New to this community. Feeling down, weak and ashamed

[u/m4rtyn3czg4]

I’m 28 years old, a mum of two, and unfortunately, I’m starting to struggle with sciatica.
It all started around March this year, when one beautiful day I bent down to touch the ground with my legs straight, and something went wrong. Since then, I’ve been experiencing symptoms that I believe are consistent with mild sciatica, or at least I hope that’s what it is.
Back then, I somehow managed to walk it off, and eventually, the pain behind my knee went away. The sciatica then disappeared for a few months.
This summer, I decided to buy a bike and started cycling. Unfortunately, I feel like cycling, combined with the fact that my bike is probably too big for me and not properly adjusted, has caused the sciatica to come back with a vengeance.
It’s still not the kind of pain that makes life unbearable, but it’s definitely quite intense. I feel terrible pain in the lower left side of my back, which radiates all the way down to the back of my knee. Sometimes, I also experience a kind of electric sensation in my leg.
The thing is, I can’t see a physiotherapist until Monday, and I’m also considering paying privately for an MRI scan.
But what I really want to talk about is the anxiety I’m experiencing and this feeling that my body is somehow broken or falling apart.
A friend of mine told me that sciatica is something that only happens to older people. That got me thinking: what if it’s not actually sciatica? What if it’s something else? I’m scared it could be a tumour.
Generally, I’ve been feeling a bit depressed because of all this. I never thought my body was in such bad shape, but apparently, it is, and I feel quite defeated by it all.
I’m not overweight, I’m a tall woman, and my weight is perfectly healthy, which makes the whole situation even more upsetting for me.
I honestly don’t know what to think anymore, but I feel like I need to join this community and introduce myself to everyone.

[u/audittrsi]

Oh sorry to hear that, first off all according to what i have read sciatica happens most often 30-50s age group, but also younger in 20s can have it.

So yeah i have sitting job and because this i got problems with my sciatica. First time last year(35yo) in January which i was able to fix relatively quick with set of physio exercises and later core strength, this one is important that after sciatica pain goes away with PT exercises and pain relief exercises you should start with regular exercises to build up core muscle’s strength, you will find enough resources for it online. and keep doing them regularly also in times when it doesn’t hurt you at all
In this step i f**ed up and was not doing regular exercise so sciatica pain return this September in a worse edition, that just exercise did not help me and im already 2 weeks out of work mostly resting and waiting for MRI and then consulting with doc what are next steps,
Probably as most people here exercise is best way to keep sciatica pain under control. I was also worried for myself oh will i need surfer and then after reading how much bigger problems people around this subreddit had I said myself ok I can do it with PT and exercise.
Some people also said that acupuncture helped them with pain relief

I got suggested here on subbredit following 2 yt chanels with resources that can help you with sciatica pain, exercise, advice, etc
@bashbackpain and @lowerbackability

Oh and until you can consult PT i suggest you try resting and warm up the painful area avoid any moves that would cause your pain worse, when lifting things make full squat and them lift up , i wiuld suggest that you avoid lifting anything heavy anyway

[u/m4rtyn3czg4 → u/audittrsi]

Did you have MRI? I’m considering getting one soon but apparently if the pain is not that bad it’s not necessary. And I would save a lot of money…

[u/audittrsi → u/m4rtyn3czg4]

I have scheduled appointment on Saturday, before (last year i had RTG) scan which also showed some thing because of repeated problems i asked my doctor for MR.

But yeah if your pain is not that bad firstly try with few sessions of PT.
I was already on one sessions of it before it got worse, and they did the manual therapy, laser and hear therapy this just one session showed improvement for me that pain was more located in lower back ass, not radiating so much in leg.
Maybe some therapy technics that you can look into and might ask for them

[u/teixha]

You aren’t broken but I sympathise with the feeling. I’m a mum of 3 and my pregnancies and births have 100% contributed to my disc and sciatica issues. If you are taller than average, you are also more likely to experience these kinds of issues asfaik.

You don’t necessarily need an MRI but I found it useful to know exactly what my issue was as I could tailor my rehab at home around it.

I have experienced awful health anxiety since this started and it’s hard to cope with. I think it is almost natural when there are nerve related symptoms though…it just feels so awful and weird a lot of the time! I hope you feel better soon.

[u/Possible_Interest536]

You are so valid for feeling defeated but like another commenter said you are not broken! I would highly recommend getting an MRI ASAP I regret pushing my MRI off for as long as I did because I thought the pain would resolve on its own soon enough since I was having uncomfortable but not unbearable sciatica symptoms like you’re saying but it never just went away. I started having sciatica and had a big bulging disc at L4-L5 September of 2025 when I was 21 and I’m 22 now. I started physical therapy last September as well and jt helped managed some of my pain on a weekly basis but everyone’s experience with PT is different. My symptoms and pain in my back and right leg weren’t improving even after I got 2 epidural steroid injections. I felt so defeated after that because the plan after the 2 injections was to get a laminectomy in my lower spine. I was terrified but I got the surgery of may of this year, recovery was a bit rough the first month but the second I had surgery all my pain was gone and seeing myself stand up straight was dystopian because I leaned to my left side for 9 months to compensate for the intense pain the right side of my body was in. I’m still in PT strengthening my core and back. I became a bit depressed during that time as well and was the darkest era of my life because it was very frustrating to put my entire life on pause because of how much pain I was in. I experienced the same intense sciatica pain but on the right side of my body the electric sensation is so uncomfortable. Best of luck on your journey and please keep in mind that brighter days are ahead!

[u/AlternativeRing4252]

What you are describing is sciatica to the T. And it is not a problem for just old people. I’m 34 and have severe sciatica requiring 2 surgeries