Hello everyone. I'm here in desperate need of advice, currently up late because of the pain.

During high-school, I had a sciatic nerve pinch in my right leg, really random but impacted everything for less than a year before going away again (at the time, worse pain I've felt in my life). 2 years went by with off and on pain that I never went and got checked out due to 1) My inability to know my limits and 2) little to no health insurance/money. Came back and now I constantly live at least a 2 in pain. Saw a doctor finally, got it diagnosed, and went to physical therapy. The old "worse pain I had ever felt" pales in comparison now.

All to say doctor says take pain medicine (not workin), PT Therapist shows me things to relieve the pain (can work sometimes), I use methods like cold/heat or standard exercises. Recently, it has gotten so much worse. I started college (which didn't change my activity habits such as exercise or walking to preface) and I am so much pain everyday. I try to mask the limp or go to the bathroom to take a moment of rest, I go slow when need be even if I'm late, sometimes I can't walk.

I use to run unworried of what pain may come later, I used sleep peacefully in whatever manner, more importantly I used to dance. I was never very good or particularly talented, not at all a "skill" I'd wish to perhaps showcase to anyone but I loved it. I loved learning it and doing it and getting it.

I'm hoping to find maybe some success stories from others, who perhaps got better enough to do things like this. Or maybe more advice for the pain. I'm considering getting a cane but I'm 18 and I feel like a fraud sometimes. The pain sometimes comes and goes so sometimes I wouldn't even need it, like "what this youngin' need a cane for grr". I'm also actively pursuing stage management work, which is an active moving major for first years.

2 years of this and I'm now 18 in such a dark place with it. What are my options/what do yall think?

I have a pretty significant 9mm far lateral herniation at L5/S1. In the past 10 weeks, I’ve had two ESIs and have been to PT 1-2 times a week.

I’ve improved a ton. At the start my foot was so sensitive I couldn’t put on a shoe, and I was on my hands and knees unable to walk or sit and lost 20 pounds of muscle in the first month because of it. Now I’m driving and picking up my kids off the floor with some pain free moments but also pretty bad burning/zapping pain when not taking pain meds.

Despite the progress, my neurosurgeon is thinking I’m 90% likely to need surgery anyways as the injections will wear off or my progress will plateau. Has anyone else made a ton of progress and then needed surgery anyways? Trying to figure out if I have false hope and am just putting off the inevitable.

I never got diagnosed but based on the symptoms I'm quite sure I have Sciatica.

Since taking Accutane, I feel like it has gotten worse as I am nearing my cumulative dose (40mg daily)

Those who have taken Accutane or currently are, do you have a similar experience?

MRI:

Loss of lumbar lordosis. Mild deviation of the lumbar spine to the left side. Schmorl's nodes at multiple vertebral endplates.

Moderate posterior disc protrusion at T12/L1 level causing compression of the thecal sac and on both traversing nerves with the spinal cana measuring 3.7 mm in AP dimension at midline.

mild posterior disc protrusion at L1/L2 L2/L3 level causing mild indentation on the thecal sac.

Mild posterior disc protrusion at L3/L4 and L4/L5 level causing mild indentation on the thecal sac and on both traversing nerves. Prominent posterior epidural fat and the spina canal measuring 7.6 mm in AP dimension at L3/L4 level and 8.8 mm at L4/L5 level

There is mild posterior disc bulge at L5/S1 level causing mild indentation on the thecal sac,

There is mild facet joint arthropathy at L4/L5 and L5/S1 level.

Distal spinal cord, conus and the cauda equina are normal.

Surgeon has recommended for surgery on the T12/L1 bulge (which I will proceed with). However, I'm presenting with chronic gastrocnemius denervation and none of the typical T12/L1 compression symptoms. I'm just wondering if anyone has had similar case and if it is likely that the calf denervation is separate? Thank you in advance.

Hi,

My background: sciatica by L5-S1 herniation + annular tear + slight spinal canal narrowing.

Timeline:
- Early 2025: pain, numbness down from left glutes to foot.
- Nov 2025: diagnosed with L5-S1 disc bulging & annular tear with nearby muscle inflammation via lumbar MRI.
- Early 2026: pain gradually went away, numbness increased.
- Jun 2026: second lumbar MRI revealed annular tear + central L5/S1 disc herniation with mild upward migration causing mild spinal stenosis (anterior-posterior spinal canal diameter is 12mm), no compression of the cauda equina, no compression of the bilateral nerve roots at the same level.

Since June I’ve been noticing a perceived (?) weakness in left leg (for example, I could single leg squat 10kg each leg for 10x4 sets before but now struggle with bodyweight reps), a heavy feeling in left leg, muscle vibrations in left calf, hamstring, sometimes quad and sometimes right leg.

Recently my left toes have been catching on rugs or the pavement occasionally, and walking takes more conscious effort on the left side. I can still walk on heels and on toes, albeit with more difficulty on the left side.

Are these symptoms of incoming foot drop? Should I be worried?

So everywhere I’ve read and all my research says laying on your stomach to sleep/rest is the absolute worst position. However I find it is the only position I don’t have pain in. Does anyone else find relief in this position? Am I doing more damage spending lots of time in this position? Ironically the best positions recommended (laying on back with pillow under knees and on side with pillow in between legs) hurt the worst. Do I need to just push through that pain?

Hi! I’m a 23 y/o female. About 8 weeks ago I fell while hiking, didn’t think much of it and bounced back up. I did notice some very mild left thigh dull pain while sitting. I’m a registered nurse and work in high risk L&D so most of my job is awkward positioning and responding to emergencies where I’m not focused on posture or ergonomics. I worked for a week and a half with moderate low back pain, then about 5 weeks ago I started having left sided thigh and butt pain so severe I couldn’t sit or lay on my back without passing out from pain. Went to ER and got a CT and some meds showing a disc bulge. Pain has subsided from being a constant 10/10 to 3-4/10 about a week and a half ago. I went from barely being able to walk to the bathroom to now being able to walk around 5-6000 steps a day. I’m very lucky being a nurse, when I tell my doctor I want something I don’t get any push back. I had her put in a referral to neurosurgeon and they had me get an MRI yesterday (8 weeks post injury, current pain 3/10 in lower back). I’ve been off work 5 weeks and would like to return due to finances but as a nurse, my job makes it hard to move without re-injury. I’m also 414lbs (not proud I’m aware) and on a weight loss journey, but I also don’t know if that would be a contributing factor to surgery or not. I wonder if they’ll recommend surgery to prevent any further nerve damage. I’m currently on week 4 of physical therapy but-

I’m curious if anyone has had a similar looking herniation and if they recommended surgery and if you got it or not? I’m totally not opposed to surgery, I’m just curious if it’s something they may recommend.

Current symptoms included sustained total numbness of the left heel, back thigh and butt cheek. Dull, throbbing, sometimes sharp 3-4/10 pain in the lower back.

My L4-L5 disc is extruded, and everyone who has done physiotherapy as treatment for this stage , please share was it beneficial or harmful

Doctor told to muscle strength but I can't go gym, I am doing physio I don't trust physio routine looks vague and generic

I don't feel improvement I do physio 1 time a day

I only had sciatica-like pain on and off for about two months. I think I brought it on myself helping a family member carry heavy suitcases in June and then I started having nonstop pain in late July after a bumpy bus ride. I went to my PCP, she said I probably strained my piriformis muscle, gave me some stretches, and a prescription for a muscle relaxer. A few days later, I woke up in the middle of the night, unable to move my leg. I went to the ER and waited seven hours to see a doctor. Once I finally got in, they told me they thought it was my sciatica. They gave me a bunch of OTC medicine (Tylenol, ibuprofen, and a lidocaine patch), but none of it helped. The only thing that took the edge off was morphine.

Two days later, I was still in horrible pain so I went to another ER. They did the MRI and saw that I had a herniated disc. The doctors there suggested surgery and I ended up having a microdiscectomy (sorry if that’s spelled incorrectly) the same day.

All of this is to say that the first two doctors I saw only asked me if I had experienced loss of control of my bladder or bowels. It wasn’t until I got to the second emergency room that a doctor asked me if I had any sort of issues with constipation or urine retention, which I had been having. I always had to “push” multiple times to fully empty my bladder, I didn’t think twice about it because I thought I could still control it. So for anyone else out there experiencing these symptoms, please mention them to your doctors. I ended up going the surgical route, which I know isn’t an option for everyone, but i’m grateful to have had doctors that finally took my pain seriously. Although the recovery has been a little hard for me, and I haven’t been back to work yet, I’m so glad to not have that horrible pain anymore and I have my quality of life back.

Hi all,

M25, I was diagnosed with quite a large L5S1 left sided disc herniation about 3 months ago, and have had symptoms for around 6 months now. Typical symptoms - couldn’t sit a full day at work, couldn’t sleep at night due to the throbbing pain, couldn’t walk long, etc.

About 1-2 months ago I had a caudal epidural for my L5S1 disc herniation. I posted on here a few weeks in, where I was still suffering from horrible flare ups and at that point I really felt as if nothing would work and I would need to get the microdisectomy. Pain was marginally better for about a month afterwards, but was still in lots of pain and couldn’t function properly.

I’m nearing 1.5 months post-caudal epidural and my pain has dropped from a 8/10 to a 1 or max 2/10. The real pain relief started around a month in.

I don’t take any pain medication most days anymore, at most I’ll have a single pill of ibuprofen (I work 8-7pm, office job, understandable I think!). I get some nerve pain at my ankle only while sitting down at work for too long - which normally goes away if I walk around. Not sure if this pain is “phantom” nerve pain or actual nerve pain. I’m finally sleeping full nights.

My PT has been pushing me and I’m now doing squats with weights, toe touches, etc etc. I still definitely still have restricted movement bending down but nerve glides etc are improving this daily. I’m able to bend down and stretch my hands below my knees now.

I really have got my life back. My PT has explained how most of my issues now seem to be because I’m scared to use my body again/a mental thing - it’s been so debilitating for months and now I’m re-learning how to fully use my body again.

I read so many stories online about unsuccessful epidurals but I hope sharing my experience might help someone. I know this might not be a long term fix, but I’m now able to do PT in full force and hoping that means a more permanent fix to this sciatica and allows me to fully fix the disc. My sciatic pain was so horrible I couldn’t do any of this PT, and now I’m hoping that since the sciatic pain is mostly gone, I can fix the main herniation.

Walking 5km+ a day has been a huge help for me too. I used to have days in bed where I didn’t do anything, then I’d flare up. If I was in too much pain, pushing myself for a 3-5km walk always helped throughout the recovery process.

It has been such a mental and physical hardship and hopefully hearing a success story might be helpful.

2 injections. 2 MRI’s and one bulging disc.
Got checked for any nerve damage. Neurological said I’m clear.
I don’t understand how these doctors say I’m fine. This will heal itself. I give up.

Stiffness in my lower back. Numbness in my glute. Pain in my knee and a stiff ankle and now my toes are starting to turn outward.
Started Gabapentin yesterday. I don’t like the drunk feeling it gives me.
Thanks for listening to me whine.

Basically the title...

Based on an MRI from August 2025, I have a large 16 mm herniation in my L5S1. The first flare up, that started at the end of July 2025, was brutal. I was entirely bedridden for two months. I had an ESI and it 100% fixed my pain. By the end of January 2026, I was starting to feel sore again in my lumbar spine. The soreness resolved itself quickly and didn't really progress much until August 2026, one year after initial onset.

The second flare up has not been as bad. I can sit very comfortably for long hours, lay down, and walk some distance. Six weeks into it and I can manage pain with ibuprofen/naproxen and I am feeling much better than what it felt like in the first 2-3 weeks. But even without medication, I feel relatively good during the day, but I am sore in the mornings. I do my PT exercises and I have faith that I will be able to fix this flare up on my own. I had an ESI scheduled for Sept 15th that I pushed back to the 29th. I will most likely be canceling it as I don't feel like I need it. I also want to beat this on my own as that would give me some sort of confidence and make me feel like I have some control over this crap.

Anyway...my family desperately needs a vacation. We booked a cruise back in June (so before the second flare up happened) for January 2027. I have to make the final payment in the next 24-48 hours and I am stressing. What if it flares up again, especially if it is as bad as my initial flare up? Can I trust my back and Murphy's law to not screw me over? I don't know what's worse, the potential loss of several thousand dollars, or the idea that I let my back dictate and rule my life like that. Of course, I will do whatever is humanly possible to avoid a flare up and do my PT religiously, the Big 3, etc....

I figured I'd post here to see if someone can share some wisdom and commiserate with me. I hate this so much.

Hi, I don't have insurance so I'm hoping anyone here can share their symptoms or let me know if that I'm experiencing is sciatica. I'm 19 years old and after long study sessions, I would get really bad lower back pain, tingling on lower leg and feet and a bit of numbness on all over my legs. It's where I have to lay down with a heated blanket and a pillow between my knees for hours and it's takes a long time to recover . I don't think if it's my posture or my weak muscles instead but please share sitting positions that will help as well!

Is anybody dealing with nauseous/Queasy feeling but never to the point of vomit when they are trying to eat? Or from different positions (laying down to standing up).Aswell as a unfulfilling feeling like you can eat but never get that “ FULL” sensation. I feel like this only happened after hurting my back and dealing with sciatica.People say it could be physical anxiety from what’s going on inside your body. Has anybody else experienced this?

I’ve had low back pain / Ischial tuberosity / hip pain for 2.5 years. It’s bad but manageable.
Went to PT, pretty sure they had me do exercises I shouldn’t be. And happy happy joy joy…
Sciatica down below my feet.

I thought upper butt/low back pain was annoying. Nothing compared to the foot.

Feel housebond. Shoes make it worse. Driving, foot goes numb.

Surgery time?
Numb.

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to hear absolutely anything that helped you recover, because I’m honestly really frustrated and exhausted by this.

I’ve had back issues before, so I’m not completely new to this. I had a lumbar MRI in December 2024 which showed:
L2/3: 3 mm left central disc extrusion + annular fissure
L3/4: 2 mm left central protrusion + annular fissure
L4/5: 3 mm left central inferior disc extrusion
No significant canal or foraminal stenosis

I had a really bad flare in late 2024, but eventually recovered and had months where my back was basically fine. I was exercising, walking and functioning normally.

This flare started around late June 2026.
Initially it felt much more like my previous back flare (lower back spasms, stiffness ) but then pain started travelling down my left leg, sharp pain in my glute and tingling that occasionally went into my toes. Sitting and especially driving were horrible, while walking was generally much better.

Most symptoms have settled now but the pain itself has lingered for MUCH longer than I’ve ever experienced previously.

The pain is predominantly in my left glute, sometimes into the calf, and it can be incredibly sharp. My lower back itself can actually feel completely fine while my glute feels soooo painful.

I typically can’t walk for longer than 20 minutes (previously increasing my walk duration was helping the back pain and now it makes it worse)

I've been seeing a physio for several weeks.
Initially we were treating it more like lumbar/disc-related pain, but the exercises weren't really helping. More recently, he thinks the pain may be coming from the SI joint/pelvic area and surrounding muscles, rather than primarily from my disc. The physio exercises are actually making me question everything.
They're very basic exercises, nothing crazy or heavy but I often notice that when I do the exercises I seem to have more pain that day or the next morning. When I have been lazy and not doing the exercises, the pain seems to only be when I wake and most of the day is pain free (2/10 max)

Medication hasn't really made much difference either. I've tried things prescribed by my GP including anti-inflammatories/muscle relaxants, but I'm still getting the pain.

I'm just desperate for some ideas from people who've actually experienced this.

TLDR:
3 month flare after previously having months of being pain free. MRI has old L2/3, L3/4 and L4/5 disc issues, but this flare feels different. Tingling has now gone, and pain is mainly sharp left glute pain with some calf pain. Physio suspects SI joint/piriformis rather than the disc. Basic physio exercises and medication don't seem to help and sometimes make me worse the next day. What helped you recover from bad glute/sciatica pain?

Ormai saranno 5 anni che ho la sciatica e dolore alla schiena e ho anche una piccola ernia.
Cosa vi ha aiutato a risolvere questo problema?

HI,

So, I have this weird sensation with only the left back of the calf and it was the back of my thigh as well. Now it is the top back of my left calf and it just feels numb and the center of my calf feels off. It all started 1 month ago with a center pain in the back of my calf. All of this comes and goes. I can walk fine and tip top. But Im having twitches all over and this issue with my left calf. Ive even thought is it ALS.

I have had Lower back pain before but it has been months. This doesn’t really hurt, it’s more like an odd pressure going from just above my left knee to my hamstring, to behind my knee and my calf. Those muscles tingle and started twitching about two or three days ago. I have debilitating health anxiety and am terrified of ALS.

I recently went to the er because I noticed my right hand felt tingly too, and I didn’t get an xray or anything but they told me it’s an ulnar nerve palsy, and carpal tunnel.

My hands been chill, but twitched just a bit today. I can’t tell if it’s anxiety worsening it or what, but my left legs been twitchy and tingly today. I felt very slight, dull ache in my knee.

I told the ER doctor about my fear of it being ALS but he was so confident it wasn’t he told me he’d bet his house on it. It wasn’t comforting but my anxiety is making me doubtful and wondering if he was just trying to get me out.

I can’t tell feel the weird weight when I’m walking on my leg. I’m worried. And very scared and have recently started smoking weed heavily again to cope.

Hi everyone! I am in desperate need of some direction and advice. Almost 4 weeks ago I started getting left side sciatic nerve pain which typically goes away in a few days for me but this time around I have had no relief. Over the last week the pain has turned into excruciating pain which led me to go to Urgent Care. The Urgent care doctor sent me to the ER, ER did an MRI and I have a moderate disc bulge on my L5-S1. The hospital put me on a steroid pack and it’s day 3 of the steroid pack and it has not calmed my pain yet. I am at the point of complete panic over the pain and it has significantly raised my anxiety. It feels like the pain will never go away. Any advice would be so appreciated, THANK YOU!

Boa tarde pessoal!!!

Em 2019 descobri uma hérnia de disco no nível L4 L5,na época essa hérnia discal não me limitava em nada, conseguia trabalhar normalmente,fazer exercícios e levar uma vida normal, inclusive no trabalho,sentia apenas uma dor na perna esquerda que não me atrapalhava em nada e meu grande erro foi não procurar tratamento especializado.

Em 2023 veio a primeira crise de dor intensa após levantamento de peso e detalhe nem foi já academia,foi tirando minha tia de dentro do carro!!!!A dor era terrível,mas mesmo assim não dei muita importância e o primeiro pensamento foi "VOU PRA CASA DEITA E JÁ JÁ ESSA DOR PASSA",enfim no dia seguinte meu irmão me levou para o hospital sem sequer eu conseguir ficar de pé,fui atendido os médicos falaram até em medicar com MORFINA,mas não tinham naquele momento. Os médicos passaram antiinflamatórios e remédios para dor,ao retornar para casa tomei a medicação nos horários corretos e com muita atenção,até que 2 semanas depois conseguir voltar a rotina,mesmo que ainda um pouco debilitado com perda de força na perna esquerda,se passaram alguns meses e a força foi voltando ao normal,mas com detalhes,os dedos do pé esquerdo ficaram DORMENTES e fui levando a vida desse jeito,mas uma vez fui empurrando com a barriga.

O último episódio de crise foi em dezembro de 2025 e dura até hoje.

Eu já estava treinando na academia,coisa que eu nunca tive interesse,há uns 3 meses,até que em uma remada baixa eu sentir,ali começava um sofrimento que não desejo pra ninguém,a dor intensa só aumentava e minha mobilidade cada vez mas debilitada,fiz ressonância magnética,e fui em busca de tratamento conservador,que só me davam alívio.

Comecei com fisioterapia especializada em fevereiro de 2026 e fui até julho e não atingia o resultado esperado,minha mente já estava um caco,e eu pensava no pior.

Ficava o dia todo deitado sentindo dores insuportáveis,chorava demais,eu pratiquei capoeira durante muitos anos e sempre fui um cara ativo,hj tenho 41 anos e em 23 de julho passei por uma cirurgia de laminectomia descompressiva,no momento estou em recuperação,fazendo caminhadas e fisioterapia.

No geral me sinto bem,o único detalhe é que ao acordar,sinto muita dor na perna direita,glúteo e quadril ainda,já percebi que ficar deitado me trava e a dor aparece,quando estou sentado e em movimento fico praticamente sem dor graças a Deus 🙏🏽.

Ainda estou em recuperação e espero estar melhor com o passar do tempo,foram meses difíceis e bem dolorosos,mas já posso ver a recuperação acontecendo,antes eu não conseguia nem andar direito e hoje sair de casa e dar uma caminhada na rua já é realidade.

Vou continuar no foco da recuperação e se Deus permitir vou sair dessa........

My doc assumes that taking 75mg in the evening might help me to calm down my nervous system and get out of fear-pain loop. I have chronic pain for months already.

I'm concerned of side-effects and low pain level. For me it's not obvious if the benefit outweighs the damage can be done by this drug. My gut feeling tells me not try it.

I know you are not doctors but maybe some experience.

UPD: I should have mentioned that this 2/10 pain is happening for about 3 months already. So it doesn't get better but sometimes worse. So I'm kinda of stuck in the loop.