Sciatica and numbness in leg.

[gillsky8]

Ok so now definitely diagnosed with sciatica.

Have seen physio for first session and had treatment plus acupuncture.

He says that numbness in the calf and lower leg is not uncommon. I am struggling to walk tho and VERY off balance. Using walking canes to help. Anyone else have tingling and pretty uncomfortable pins and needles as well ?

Suggestion that increase in Steroids prednisone might be helpful. ? I am currently on 10mg having tapered again recently.

Just wondered whether anyone else had been prescribed this. ? and if it worked at all ?

I have been reading other posts on the sciatica site, all very helpful but I did not seem to be able to put this post on that particular community.

Again as always any help much appreciated.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

You can read posts on another forums okay - but to answer or raise a new post you need to Join that forum - same as you joined this one... so maybe try again - and then you can just copy and paste

[PMRpro Ambassador]

OK - you have sciatica - but WHAT is the underlying cause that is irritating the sciatic nerve? Is it spinal and discs? Or is it muscular?

Hope they improve it though. It is a horrible problem.

[gillsky8 in reply to PMRpro]

Apparently muscular

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to gillsky8]

To answer your other question - I don't find more oral pred helps. Steroid injections have in the past.

[piglette]

I have had sciatica twice with PMR. It was horrendous. I found painkillers were useless for me. A friend said that there are exercises for it, while we were out a coffee shop and she sat on the floor and showed me, to the amazement of everyone else. She seemed to tie herself into a knot, I am not sure I could ever have copied her. In the end the sciatica went away, but I did try swimming to help.

[gillsky8 in reply to piglette]

Was there any suggestion it could be helped by increasing steroids ?

This seemed to be what the physiotherapist was implying could be a solution.

thanks

[piglette in reply to gillsky8]

No I have not heard that steroids help. Sounds unlikely as it is a nerve pain, but I may be wrong.

[SnazzyD]

I’ve had sciatica purely from muscle tightness in the buttock which has a few different muscles that can do this. Piriformis is my main problem area. Anti inflammatories didn’t help and Paracetamol not really very well. It took gentle exercises and I do piriformis stretches every day or it goes off again. The exercises can start gently and not be an accomplished knot tying pose from the off. At no point has it been from the spine pinching the nerve for me. This is why a proper diagnosis is needed to know where the sciatic nerve is being pinched.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SnazzyD]

Exactly the same for me. Though there must have been a bit of a contribution from the sacroiliac joint making it all tighter and adding to the pain when I tried to move!!! But it never goes down my leg at all, just the buttock. This actually gets it perfectly:

si-bone.com/si-joint-faqs/s...

[Pollyanna16]

I don’t think increasing pred is a good idea, I would recommend an MRI of the spine if you can persuade your GP to refer you. I’ve been suffering sciatic pain in left buttock & left leg since January & have had bad episodes before. Luckily my rheumatologist organised an MRI late December to look at inflammation in the spine for Psoriatic Arthritis & a private Neurologist looked at that MRI last night & found a cyst which is causing pressure near L4 & the pain. Pred would certainly not help. I hope you get a diagnosis for the cause soon.

[Daffodilia]

Sciatica is so painful - I had pins and needles and numb foot too - did exercises from physio three times a day - and ice pack too - once you can - walking is best and don’t sit for more than 30 minutes - good luck

[gillsky8 in reply to Daffodilia]

Thank you for that it's reassuring to know I am not the only one, the pins and needles and numbness have had me quite worried. The catch phrase of my physio is "motion is lotion" !! So I am definitely following that advice. Getting moving first thing in the morning is the worst.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to gillsky8]

For the first time ever I think, I heard a GP last night explain it isn't LOADS of motion, it is little and often that is crucial. Like getting up from the computer and walking round the room before sitting again.

[gillsky8 in reply to Daffodilia]

Yes definitely find it is better when I am moving but very flat footed on the affected leg, and also off balance which is disconcerting. There is not so much pain as such, but weakness in that I am relying constantly on the left leg for support. Tiring !!!

[Daffodilia in reply to gillsky8]

Have you tried Nordic or walking poles?

[gillsky8 in reply to Daffodilia]

Yes, just started using the walking poles and feel much safer, thank you, without them the flatfootedness is much more pronounced

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to gillsky8]

Ask for physio to get your walking sorted - I needed it and it made so much difference to all sorts of things.

[gillsky8 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for that, how did the physio go about correcting walking for you please?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to gillsky8]

Identified where muscles weren't doing what they should and did targeted exercises. Gait analysis is a very special skill,

[KASHMIRI1]

Hi! I have pins and needles and tingling in my lower legs. I have had it for four years and think its caused by spinal stenosis. I am waiting for treatment for it.