Fibromyalgia or Sciatica???

[Frenchi88]

Are there different types of Fibromyalgia pain ??? Years ago the pain was a moving pain it travelled all over my body. For instance if it started in my lower leg it would move up and down , and if it was in my arms it would travel up and down my arm. A fellow sufferer recently told me she gets a pain which stems from her bottom and then travels down her leg. Now I get this pain and I could actually touch the exact point from where it begins but I was lead to believe that this is Sciatica, so how do I k ow if its Fibromyalgia or Sciatica????

[Dinkie]

Hi Frenchi88MRI or CT scan will confirm sciatica - it will be picked up on imaging, fibro won’t. At least that’s what the pain clinic told me.

[SnazzyD]

Have a Google for piriformis syndrome. It can cause the symptoms of sciatica but it’s caused by inflammation or spasm of this muscle in the buttock which then puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. Specific stretches will help. I have to keep on top of mine. If it’s caused by pressure higher up as it emerges from the spine, that might need some sort of imaging.

[Frenchi88 in reply to SnazzyD]

Hey Snazzy I have heard of Piriformis but never knew of the similarities. I had a scan they told me I had bulging discs . I do get bad lower back pain too and it feels as if its connected so maybe that's what you mean. But now as I've been receiving replies to my queries on here I'm finding out things contrary to my thinking and that's because the pain was soooooo different to the Fibro pain I was always used to. So this group is a god send for answering my questions. So thanks for your reply 👍

[SnazzyD in reply to Frenchi88]

You can get irritation of the sciatic nerve from both muscular spasm (eg piriformis) and a bulging disk if it’s putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. One needs someone to examine the back to say what is causing it.

[Midori]

Sciatica is the one which travels down the leg from the bottom. It is often caused by a problem in the lumbar spine, could be something just a little out of alignment, or causing pressure on the nerve.

Check with your doctor, who should send you for an investigation.

Cheers, Midori

[JayCeon]

Hi Frenchi, in case you need a bit more input:

It makes sense to get all localized pains checked. The ones we have upon being diagnosed have been checked, at least if we have a good thorough doc. As the new pain is in a different place it'd make sense to now get it checked, as the others have said. Personally I think good physios checking them is often equally valuable to any scans, esp. if these don't show enough to explain them.

As regards pain types etc.: There are different pain "feelings" like burning, stabbing, aching etc., at least about 10 altogether. Personally I sort my pain into the 2 big categories: local pains, usually occurring after certain poses or actions (often muscles, tendons, associated with trigger points) and The Ache all over (connective tissue / fasciae / muscles etc.), after overdoing it. Further ones like burning can be either skin (in my case more allergic) or nerves.

Pain seeming to move around will normally be actually just alternating between different areas, connected with one another in various ways (e.g. by protective postures). The pain your friend and you describe seem to be radiating from the lower back down the leg, which would be the description of sciatica, as Dinkie and Midori have said. Whether it is or no this can still be associated with fibromyalgia, and whether it is found to fibro or no and sciatica or no: it can still be treated like many of our localized pains with various exercises, stretches and acupressure points to be found for instance on youtube, just try them out carefully....

[Frenchi88 in reply to JayCeon]

Hey JayThanks so much for your in-depth reply all makes sense the way you put it. What your saying to me has been said by my husband, he constantly says stop diagnosing yourself and get it all checked so I get what your saying, but I have no faith in getting the help I need , been there done that for many many years so I guess what I've resulted in doing is researching myself. Now though I need to get it all documented so I can apply for PIP (which by the way I'm dreading and have put off for many years). So yeah I shall get to the appropriate appointments to get the answers.

Really appreciate your reply many thanks 😊

[JayCeon in reply to Frenchi88]

Well Frenchi, in that case I do agree more with you than your husband ;-P.. Getting things checked is just a makeshift, and will usually not help, that's my experience same as yours. So I think the answers you'll be getting will be 'no answer', praps a small pointer here and there, but that in itself can help getting rough ideas, only it'll probably leave you to sort treatment ideas out by trying/trialling yourself (with the help of good gentle expert physios, I'd say...).

[Cally2022]

I had terrible sciatica for about 8 weeks last year (April-May) it was really bad then I had really bad pain in my left calf, i couldn’t stand or walk. Took myself off to A&E who suspected a blood clot so I had an injection in my stomach and a dolper scan, luckily it wasn’t a blood clot……eventually they told me I had torn my calf muscle,I couldn’t understand how because the pain came out of nowhere while I was sitting watching telly !!! Anyway January this year when the Rheumatologist told me I had fibromyalgia and osteo arthritis he said the sciatica and the pain in my calf was probably down to the fibromyalgia xx

[Frenchi88 in reply to Cally2022]

Hey CallyIt's interesting that you have told me this as its a different type of pain to what I've suffered with, as I maybe stupidly, thought that Fibro pain was the same wherever you got it on your body. So I was unaware of the different types of pain from Fibro. So am I right in saying that what we thought was Sciatica is actually Fibro or it is Sciatica but having Fibro brings it on ???? I appreciate your reply.....thank u

[Cally2022 in reply to Frenchi88]

Hi Frenchi88, from what the consultant said and the way he said that the sciatica and calf pain was probably down to the fibromyalgia, I took it to mean the fibromyalgia was the cause of the sciatica. The consultant never said anymore about it and I didn’t think to ask . … apologies if my reply is not of any help….have a nice day 😀 xx

[JayCeon in reply to Cally2022]

I don't think either of you need to apologize at all, Cally and Frenchi! 👐 I find the difference between pain types are usually almost regrettably ignored, by consultants incl. specialists as well as by sufferers, altho we would be able to treat them better if we didn't.

I'd say that it is sciatica and fibro at the same time, so it is actual sciatica, it isn't "actually" or "caused by" fibro, but without fibro we would hardly notice it and it wouldn't become a chronic problem. Fibro to me means we are getting a lot of different (actual) pains and The Ache, as well as sleep and gut problems etc. and these personally I don't think / experience that they "amplify" each other, but they influence, interact and add up, and the sum of all these symptom areas is what we call Fibro.

Crucial for getting relief or healing sciatica or any other certain symptom is however targeting it as that, and not as a part of fibro. Seeing it as part of fibro is only helpful if it helps us be patient with ourselves and accept it, to use that patience as motivation to do as much as possible about it and accepting what we can't manage, like in the "Serenity Prayer". That's my experience.

[Themanwithnoname]

Have a vested interest in this i get leg and buttock pain when sitting. For years this has gone on. Scans back then showed i had degenerative disc and partial slipped disc pressing on a nerve. Dr told me in only 10% of people this is what causes pain so surgery was not a option.

Fast forward over the years i have spent 3 years lying on my front not able to sit and if i had to go out in the car i would be surrounded by cushions. Even eating lying on my front.

Things have improved and i believe the discs change as we get older and i can sit just not for long periods and have major flairs if i do over do it.

Sciatica is a symptom i believe and piriformis syndrome is a diagnosis.

I do daily stretches that i have picked up from you tube and pain clinics along with the change in weather it's improving. Def chronic and looks like i am stuck with it but it can be managed.

Trouble i find is my GP seemed to think pain killers and on you go but leg pain like that i can relate to and debilitating.

Hot water bottles often hit the spot better than pain meds. If you could get a scan or see a physio/specialist to get a diagnosis all the better .

GL

[Frenchi88 in reply to Themanwithnoname]

Hey thanks for your reply.It sounds very much like what happens to me.

I can't sit or lay with my left buttock having pressure put on it , it seems to start from there and then causes pain numbness and slight tingling downwards on left side and pain in my lower back. I get some sort of understanding when someone tells me they have the same symptoms and hear their prospective. I don't know how you've spent lots of your life eating on your front that sounds horrific but it's great news that at least for a short time you can sit normally and eat as any person should. I've had years of not being bale to go to the cinema , too long a car journey, and walk too far and fly as I can't remain seated in an upright position for too long before having to lay on my right side with my left leg over to the right until I find a somewhat pain free position. So I'm glad time has been a bit kind to you and given you some relief. I have had physio and a scan which told me I have Osteoarthritis and few bulging discs. I guess what I wanted to know is what pain is what, seeing as I have Osteoarthritis and Fibro and disc problems and now having problems withy feet and hands so that will be the next things to get diagnosed.

Many many thanks and hope you continue up to improve with some of your abilities.

Frenchi

[Themanwithnoname]

Bad depression and having the dog back then helped me. My walking was pretty good at the time so being out with the dog or nature saved me. Fibro will make your other aliments feel worse that is for sure and will be the pain that most likely move around your body. Type of pain that can come out of no where and for no reason. GL with your journey and hope you get to the bottom of it .