Sciatic nerve pain, questions

[ElectricAlice]

Hi everyone. Posting about my dreaded leg pain again. I think my anxiety has improved slightly, I'm still worried about it. But I believe every day I'm getting a bit better. (also days of relapse though).

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here suffers from sciatica? I am still getting pain down my left leg. And it seems to be worse. Since I've been assured it's not DVT. (I still worry about this majorly :( )

Can anyone describe what the pain feels like? I get an achey feeling, sometimes a stabbing pinching feeling like my leg is about to go into cramp. Sometimes I get a tingling too. It's behind my knee, down the back and side of my thigh, usually more the side at times. And down the back of my calf and in my foot sometimes too. I get lower back pain but nothing major, I'm just used to that really. Sometimes pain in my left bum cheek too (sorry lol)! But that's more like a burning feeling.

Does anyone know any stretches, or how long the pain is typically there for. Or if this even sounds like sciatica? It's only on my left leg I usually get it. Any help would be great! Thanks so much, I hope your all doing ok!

[countrygirl]

both my husband and I have herniated discs in our lower backs and what you are describing is classic sciatic pain - you do not even need to have any pain in your back but can be in agony with your leg or hip or groin.

The pain follows the sciatic nerve so can end anywhere up to your foot.

If you have the pain constantly for 6 weeks then your GP should refer your for an mri scan or to a consultant for an mri scan ( depends on your health authority) to see if you have herniated discs etc.

[ElectricAlice]

Thanks for your reply! The pain isn't chronic agony, it's more of a dull ache, but the crampy pinching pains can be alot more sore. And you can get it down the side of your thigh as well yeah? I've had the pain for about a month, maybe a bit more. Can you reccomend any stretches or anything I can do to help it? Or will it go away on it's own?

[Greenman50]

Hi everyone. Posting about my dreaded leg pain again. I think my anxiety has improved slightly, I'm still worried about it. But I believe every day I'm getting a bit better. (also days of relapse though).

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here suffers from sciatica? I am still getting pain down my left leg. And it seems to be worse. Since I've been assured it's not DVT. (I still worry about this majorly :( )

Can anyone describe what the pain feels like? I get an achey feeling, sometimes a stabbing pinching feeling like my leg is about to go into cramp. Sometimes I get a tingling too. It's behind my knee, down the back and side of my thigh, usually more the side at times. And down the back of my calf and in my foot sometimes too. I get lower back pain but nothing major, I'm just used to that really. Sometimes pain in my left bum cheek too (sorry lol)! But that's more like a burning feeling.

Does anyone know any stretches, or how long the pain is typically there for. Or if this even sounds like sciatica? It's only on my left leg I usually get it. Any help would be great! Thanks so much, I hope your all doing ok!


Hi there

I,ve only ever trapped the sciatic nerve once and it was awefull for weeks , the pain was how you describe . My neighbour told be to stand up straight as i could on my tip toes against the wall , the pain was incredable (ouch :weep::weep:) but it did seem to do the trick and after a few days of the streetching it went away . I remember the pain in my left bum cheek and shooting down to my calf muscle very well , it was so painfull i walked hunched up .

Not saying the streetching will work for you and it extremly painfull doing it but it worked .
This was some ten years ago and been ok since :yesyes:

[ElectricAlice]

Can you have it if the pain isn't really bad? X

[Greenman50]

Yes you can Alice .(also replied to your pm:))

A mate of mine also had it and he went to one of these massage people that manipulated the nerve back into position (or what ever they do)

I,m sure thats all you have Alice . Over the years i,ve had leg pain and calf pain due to my job and its always sorted its self out .

I can totally understand your worry after reading your posts , but you have been checked out for any major issues so its just a trapped nerve somewhere in my book :D

Feel better soon and try not to worry . Have you tried the streetching etc

x

[ElectricAlice]

Thanks so much for all your replies :) they're really helping me out. So nothing major caused yours no? I've been trying to think of what caused mine, but all that I can think of is after I had the fear of DVT I was very tense in my leg muscles, I was noticing that I was holding my leg tightly without realising. I thought after I stopped doing that the pain would go but it seems to have gotten gradually worse. I have pretty bad posture too, I'm quite round shouldered and slouch when I sit a lot.

Do you know if any of this can cause sciatica?

To answer your pm, I can usually find a position to relieve the pain, or if I get really distracted I don't notice it's there. Its not usually really bad pain.

I've booked a dr app. but it's not until the 18th :(. Is there any tests/scans that can be done to find out if it is this?

I guess the other explanation could just be psychosomatic pain. I'm focusing so much on my leg due to my fear of DVT that I've created the pain. But I'm pretty sure it's more real than that. The tight, pinching, strange pain doesn't feel like regular muscle tension.

Thanks again for your help :) (I'm glad your not getting the pain anymore! :) )

[Greenman50]

No nothing major caused mine :shrug::shrug: , just woke up with it . I know its really really difficult to do , but i,ve been ignoring some of my aches and pains by getting back to work and being more active (not saying you aren,t :D) and its surprising how i don,t notice them as much when i,m not focusing on them .
Your only a young lass your gonna be fine :hugs:x

[ElectricAlice]

Yeah I think that's a good idea. I'm going to start exercising more and do daily stretches too. How long did your pain last for by the way? Also another symptom in my leg I've got seems to be when I try and tense the muscle behind my knee it feels weak and tight and strange. Not sure if thats tied in. Did you take any ibuprofen for yours? How was it diagnosed? (sorry for the continuous questions) :) xx

[Greenman50]

It lasted a few weeks from memory , but it would have gone on much longer if i didn,t do the wall streetch thing my neighbour told me to do .

I didn,t take anything for it (i was young then :D) .. I diagnosed myself , basically everyone i knew , dad , neighbours etc all said it was the siatic nerve . I no longer take ibuprofen after takeing it for six weeks constant last year (and exceeding the dose :blush:) i,m convinced it didn,t help with my stomach issues . If you do take ibuprfen only take it short term and on a full stomach !

One of my customers also has it a few times a year , shes in her late 60,s and it takes months for hers to go , she nearly missed her hols due to it but shes fine again at the moment .

[lollypopgirl1981]

hi, just wanted to say, i had the same as you described, top of my let and left bum cheek, like you say its not pain pain, just an annoying achey pain... had mine about 3 days... i put deep heat on mine not sure if it helped, think it did... my but nan had it a few times and paid for accupuncture for it and shes never had it again....nothing to worry about though honest.

[ElectricAlice]

I tried some stretches, and then played some wii fit but had to stop bevause it felt so so tight are sore :(

Is this typical of sciatica? X

[blueangel]

Sciatica pain can vary a lot from a mild ache to being absolutely excrutiating. It can also come on gradually or suddenly, depending on what you're doing, but I know sudden twisting can be bad news for it. Someone I used to know managed to hurt her back whilst sitting on the loo and reaching for the loo paper!!

People also vary as to what helps it; I get it sometimes and I tend to find that not staying in the same position for too long helps me. You're probably best not trying to exercise it too vigorously as that might irritate the nerves more.

[ElectricAlice]

Thanks for your replies. Yeah it just seems to feel
Tight and ache most of the time. What worries me is that the pain feels like it's coming down my inner thigh more than the back of my thigh. Can the pain do this?