sciatica

[Toddyboy12]

I’ve ended up with sciatica after pain in my back. The back pain has now subsided but my leg still feels numb at the back of top of leg and also my foot is numb and feels very strange to walk bare footed on hard floors. I’m currently off work but due to go back next week. I’m on my feet all shift and just worried my leg will get worse. Any advice would be appreciated

[lupus_01]

Lay on your back and bring your knees to your chest,like you are hugging your knees. Do this as much as you can several times a day and hold for at least two minutes at a time. This will help stretch out your spine and ease your sciatica

[Toddyboy12 in reply to lupus_01]

Thank you. I will try this. I have another week before returning to work so hopefully the pain will ease.

[air4ce]

I am extremely aware of your situation. More than likely you pinched the nerves in the lumbar 3 area of the back or you have a herniated disc. Pressure on the nerves and spine will make your leg, feet, back of leg. If not careful things will get worse. I herniated a disc and had three bulging discs. My right leg went completely numb and could not walk on it. My right foot had no strength which ended up causing muscle atrophy. This all started back in 1996. As the years passed, things got worse, I woke one morning in 2009 and could not walk causing temporary paralyzed. The pressure from the herniated and bulging discs were the culprit. I had this problem for almost thirteen years when things come to this point. I ended up having emergency surgery on my back. The discs were decompressed and the herniated disc was pretty much just dangling around. The herniated disc was snipped off. Bone chips were removed during the surgery. After the surgery, things became worse. A blood clot became present in my left leg, my bowels and bladder did not function, and my toes on both feet remain paralyzed. Numbness in both legs are still present as of today. Do not procrastinate in getting diagnosed and correcting the problem. Things can go south on a moments notice.

[mascotty02]

Hi Toddyboy12, Sorry you are going through the same, I have sciatica in my left hip and lower spine and I actually went to the hospital and asked for my left leg to be amputated as I couldn't take the pain any longer, the doctor was absolutely brilliant and he gave me some Co-Drydamol and within that evening the pain had virtually gone I took these over the next week and then decided to leave them out to see what happened and it was weeks before it started coming back again so took a couple more and now thank goodness this is how I keep it at bay, sometimes I get a nasty twitch but bearable, Hope this helps and take care

[Toddyboy12 in reply to mascotty02]

Oh that sounds awful. My pain isn’t quite that bad but woke up this morning with pain at the back of leg. I’m trying to walk a little more each day and I even tried standing to do a little ironing but had to sit down after 10 minutes as was getting painful. The gp has given me some more naproxen and referred me for physio.

[hypercat54 in reply to Toddyboy12]

So sorry to hear this as sciatica is awful. I have spinal stenosis (loss of discs in the back) which also causes sporadic sciatica too. The pain is horrendous isn't it.

I am in the UK too and doctors don't do backs - they just fob you off with physiotherapy. I don't know if you have been to them before but all they do is give you a list of exercises. When these don't work they give you different ones.

I suffered through this for years until I had a bad sciatica attack with tingling in my toes too and a doctor (over the phone) diagnosed me finally with spinal stenosis. I saw an orthopaedic person who confirmed this diagnosis, and organised an MRI scan to see where the damage was. I hope this isn't the issue with you.

It probably is just sciatica without any underlying cause as that is most attacks. It will go better in time and you might never have any other problems with it.

The physio can give you steroid injection to ease the pain and the doctor can give out pain patches. Though in my experience they rarely give those out.

In the meantime gentle exercise is the key. And I mean gentle and not on your feet all day either. Can you get a doctors note for the time being?

I found from experience that sudden quick movements can make it worse with that pain that grabs you and starts throbbing, so walk as slowly as you need to avoid that.

I also found that night is the worst time but putting my bad leg straight out on top of the other one was the most comfortable position. Experiment which is best for you.

Its also worthwhile considering seeing an osteopath or a chiropractor as they can help sometimes. My mother had a very bad attack which lasted for 3/4 months until the latter finally succeeded in freeing the nerve.

Good luck and take care.

[Toddyboy12 in reply to hypercat54]

Hi. Thank you for your reply. Completely agree with all you have said. I havnt actually seen a doctor just had telephone consultations. I also havnt been told what has caused the sciatica although I had been having back pain for 6 month previous to this. I did go to a private physio and he said it was coming from my sacrum joint but strangely the pain I had in my bak was on my left side but the sciatica is in my right leg 😐. Also the pain in my back has pretty much gone now but the sciatica pain is worse than the back pain I was having. I’ve been having days where I think it’s getting better then this morning I’ve woken up to horrendous pain again after walking around. I can get signed off work for longer as worried I will go back and be on my feet all day and just make things worse

[hypercat54 in reply to Toddyboy12]

Oh dear. If you are anything like me when it starts to jangle like that you clutch your leg and cry out loudly in pain.

What you have to do is stop it before it starts which sometimes works. When you get out of bed take it very slowly (pretend you are 100) and make very slow gentle movements to get the nerve moving. All your muscles are stiff after sleep.

I used to just shuffle along very slowly trying to keep the leg straight. When the pain hit I sat down and gently massage the affected area. The pain will ease a bit then.

I found after letting the muscle wake up slowly then to some extent I could walk ok for a very short time. Then it starts again.

I think you are best staying off work as you are on your feet all day and just keep working on slowly exercising the leg.

Oh and one last thing anything to do with your back is subject to referred pain. Ie pain can feel like it is in 1 area but actually comes from another.

I am thinking of you.

[Toddyboy12 in reply to hypercat54]

Thank you for your reply.

I felt I’d turned a corner with the pain, but last night was agony again. Had to take pain killers at 2am so also tired on top of it all 🫤. Due to go back to work Monday but seriously don’t know if I will be ok. Feel like I have taken one step forward and two steps back 😐.