Anyone experience back pain like this

[User12358]

Hi,

I have pain in my lower back/buttock left side intermittently for the past few years. It usually resolves after a week or so and comes back every few months. For the last week I have had pain my my left calf and tingling left foot in addition to the back pain. It is bad when walking standing and fine at rest. Usually 3 symptoms are not together. Has anyone experienced this?

Are you flexible? But untoned? Sounds like my symptoms which also include piriformis in one hip but the advice is always the same. Build muscle and strengthen.

But do get it checked out as the tingling can indicate nerve irritation/ damage. But the advice will def be to build muscle.

Where would I need to build muscle?

I walk a lot and am a healthy weight

I have that on my left side - it is my prirformis muscle (the muscle at the top of your bum that runs form the base of the spine to the hip).

You need to do regular exercises like glute bridges

Or sciatica.

Agree with piriformis. See a good massage therapist / physio and they ll give you both stretches and strengthening exercises to fix it. Do it soon before it gets worse. You can walk a lot and still have weak glutes, if they aren’t firing it will go into your piriformis / low back and potentially trigger sciatica.

😂Yep me too.
Walking doesn’t help unfortunately.
I’ve lost count of the number of programs like this I have, this was in my bag from a few weeks back. Get it checked out but guarantee it’s lack of muscle, possibly piriformis

Sounds like sciatica.

In some people the sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis so it all sounds linked. (Tingling indicates sciatica but location of pain indicates piriformis issue). Glute strengthening will help but definitely see a physio for an accurate assessment.

I'm pretty sure it's sciatica as the sciatic nerve runs sone your left leg.

I had twinges for a couple of years then two v bad attacks of this. It was treated with amitriptyline and painkillers.

The tell tale signs are the left side only and the tingling or pins and needles. The outside of my left calf is still numb and I think the nerves are dead beyond repair.

Yes walking won’t help if you’re not firing the glutes properly (or they are weak) the piriformis takes over and this is a small muscle that can’t do all the work.

I suspect a physio will give you glute and hip strengthening for that while area to take the pressure off. Then stretching can also help but not without the strength work. Glute bridges building up to single leg bridges on the affected side are good

Currently recovering from a bout of sciatica with exactly the same symptoms. I get this now and again and the best thing is physio. I can now shorten the time it takes to get better as I start exercises from the first twinge in my calf.

Had it on both sides a few years ago. That wasn't fun!

Sounds like sciatica to me

Sciatica. If you are still able to walk and operate day to day then it's a mild case. It gets worse in the colder months

Thanks for all the replies, it does sound like sciatica. I think I will need to see a physio.

@User12358 did physio help