I am a first timer for sciatica - resulting from a ruptured disk according to my GP. I have most of the pain under control with prescribed medication and am now into my 6th week off work. I am on the waiting list for a NHS Physio appointment and have been told by my GP that she can not answer any of my questions as she is only a GP and the physio's know all about the back. So I was wondering if any of you have had the following symptoms from Sciatica and what can I do:
I can move around ok but only for about 5 minutes and then my right leg (which is where my pain is) suddenly feels like a dead weight and I have to go and lie down - is this normal?
Also, when I walk, I feel like there is something on the ball of my foot and along under the toes and my little toe feels numb but there is nothing there. Can anyone advise?
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MamaLamb
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Please push gp for an MRI scan BEFORE you commit to physio! If you have a prolapsed disc the physio may do more harm than good! I have just returned to works after 7 weeks due to a tweek in my back, still with pain in legs, numb lower right leg and foot and pain in groin! Consultant tomorrow to plan next move! A veteran of 3 discectomies L4/ L5 and L5/S1, my gp now talking about fusion! Hence seeing the consultant. Your gp is correct, but the Xray specs are not on the physio either.... MRI everyday of the week....hope you recover soon.
hi mamaLamb I sympathize with you, I have had trouble with my sciatica nerve know going on 12mths,i have had MRI scans on my leg my back, but all they kept saying was it was wear & tyre but I new in my own mind that something wasn't right, so I re searched it on internet & found a site in America & its called piriformis syndrome, its a small muscle that sits right at the side of your sciatica nerve in your bum cheek & runs down your leg it also causes a lot of pain in your hip, I go to see a pysio on the 13th march about this so I will tell her what I have just told you.XSUE
Agree with seagull72 that you need to be very careful at the moment regarding what you do next. To be fair to physios - they know their anatomy! And should therefore not make you do anything that may cause things to get worse, but...
I started off with a single slipped disc (although had drop-foot 2 years prior), which recovered in about 6 weeks. This caused back pain and sciatica. All was well for a year or so and then over a 6 month period I had about 6 discs go, 2 emergency surgeries and 5 nerve ganglion root block epidural injections. This all left me unable to stand up or walk and 18 months on I am still not (and never will be) back to normal.
I'm not trying to worry you, my case is probably somewhat extreme (and I have now been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease amongst other stuff) but it shows the importance of establishing what's going on sooner rather than later.
The symptoms you describe certainly sound like a nerve somewhere is being irritated, the 'usual' reason is that the disc that is prolapsed can press into the nerve roots where they leave your spine and this usually improves as your body deals with the disc material that has been pushed out from between the vertebrae. But things aren't always that simple!
If I knew then what I know now I would have used the opportunity that hindsight shows me I had after the first symptoms (i.e. drop foot or first slipped disc) to commence an exercise regime designed to increase core / back / leg muscle strength as this is what has been most beneficial since it all happened and may have bought me some more time or even prevented some of the more serious problems I have had.
I agree with everything you say, especially the muscle strengthening because with pain you soon learn (if that is you persevere with moving and keep on moving and the pain will teach you about what not to do) and the muscle control is so important because there is a way to keep moving even if it is just a little bit, also don't get into bad posture positions because that can cause so much more problems for the future in your back best Alex
Just thought I'd pop in here, two and a half years ago I was in the same position as you. I had been off work in huge pain with what both my gp and physio called sciatica. The pain was horrendous and wasn't easing even with me doing all the exercises so I pushed for an MRI (which my gp referred me for) which showed I had a fractured sacrum not sciatica. It also showed that I had severe Osteoporosis. You don't mention your age but I would really advise that you ask your gp about this as I was 47 when it happened to me and it has caused permanent nerve damage and left me with a lifetime of chronic pain. I know it's rare but always best to check just in case?
I had severe Sciatica, could not walk some days, had a wheelchair. I found every time I went in a car I ended up in be, the longest time was 7 days then by magic I had no pain.
I went private to a Consulrant who said I needed an MRI. I contacted GP who said it would take about 3 months to get an MRI, I couldn't wait. I went private and the Consultant found I had a spur/bone in between L4/5. I went in the Consultants urgent list. I was on Morphine tablets and Oromorph for the pain..
3 months later and I had the spur shaved last week. Hooray I don't have leg pain anymore. I am walking badly but hopefully that will come back. I am hoping this is what has caused back problems for more than 40 years.
Go for an MRI and find out exactly what your problem is, a Physio could make things worse.
It certainly 'sounds' like sciatica with your description of the leg pain after minimal movement (is this pain in the back off your leg or front? If it's at the back then a 'definite' probability is sciatica) but it also sounds like there's some nerve compression from a disc prolapse or stenosis with the description of the numbness. Does the dead leg improve when you sit down?
IIt's quite bold of your GP to diagnose sciatica caused by a prolapse disc without an MRI!! Whilst it could well be what's going on, it's impossible to know what's causing what! Sciatica isn't always from a prolapsed disc and a prolapsed disc doesn't always cause sciatica!!
The physiotherapist will get a better idea from your description and their hands on 'tests'. They'll probably give you exercises & stretches to do to see if they ease any of your symptoms; sometimes this is all that's needed for you to manage your pain but sadly this isn't often the case!
In the meantime, if you get any numbness in your groin area with or without any incontinence, get yourself to either a rapid access doctor appointment or the ED as this is a sign of something more serious going on and needs to be treated!! (Not wanting to frighten you but as you say you're "new" to sciatica you'll probably not know about this sort of thing!)
You need MRI scan. You may have a combination of back problem and leg problem. Tight muscles in the legs can pull on the lower vertebrate which in turn presses on a nerve.
You may need a multiple number of therapies. Someone to check if the muscles in the legs are too tight. Someone to check if muscles in the back and neck are too tight. I know this is something a McTimony chiropractor can look at. Unfortunately you may have to pay for a chiropractor and you will have to network locally to find out who is recommended as being good with their hands.
To get an MRI scan you need to be referred to an orthopedic or rheumatology consultant.
Meant to say. GP is talking nonsense saying that only the Physio can refer you. I saw 3 different GP's who kept saying to take over the counter meds. I then pushed to be referred to a Rheumatologist. Which the GP does. . I have now seen seen the consultant , yesterday. Immediately an X ray was taken and bloods. He looked at the X-rays and now I have been referred to have ultrasound and MRI for different parts of the body. Then a treatment plan.
I understand how difficult all this can be. Best of luck.
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