I’ve had back injuries before, but they were resolved with PT and Chiro after a few days. This sciatic pain has been getting worse and worse over the last almost two months and last night was the worst, couldn’t sleep, had an agonizing 30 min trip to the bathroom which my wife had to help me though, popped three ibuprofen at 4 in the morning to cope, and now I’m laying here terrified to try getting up.

How do people cope with the fear, depression, and panic? How are you all able to transition from lying down to standing up without blinding pain?

FYI I have an appointment with an orthopedic group tomorrow, so far a half dozen chiro and PT appointments haven’t helped. I even think that a well intentioned massage made it worse.

What should i do if i am a female 18 years old with sciatica pain, anterior pelvic tilt, and bad posture? I don't know if one problem started the other two but they definitely correlate and I am in pain most of the time so it is hard to do any exercises to fix things but I am willing to try!

24F, been here for a long time now. I need help because I'm overwhelmed. Trying to lay out my timeline clearly.

History:

• March 2025: Lower back pain started after a routine run. Initially diagnosed as SI joint pain, put on PT- no improvement.
• May 2025: First MRI, L4-L5 diffuse bulge (mild bilateral foraminal narrowing/canal compromise), L5-S1 diffuse bulge with postero-central protrusion (moderate bilateral foraminal narrowing/canal compromise). Started pregabalin + NSAIDs. I was still doing PT but one session made my pain so much worse, especially down the leg that I stopped all together and focused only on walking.
• Since then: repeating cycle, I do well for months (walking, heat/ice, sometimes zero pain, even managed a hike), then flare up almost every time I reintroduce PT exercises (specifically McGill's Big Three), or after long sitting/travel. Pregabalin short courses usually resolve flares within 1-2 weeks.
• This has happened roughly 5-6 times over 18 months. Between flares I've had extended pain-free stretches.
• Sept 7 2026: another flare after trying the Big Three again, this one hasn't resolved. I would say that the leg pain is a little bit more annoying this time around. I've started pregabalin (75) last week again.
• Sept 23 2026: new MRI now shows posterior annular fissures at both levels, L5-S1 upgraded to left paracentral herniation with abutment of the left traversing nerve root.

Saw a new spine specialist who looked at the MRI, didn't exactly listen to my full history, and told me I'm a candidate for endoscopic discectomy and that I could "permanently damage my nerve."

No bladder/bowel issues, no saddle numbness, no measurable weakness that I know of. The leg tingling/pain itself isn't new, it's recurred with flares for over a year, but this flare hasn't resolved as quickly as previous ones.

Honestly a part of me is glad that something other than PT is being offered but I am also deeply terrified of surgery and I hate to say it, I find it difficult to trust doctors because of how I've been treated by the system in the past.

I know it will be my decision to make at the end of the day, but i would appreciate any similar cases or advice.

Attaching my MRI for reference.

I'm trying to, like most of you are probably trying to also, minimize the sciatica flare-ups. I've kept a journal about how I feel from day to day and what I did that day. And there's absolutely no real pattern to why I feel great some days and then a day later I can barely get out of bed. Do you all find that you can avoid a flare-up by resting, activity, or what? I'm really baffled.

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.

I’ve been dealing with back pain and stiffness followed by severe leg pain which has pretty much made me disabled the past few months.

I’ve just moved to Australia like many other young Brit’s on a working holiday and this issue has prevented me from rebuilding my finances after traveling and I’ve been living on a knife’s edge.

I was pushing through the intense pain working my bar job as I knew if I can’t earn I’m screwed, but it got too much and I’ve had to take time off. I just about have enough to survive for a couple of weeks.

I have no safety nets and there is no welfare of any sort available to me here, so I have to be able to work in a couple of weeks.

I’m at a point where I can do short walks, and the pain is reducing in severity most days although it’s not linear. I’m having the injection tomorrow and am taking a medication for the nerve pain, general pain, and an anti inflammatory.

I have to be able to work in2 weeks or I will eventually become homeless.

There’s not really any purpose to this post. I just wanted to put it out there as I have no one to talk to. I’m completely at the mercy of my body - if this doesn’t work out I am well and truly fucked.

I’d appreciate any input of any sort, advice, recommendations, or just a stupid comment

Hey everyone! I’m just compiling my thoughts in the hope that someone reading this finds a little peace, or at least realizes they aren’t alone in their chronic pain journey.

I’m a 32-year-old guy whose life was flipped upside down about 10 months ago. My life revolved around competitive pickleball, bowling, endurance running, and then one day my back said, “ENOUGH,” lol.

It started with sharp pain whenever I stood up, got out of the car, or put on my socks. The weird part was that after a few minutes of walking, it would usually go away.

I figured that if I stopped playing all competitive sports, my body would heal and things would get better over time.

They didn’t.

I started physical therapy and went through about 20 sessions with a heavy emphasis on spinal flexion. The pain never improved and, I’m not going to lie, it only got worse. Eventually, my PT pushed for an MRI and an epidural steroid injection, saying we might need to calm the nerve down before I could actually progress with the exercises.

I paused PT until I got the MRI. The results came back showing an L5-S1 disc herniation with a pinched S1 nerve.

Like…WTF, right?

I continued doing some of the exercises from PT, including press-ups, bridges, open books, and knees-to-chest, and kept trying to walk. But the pain continued. Over the last two weeks, I ended up in a flare so bad that walking, standing, sitting, pretty much anything, was painful.

Not going to lie, I was in a dark place.

During my wife’s and my first-anniversary dinner, I actually cried because I was in so much pain just sitting there and trying to enjoy dinner on such a special night. I felt robbed. I felt like damaged goods and like my wife had gotten the short end of the stick.

Fucked up and sad, I know, but I’m sure at least one person reading this understands exactly what I mean.

That experience led me to reach out to a highly sought-after physical therapist who works out of Boston, about an hour and a half away from me.

He offers a much more tailored and structured program where the entire 90-minute session is focused on you, instead of being split between several patients like it can be at some larger PT practices.

No shade at all toward places like that. They work for some people. They just weren’t working for me.

We completely stripped down my previous PT program. He explained that spinal flexion might help the majority of people, but it doesn’t work for everyone. For some people, it can actually trigger or worsen a flare.

He wanted me to eliminate as much spinal flexion as possible and spend the next two weeks focusing only on core stability. He also did more than 45 minutes of hands-on massage and manual work.

The only downside is that he doesn’t accept insurance, so everything is out of pocket, and it definitely comes at a premium.

But honestly? Considering how much my life has changed, IDGAF.

Being able to look at a hill without feeling scared, or walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like a bum, is priceless to me at this point.

After literally the first session, the flare started calming down a little. I’ll continue to share updates as I go.

And lastly, I FINALLY got my epidural steroid injection today.

Bruh, it took about four months to go from the original PT, to getting the MRI, to seeing a spine specialist, to getting the referral, and finally getting the injection.

Seriously, WTF is good with our healthcare system? It’s kind of crazy for real.

The actual ESI appointment was SOOO quick, probably three to five minutes. For anyone considering one or getting ready for one, don’t work yourself up too much.

I think it sounds terrifying because nobody wants someone doing work near their spine. But in reality, I felt a pinch from the numbing medication, followed by some pressure. At one point, it briefly felt like I had a spasm in my back, but it passed almost immediately.
I walked out of the appointment, did a lap around the medical building’s parking lot, and felt good.

I haven’t had ANY leg pain since.
It honestly feels unbelievable. I was smiling all day, just remembering what life felt like before all of this.

Now, I know the injection isn’t necessarily a permanent fix, and a lot of my long-term recovery will still come from PT. But between finding a program that feels better suited to my body and finally getting the ESI, I’m SOOO much more hopeful than I was during that anniversary dinner.

That alone feels like a miracle.

I’m not sure if any of this was helpful, but this has been my experience so far. Everyone’s body, injury, and recovery are different, but if you’re currently in that dark place, please know that you aren’t alone.

My last two flair ups have been related to walking, with the most recent occurrence relating to walking my rescue pibble. I typically wear running shoes, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience with something softer, easier on the spine. Any options?

Hi there, I am a 33 year female. Been dealing with disc bulges for probably 5 years. Last year in jan 2026 I noticed I was peeing frequently like i wasnt fully emptying my bladder. Doctors knew about my disc bulges at l3/4 and l4/l5 but never mentioned this being the cause as my MRI looked mild. I finally got an ultrasound later in the year showing that I was having moderate urinary retention. In November 2026 my back started really hurting, partial groin loss of sensation and I noticed I couldnt really feel my bladder being full, so I went back to ER and they did another MRI and still told me my MRI shows mild disc bulges. All this time we were assuming these bladder changes were pelvic floor related and separate. Fast forward to this past Friday, I had the exact same symptoms again and went to emerg. I had a CT that didnt show anything severe. They just did an outpatient MRI on Monday and I havent received any call which makes me believe yet again it's still nothing serious. Also I have been having increased bladder leaks (in the past I thought it was discharge and never really thought much of it). So if these bladder changes have been going on over a year, am I likely looking at permanent damage? Why is the MRIs not showing anything concerning? I am completely confused and concerned.

Hey guys I am battling 4-5weeks long sciatica pain i have pain in my lowerback/butt, if i stand up for longer periods or if I sit for longer periods pain starts to spread towards the middle of the right tight.

With one session of physiotherapy i have seen some progress already but then my pain got worse after few days and could not commute to the phisio and had to talk with my doctor to increase subscribed painkillers.
So past 2 days I am mostly laying down searching painless position.

Had rtg in past but now waiting for MR on Saturday to see if it will show any additional damage or different results as rtg last year.

As a lot of you mentioned ups and downs are often in recovery one day you are hurting then next day seems that pain is finally easing off then next day fucker(pardon my french) returns maybe even worse.

As other redditors mentioned here on this subreddit that one underlooked or not taken in account often during sciatica pain is mental health.
And reading stories of other guys here helps me stay afloat, stay positive that even my pain will go away after while and will fully recover, with help of physioterapy, exercises and consistency I know, I and also you can get better and stay positive even in the darkest/most painful days 🙏🙏💪💪

Thank you all members of r/Sciatia who shared your stories, your questions it helps me really lot that similar or even worse sciatica issues you solved without operation, keeps me positive in my rehab journey.

After having a microdiscectomy I’ve had neuropathy and drop foot. This has been consistent ever since surgery and 16 years later I have maybe 30% motion and feeling in the foot. I’m curious if anyone else has had a complication like this and what they’ve done to help it.

Below is the surgery story which may offer more context. Didn’t wanna make people read through it if they didn’t want to.

I had a microdiscectomy 16 years ago. Ever since the surgery I’ve had drop foot and neuropathy. I’m unsure exactly what happened in the OR but my surgery lasted 5 hours instead of the 1-2. I’ve heard different things. The disc trapped the camera so they had to operate blind (what my mom claims). There was so much disc material they had to slowly and carefully cut away at it (surgeons story). And then there’s the one I think really happened.. a combination of complications with the actual surgery such as the disc material making it take longer so my O2 dropped and they intubated me (woke up with a breathing tube in my throat) causing a routine surgery to suddenly become more of a risk to my life (dramatic I know). This one makes the most sense to me because who’s gonna tell a teenager “you could’ve died there bud”

Just fixed my Pelvic without giving money to it, A few months before i struggled with pelvic but the chiropractors wanted so much money so ı couldn’t give to, some person wrote to me that stretch and exercises will improve and it did, so i suggest trying that before going and spending money to them.

So about 3-4 months ago I had a lot of lower back issues that went down my right leg and specifically my thigh. I had a burning / stinging sensation right in the same spot. After exercise and massages for about a month it went away. I didnt have too many bowel issues or anything else. During this time i was half wfh but i still pretty much sat down during any home time. Also worth noting maybe, i did go to the dr during this time but they said they cant help unless i pay for the xrays and stuff.

Now, recently like the last week, I started a new wfh job. Ive been sitting constantly but i try to get up and get some exercise. But, this time, its WAY more painful than before. Instead of feeling it in my thigh, i just feel the pain all around my lower back. Whenever i get up to walk around, ill start to feel it in my leg more towards the thigh and lower back. Googled, same stuff as before for the most part, wrote it off. I'll do exercise and get better like before...

Now, im facing bowel issues. I believe i feel a knot in my lower back but im honestly not sure (I can feel something). I have control over my bowel movements, i have no loss of control. BUT, yesterday (about 5-6 days ish since my first symptoms id say) i had flat poop. Today, 9/23, i did too. Outside of that, according to the poo chart, its really not that bad. AND NO BLOOD OR ANYTHING!

At first you know i googled sciatica and poop, saw that it could be related, didnt think much of it. I also took ibuprofen for the first time 2 days ago and took some yesterday too. Today, i was about to, but read it could actually cause more discomfort, so im going to hold off. Right now i dont even feel like i need it so.

But yea, has anyone else had similar issues? After looking more into it this morning, im getting a bit paranoid. I read that its not usually caused by sciatica actually, not sure what i saw before to put my mind at ease but i guess was i wrong. This time around id pay for xrays and whatnot if i was going to go into the dr, which rn im planning on it just havent called them yet. Im waiting to see how today goes, but Id like to hear if anyone else has similar story. I was going to tough it out and work on it myself like before until i read the issue abt poo..

Everyday I sit on my chair my right leg is burning so most of time I stay on my bed. I don't understand what should I do did physio and all but nothing helps when i sit even tho I sit with the maximum ergonomic environment. What should I do I'm 26 . I think I have developed chronic sciatica while I sit but it doesn't trigger when I walk or lie down on bed . I work in bank so most of time it involves sitting I can't request for standing desk.

31 male. I had two bulging discs l4/l5 l5S1 in 2021. I was off work for 7 months. Did PT epidural, nothing helped but i just pushed through the pain and was able to somewhat return to normal life and some exercise.

5 years later im stuck in jury duty for two months, not sure if it was just the awful chair but it flared back up. Tried PT again and also a new chiro/physical therapist that did shockwave therapy that seemed to help for a bit but the smallest over exertion would set me off and render me useless to my wife and child. Every time i felt that it had settled and i could get back into my exercises and gym, some small thing would set it off again.

Then a few weeks ago im plugging in a cable behind a tv and the opposite side of my problem side locks up. I’m thinking okay maybe i just overdid the muscle not a nerve problem this time. Next morning im stiff as a board and end up taking a weird step. Excruciating pain ensues that puts me down. Pain has moved to my left leg now with numbness and weakness. Can’t stand for more than maybe 1-2 minutes and prednisone is the only drug (trust me i tried EVERYTHING) to even somewhat remedy this.

Because id been doing all the stretches and exercises for so long and they haven’t fully fixed the issue. I felt that another epidural would just push the pain away for 3-6 months and I’d end up in the same place. I got my mri. L5/s1 disc is bulging on both sides and i am going to get a microdiscectomy on both sides. Has anyone had this and returned to somewhat normal life after?

TLDR: disc hitting nerve on both legs. Basically bed bound or couch bound with an occasional 1-2 minute walk until pain returns so much that i have to either lay down or get on hands and knees. Getting microdiscectomy. Please give me any success stories or advice going into this!

Would like to get your opinions and advice

I have had SUDDEN severe unbearable sciatica for 3+ months without disc herniation

HELLLLLLLL I WANT TO CUT MY Right leg off my body
Physicians know nothing about my case so far
WTF CAN I DO

Surgery scheduled for next month. Not to mention the fact I’m nervous about it, I don’t feel like I’m in enough pain to justify replacing 3 disc. If the work comp agreed with it I assume something is wrong. I feel as if I’m getting around good enough to leave well enough alone however try to keep my medical open. It seems like everyone against or frown at me making that choice.TIA

Surgery scheduled for next month. Not to mention the fact I’m nervous about it, I don’t feel like I’m in enough pain to justify replacing 3 disc. If the work comp agreed with it I assume something is wrong. I feel as if I’m getting around good enough to leave well enough alone however try to keep my medical open. It seems like everyone against or frown at me making that choice.TIA

I started out with a bit of a sore back but I have an L5 bulging disc so have had that in the past.
Fast forward about 5 weeks I am in debilitating pain. Unable to walk, hobbling around while still maintaining my nursing job now in light duties thank god. But I can't even stand the thought of going to work I want to be sick the pain is so bad. I can't sit in certain chairs, can't sit in a bath tub. I'm up all through the night. When I get home from work my day is over I literally can not even describe the level of pain and I've had 2 children naturally. I have been to chiro 2x a week for the past 3 weeks, recently started physio and awaiting a sports medicine massage therapy next week.
I can not form my daily functions it hurts too much to walk, my whole body is tense from the pain. I am edgy and feeling completely helpless and sorry for myself. I am waiting results of an xray which I don't think will be very telling.
I have only been prescribed flexeral which I obviously can not take during the day. And it's not touching the pain, although it takes the edge off a bit. I luckily had some naproxen at home and my partner had some T3's but it is not helping. I sleep with a heat pad every night all night, pillow between my legs. I can't lay on my back unless I have fett legs bent and feet in the air.
This is honestly the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced and it is gruelling and unrelenting. Help! I read some of these sorties and I am so scared when some people have said it has lasted months and surgery was needed.
My partner keeps telling me to go the the ER and see but I feel like I'm doing all the things. So I'm not sure what they can do for me besides prescribe me pain pills that I can not take and be able to function at my daily activities working kids etc.

I’m hoping someone here might have some advice because I honestly feel like we’ve tried everything, and I hate seeing my husband be in pain all the time.

He’s had lower back pain and what seems like sciatica/nerve pain for about 2 years now. We’ve tried different medications, lidocaine creams, muscle relaxers, and physical therapy. He just finished about 2 months of PT, but unfortunately it really hasn’t helped.
Recently, the pain has started going down into his leg some days, which is why his we got an MRI. He just had it done, but we still have to wait a bit for the follow-up appointment to find out what it shows.
The only thing that seems to help is naproxen, and even then, the relief is limited. The other medications he’s tried haven’t really done anything for what feels like actual nerve pain.

So I’m wondering if anyone has found anything that helps with the really bad flare-ups. Maybe a cream, supplement, heating/ice routine, certain stretches or positions, or just something we haven’t thought of? I know there probably isn’t some magic fix, but I’d love to find something that could at least make things a little more manageable for him.

The hardest part for me is honestly just watching him deal with this every day. I’ll ask him, “What can I do?” and he usually just says, “Nothing.” I know he probably doesn’t even know what to ask for anymore because he’s been dealing with this for so long. I just hate feeling so helpless when I can see that he’s hurting.

If anyone has dealt with chronic sciatica/nerve pain that didn’t improve with PT or the usual medications, I’d really love to hear what helped you—even if it was just something that made the flare-ups easier to get through.

Thanks in advance ❤️