live my first ever bout of back back pain was about 10 years ago. I could not get up at work after it 'went' for no reason. Diazepam and two days in bed and it was back to normal, never to be problematic again, and I forgot all about it.
Then, it re-occured with (well, I now know what probably caused it, but 't digress right now), my back 'going' when i bend hardly any distance to pick my son off my bed when he was 10 months. I went so badly, and the pain increased over about 2 hours, that I had to crawl, bracing myself every few minutes to get to the bedroom and it took me, no lie, 45 mins. I could not reach the phone. DD was 4.5. She had to get a chair, get the phone and call DH. He came to find my bent over the bed, unable to get in it. Luckily, DS had been put down for a nap and was asleep at the time. I had to wee in DS's potty, and screamed when my legs were touched. Emergency Doc prescribed codeine over the phone, I wasn't seen. When I saw my own gp that week, he said it was pulled muscle or ligament. I was off work for two weeks, it got gradually better and then it was like it had never happened by 3-4 weeks onwards. It went again about 4-5 months later, not as severe, but bit of time off work, and again it disappeared. Again, told muscle problem. This happened several times. In the middle of all this, when I was feeling absolutely fine, I had lots of twinges of pain in my legs, but no backpain. I didn't know really what sciatica was, and it came and went enough that I convinced myself these types of aches and pains people just got from time to time, but no-one complains about every little twinge. I honestly thought I was just making a big fuss and so ignored it, even though it bothered me I just pretended it wasn't there. It was not major, it didn't disrupt my life and I definitely didn't connect it to my back.
Then, two years ago, just before Christmas, it went again, badly. Really badly, and after two weeks, it was not ok. And I went to the GP following christmas holiday and said it had to be something other than muscular. He said I was too young/not overweight/didn't smoke/otherwise fit and healthy (he had said this before and is why he said muscular) and so was confused as to why my symptoms suggested disc related, which he reluctantly admitted it did (I didn't think of disc problem then, really although Dr Google suggested it might be). he said i just didn't fit the criteria, however, he agreed to refer me to osteo and it was the osteo who said without even touching me that it was my disc and it appeared I had the problem for some time.
ok. I talked far far too much there. What I am saying, is those diagnoses of yours, saying muscular, very, very likely to not be muscular. Sciatic pain is always due to a problem with the nerve, and although there are numbers of other causes, it is never normally muscular. It might be a disc, but, could be stenosis or other structural issues impingeing on the nerve, maybe sacral not spinal itself, but, it's definitely definitely not muscular, although that does not mean your muscles are not screwed from the rest of it. You are right, mostly, the original cause of back pain with sciatica is spinal in some form. And, this has not gone away after a few weeks, like it has in the past. This reminds me of me, it's there, you are desperately trying to get on with your life, but actually, it's still very much a problem and now you are having to adjust. This is not 'a bad bout of sciatica'. You need to go get some more tests. You need an MRI.
One thing I have learnt with medical professionals. You have to ASK for stuff. INSIST on stuff. Don't wait for your GP to offer an MRI. S/he is unlikely to as it costs and they have targets to keep within. Don't just accept medication anymore.
OK. Nag over 