigation - I always think it is a big help if you know what is causing your pain - even if there isn’t much that can be done for it - you need to find out what’s going on.

[fraid]

Thanks. I fractured my pelvis years ago but this is different, worse! Problem is I can't travel, even before this and certainly not now. I like to know what I'm dealing with but even osteo not sure, presume refractured vertebra though didn't have sciatica with them. Shall just have to sit still hope it heals and be patient- not my forte!☹️

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to fraid]

Sounds like the best thing to do. Even if you have fractured your sacrum somewhere there isn’t much they can do for it other than rest, gentle exercise and strong painkillers. Sounds like you have an osteo on the go so can you just be advised by him/her? Whatever it is, I expect it’s going to take a while.

[fraid]

Afraid the osteo is my X still lives here but as usual doesn't want to know! Picked what's left of his brain but only I know how it feels, what works etc. Keep going,eh? 👍

[Southerngirl2787]

I have this horrible pain...it strikes after a new fracture, or after surgeries. Happened again three weeks ago, I'm post yet another spine surgery, #15 or 16 now. This surgery was for T11-L4 decompression, removal of bone spurs, and clean out scar tissue trapping nerves. A most terrible surgery, woke in recover to the sciatic nerves having a melt down, down outside of thigh, down to feet and a return trip. Buttock pain was above a 10, I nearly jumped off the table with two IVs in. Three injections of morphine did little. Surgeon said it's due to discs, the six that are bone on bone he just worked on, and the trapped nerves likely set off the sciatic and/or SI joints. My SI joints stay angry, I have AS and it's all just a mess. At this point the pain has improved, but still rates a horrible a few spells during the day. I can lie down on my back and not provoke it, sitting has been very difficult. No meds help at all, heating or ice pack do not stop it. Time seems to be all I can do. I move around as possible, try to keep moving, hoping that will reduce the inflammation and calm things down. I have 10+ fractures, those seem unrelated to this pain, but I'm not surprised if I re-fracture one, it's happened now 6 times.

[fraid]

That sounds horrendous, 😱 hope things improve dramatically very soon. What surgeries do you have? The consultant said he would not put cement in my vertebrae as it would just make the rest collapse, so just left to it. Your pain sounds just like mine, same places and type so I can assume mine is from refracture/ s and mine are 6 in a row so makes sense bones are grating together pinching nerves.😩

I find moving makes it worse so am trying to sit it out - well banana shape as can't sit upright. I think further irritating and damaging an injured part can only make it worse. Walking is much worse than standing, I suppose stretching the nerve. I have found just gently wobbling my thigh either side of nerve helps a bit, maybe loosens the tightness, and taking a Tramadol and Nurofen together lessens the pain, which is marginally better now. Any improvement is most welcome! Hope you improve soon. 🤞🤗