To ask for your slipped disc / sciatica experiences?

What do you have exactly p

Some of you have had ,and are still having an awful time. Hope you all get better soon.
I had sciatica with all 4 pregnancies but no back issues until in my late 60s when I fell on the stairs . It didn't even hurt much ,I sort of slid down a few steps.
Next day I went for a long walk and then to a market and noticed that my ankle hurt.
Worse next day so the usual ice and rest .

For 6 months I have been in pain . Slight sciatica on left. Tight painful muscle in left thigh and agony when I tried to open my thighs eg getting into bath or into bed..I limped so badly I couldn't go anywhere. Carrying shopping was impossible.

I found a physio on YouTube aimed at the over 50s but I would think ,very useful for anyone. HT PHYSIO. I have been following for 3 weeks and am almost back to normal. I try never to sit for long which helps. I tried the exercises aimed at improving balance and was shocked to find that mine was very bad ,which it certainly wasn't before the injury.

I realise that my injury was not as bad as most on here but it was painful and miserable to have to walk round holding on to furniture. The pain was so sharp ,my leg would give way. Almost better now but wondering if anyone else experienced feeling so unbalanced that they felt that they were having to learn to walk again ?

@BackPainMisery whats your update

Give it time. You should start feeling improvement soon. If not, ask another doc to have a look

@@araiwa is a slipped disc same as nerve compression

@Deedoo

Then they should know the issue and develop a treatment plan

It's hard but it does get better and totally worth it

@araiwa my physio was after mri and I showed the guy my report

I had physio before I had the MRI and that was really painful and didn't seem to help much. I could barely walk after treatment. Having the MRI done so the doctor could see the problem exactly and devise appropriate treatment was the best thing I did

@Deedoo I'm not a physio but I think it will always hurt, certainly at the beginning but over time the treatment hurt less and I gained mobility slowly

@araiwa actually the physio didn't push and pull me he pushed and messaged the area in the back and that's why hurts

@araiwa why does the pulling and pushing hurt ? Is it mean too

@araiwa thank you I had my first session Friday and he did pulling and pushing and it hurts so I just keep going ?

@Filler44 so your better now

@Deedoo

I think it was slipped disc l3 or l4

Physio changed as it improved but involved some medieval contraption that stretched my back, heat treatment, electric treatment and the physio pushing and pulling me around

It was really hard and painful at begining but got more manageable as it progressed.

It was about 7 years ago and haven't had a problem since

I had osteopathy which helped immensely

@araiwa what type of physio did you do

@araiwa what did your mri show

I had sciatica in 2008. Afraid I can’t give any positive stories. Sometimes would find a comfortable position but mostly in constant pain.
Visited different physios who didn’t help, one actually visited feeling not too bad and came out worse.
Two and a months later woke feeling better and improved from there.
Still now have a tingling sensation in that foot.

Thanks for your reply! And for giving me hope! I am seeing lots of improvement. But was worried that was because after three months of walking a lot, I finally just rested and that massively helped me heal. Now I think I must get moving again. I am the same as you were: to sit or stand still, not good. I can lie down and 7 times out of ten it removes most of my pain. But when it doesn’t, I think, I need to move!

Yes it hurt to walk. But every person I spoke to said keep walking so I did. To be honest sitting or lying down hurt just as much as walking.
I can’t remember how long it took to start improving. Several months as I waited a long time for an MRI and I was still having bilateral sciatic pain at that point. Walking and physio were the things that helped the most

I hope you don’t mind me jumping in here. Your update has given me hope. I’m almost five months post-injury and getting there. I am seeing loads of improvement and having more good days than bad. But the recovery isn’t linear is it! So frustrating.

After Eight months, were you just able to sleep on either side again? Drive? Sit on the sofa? I can’t wait for this misery to end!

Do you mind me asking if it ever hurt to walk? I’m in the middle of it all now. I was walking lots every day but then rested for
a month and did nothing, and I am trying to introduce walking again but it’s painful! I am
making progress elsewhere. But the walking, man! Not like it was. Also, how long did you take to get over that initial acute phase?

My short ish version

Sciatica for years. January 2017 it flared but felt different, ended up a private physio. Third session she refused to treat me and sent me for an MRI, saying "something is really wrong here"
March I end up off work and drugged to the eyeballs on pain meds, scan comes back as a huge disc herniation L5/S1. Tell them I want to cut my leg off with the pain

It's all a bit hazy from there but I took a cancellation to see a consultant who said it needed surgery and put me on the list
Pain is replaced by total numbness and inability to walk without dragging my leg

May I develop CES, lying in bed and think it feels like warm water running down my legs. No other symptoms except the usual numbness and foot drop. I debate for a bit then drive myself to a&e and say "I think I have cauda equina"

Shoved in a scanner pretty swiftly with a look of as I'm still walking with full bladder and bowel control, confirmed CES and neurosurgeon on his way. Surgeon arrives and says "I don't know how you are still walking.. sorry you DROVE here?!"

5hr surgery, walked an hour after, discharged 21hrs post op. Surgeon says I am wilful and will have a good recovery when I ask when I can ride again
Set alarm on phone for 8 weeks post op to the day, do private physio and PT rehab, get back on horse 8 weeks on the dot. Outside of foot and leg still have numbness

@BackPainMisery How did you go about the arranging the MRI - did you have to make a private appt?

I'm in a similar position with pain down my thigh and into my calf. It's worse with sitting and I now have pins and needles spreading to other areas which is a new symptom (not sounding like CES though thankfully). Have had remote apts with GP but going to push for an in person appt tomorrow as feeling really stressed about lack of progress after 6 weeks.