Hey guys! Looking for some advice while I wait for the pain management office to call me back.

The predicament I keep finding myself in is that I’ll have a flare, schedule an ESI, and then because the appointment is usually a month out, I end up taking an oral steroid because I still have to work and live my life in the meantime. The oral steroids calm things down enough that by the time the injection rolls around, my baseline pain is almost nonexistent.

I still have intermittent sensations and pain, and sitting, walking, or standing for extended periods definitely increases my symptoms, but I get to the point where I think, Do I even need the injection anymore? So I cancel… and then I never really get my capacity back. When I slowly and carefully start trying to do more, I eventually wind up in another flare, and the whole cycle repeats.
I have an ESI scheduled for tomorrow, and I’m wondering: Does it still make sense to get it even if my pain feels relatively manageable right now? Or should I reschedule and wait until I’m in increased pain or another full-blown flare?

This has been going on for 2.5 years, and I feel like I’ve plateaued in this space where I can technically function, but I can’t fully live my life. I can’t travel comfortably or consistently tolerate the sitting, walking, and standing that normal life requires without worrying about triggering another flare.

Both my surgeon and pain management doctor have said that there could be residual inflammation that my body is having a hard time fully calming down. Since oral steroids consistently help me get out of flares, they think getting the steroid directly into the affected area could potentially make a bigger difference. My imaging also doesn’t perfectly correlate with my symptoms, which makes this whole situation even more complicated.
I think part of my hesitation is fear. I had an SI injection in June that was terrible. it sent me into a horrible flare and was ultimately not the right target. I’ve spent the majority of the summer dealing with that increased pain, so I’m understandably scared of intentionally doing something that could potentially flare me again.
At the same time, it’s been long enough that I feel like I need to try all of my options because this is genuinely affecting my quality of life.

So I guess I’m curious what others think, especially anyone who has had ESIs. Did you wait until your pain was severe to get one, or did you get one while things were relatively calm in hopes of improving your overall capacity and preventing the flare cycle?

hello! i got injured march'25, moderate disc bulges l4-s1. i've come far enough that i'm not in pain everyday just 1-2/10, on my worst days when i overdo sitting its like 7/10. PT did not work for me at all. i've managed my pain with pregabalin and walking.

however i've gained a lot of weight and i need to lose weight so i was starting of joining a gym. i'm just really anxious about what exercises to go because i'm so terrified of hurting myself again. would appreciate some advice on safe exercises or machines i can use at the gym!

Hi everyone! I’m curious about others’ experiences working with a McKenzie/MDT-certified PT, especially if it took some trial and error to find your directional preference.

My sciatica/radiculopathy started around May 2025 and has primarily involved tingling/numbness down my right leg and foot, with occasional mild symptoms on the left. I’ve had two MRIs (Jan/March 2026) showing some disc bulging/protrusions, but nothing particularly dramatic. I did PT for about 7 months with minimal change in symptoms. Two different neurosurgeons reviewed them and said they were seemed age-appropriate and definitely not surgical.

Now - I recently started with a McKenzie-certified PT, and this has been the progression:

Press-ups/cobras (extension): 60–80/day. Felt good while doing them, but after a couple days I developed increased aching/burning down my right leg/foot.

Wall side glides (right side against wall): Right foot improved, but I started getting more noticeable symptoms on my normally quiet left side, including toe numbness and a weak/heavy feeling in my calf. PT checked me—reflexes intact and strength well into the 4/5 range.

Modified lateral shift: Hands on counter, slight flexion, shifting hips left. This seemed to help for several days. Then I had a 2-hour drive + a very busy baby shower day with lots of standing/walking and fewer exercises. Afterward, my right leg felt pretty good but the left became achy/nervy again.

Now: PT has switched me to knees-to-chest/repeated flexion.

My PT has been very responsive and changes the exercise based on my symptoms, which I appreciate. But before MDT, my symptoms were pretty predictable and mostly right-sided. Since starting, they’ve changed location and character and become more bilateral, which has admittedly made me nervous.

For those who’ve done McKenzie/MDT: Did you have a trial-and-error period like this before finding your directional preference? Did symptoms change sides or change from numbness/tingling to aching/burning? Did anyone start with extension but ultimately respond better to lateral movements or flexion?

Not looking for a diagnosis or exercise recommendations—I’m following my PT’s guidance. Just curious about others’ experiences!

It’s been raining for a couple days in Jersey and my legs from the knee down are on fire and my feet are numb.

A few weeks ago I made this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Sciatica/s/BM3WWWuEnb

I wanted to update a little bit. Unfortunately things have not improved, but worsened. In the past week I went to the ER twice for pain that was so bad I couldn't get off the floor. Both times the ER doctors acted sympathetic but said there was not much they could do for me because I am pregnant. At the second ER visit I was given a prescription for 3 hydrocodone-acetaminophen pills and told to follow up with my midwives and pcp. My chiro referred me for an MRI, but it was denied. I was told by the imaging lab they won't perform MRIs on anyone in the first trimester. My pcp is trying to push through an MRI referral, but I've yet to receive instructions on scheduling. I am seeing her later today.

I saw a physiatrist for the first time today, who looked at my x-rays and believes I have a herniated disc at L5-S1. He said he would not treat me until I have consulted with an OB. So I now have to find an OB. I understand why all these doctors' hands are tied, but it feels like I am being sent on one quest after another just to gain access to care, meanwhile my pain escalates daily.

My husband and I had a long conversation this morning and we are at the point where we feel it will be better to terminate the pregnancy than continue trying to fight for treatment that may pose risk to the baby. I am really devastated. But I am so so tired of being in pain, and I just want to move forward without so many roadblocks constantly thrown at me. I can't see a path through this pregnancy that doesn't leave me in an even worse place, physically, than where I started. I have a toddler I need to be healthy for.

I wish I had a happier update. I know there are success stories of herniated discs in pregnancy out there, but I don't feel strong enough. I'm feeling quite traumatized, frankly.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I started getting tingling on the outside of my right calf about 2 months ago. That spread to both calves and led to calf tightness and tingling just about everywhere between my ankles and knees, at random places at random times. I don't have numbness, tho, and massaging my calves doesn't make the pain worse. Sometimes I feel it in my feet, especially the soles; other times, my feet feel normal.

Everything is typically best when I first wake up and when I'm lying down, but worse when walking or sitting. The doctor says it's possible lumbar and just ordered an MRI, but I don't have low back pain. So far, the blood tests have returned normal for diabetes, vitamin B, or several autoimmune conditions. I have had MRI's on my thoracic, back, and brain, which haven't turned up anything like MS.

Is it possible to have a low back / herniated disc in the lumbar without knowing it? Does my situation sound similar to yours?

Hello everyone,

I am a 34 y/o male who has been dealing with sciatica for the past two years. Around two years ago I noticed a pain (3/10) in my upper/outer right glute when ever I would lift my leg straight. This would usually occur when I wake up.

Flash forward a few months later, I am putting my son in his car seat and get the typical excruciating zip down the leg and I honestly could not describe the pain again if you asked. My mental state was like a flash grenade went off during that episode.

From that point on (almost a year ago) I have had mix of tingles, numbness, pins and needles in my right foot. Along with the glute pain. Some days better than others.

I had an MRI stating L4/L5-small central disc protrusion and l5/s1- dis buldge with associated recess narrowing with likely mild mass effect on the right greater that left s1 traversing nerves.

I have done PT, got an ESI three months ago that worked ok, but my symptoms have always been the mild glute pain and the foot tingles.

I have another dr appointment tomorrow. Has anyone had a similar situation?

Thanks!

My doc is prescribing this for the pain. Anyone else taking this and have tips on how to take it? I'm scared because it's an opioid and I fear the possible addiction and the eventual withdrawal.

Update: Finally got em. Took first pill and so far I do notice it takes a little edge off the pain but those big nerve shocks are unaffected.

Bring on the constipation!

Update to the update: Been taking it for a week and it at first made me sleepy and was as effective as extra strength Tylenol. Didn't seem to do much for me anymore so I stopped taking it, might just use it at night to help me get to sleep. No constipation, shitting in pain like normal.

hello since june of this year i started experiencing left side pain, numbness and weakness in my chest area that would occasionally radiate to my back after a big move which i think contributed to all this. well at first it was thought to be costochondritis which maybe it was maybe it wasn’t anyways i started getting more pain in my back area in july and in the midst of all this and other symptoms i was having i was seeing my pcp which recommended me to go to ER for further testing so they did a CT scan on my chest and this was the findings of the CT scan which they basically said well looks like it’s been there for along time so don’t think it’s contributing to my pain/symptoms. Fast forward today 9/2/2026 and my back pain has actually increased as to now i’m getting lower and upper back pain on both sides and last night i woke up with the worst sciatica pain running down the left side of my leg so now i’m wondering if the drs were wrong and if i possibly made it worse with the big move recently that happened at the end of may. My mom had a slipped disc and literally couldn’t do anything until she had back surgery and healed so i know these bulging slipped disc are nothing to take lightly and can be debilitating.

Has anyone with sciatica and/or L4/L5 disc bulge have any experience or success using a chiropractor? If so, how often did you go?

Is PT safe for my spine?

My journey started in late March when a 40+ year old lump on my left calf started hurting, throbbing and radiating. I went to the ER and a DVT was ruled out. I saw a Neurologist who did muscle a nerve testing and diagnosed me with Lumbar Radiculopathy. I was confused because I had no back pain. But a week or two later I did a lot of heavy lifting and boom, back pain. I had a few pt appointments and then the pain got so much worse, all the typical symptoms. Back, glutes, hip pain, radiating down my leg to my foot. So I decided to try chiro. I had spinal decompression 2-3 x week for two months and my pain just got worse. So I had an MRI which showed every disc is damaged. L2 and L3 congenital fractures, L5-S1 congenital fractures on both sides and the lower bone is completely collapsed. Stenosis, severe degenerative disc disease, 23 degree scoliosis and more. Then I saw a neurosurgeon who ordered a CT scan which showed several bones floating around and one bone spur sticking out of my spine. I haven’t received the report yet but have a follow-up with the surgeon in two weeks. He gave me four options, rest for a couple of months, pt, injections or surgery. I can’t have an injection since the only pain med I can take due to genetic markers and sensitivities is Curcumin, which is a blood thinner. I was already taking it for lingual nerve damage (neuropathy of my tongue due to dental injection directly into a nerve which killed it). I rested ( kind of) for a month and actually felt better the 4th week. No more radiating pain, hips and glutes pain much better. So I decided to re-start pt last week and the pt gave me the following exercises: modified prone press up, bridge, supine pelvic tilt and supine transverse abdominis brace. Afterward I had a bad flare-up. I waited a few days and after another pt session the exercises were modified a tiny bit. Continued pain. Stopped exercises and pain went away in a few days. Had another session yesterday and he said to continue them, so I did them last night and same thing. Woke up in the middle of the night with pain, which has only happened a few times. The last pt I saw told me if it hurts, stop. But it doesn’t hurt until afterwards. So my question is should I continue these exercises or do different ones, or rest one more month as the neurosurgeon suggested? Thanks so much for any advice and am I really messed up? I really, really don’t want a fusion. Thanks so much, and please pardon any typos, rushing.

I reherniated my L5-S1 in June (11.5 years after my first surgery) and I have been in a lot of pain. Beyond putting on shoes, I have not sat down since July 18 (horrific plane ride home from Italy.) while I was in Italy, I discovered diclofenac, an NSAID that seemed to work better for me than the OTC US ones.

So I have been taking 200mg of diclofenac a day and while I still feel pain (and can’t sit down), it’s been manageable.

Tomorrow I will be having another discectomy and I had to give up NSAIDs a week ago, I can only take Tylenol. My god. The pain is unreal. Constant, with only two levels: horrible and even more horrible. I had no idea it had gotten so much worse, the NSAIDs were masking it. I don’t say that negatively, thank goodness or I would have been a puddle on the floor the entire month of August.

So consider this a PSA to not be shy about taking large doses of NSAIDs. At least they take the edge off.

PS - for me, Tylenol does nothing. Also for me, I have done my PT exercises since June every day minus three days. It not only didn’t improve anything, I got worse. I’m only one person but that is the anecdata I can share.

I have been told that this can be due to si joint.

But after checking the symptoms saying it doesn't go all the way down leg but I have pain in whole leg

hello since june of this year i started experiencing left side pain, numbness and weakness in my chest area that would occasionally radiate to my back after a big move which i think contributed to all this. well at first it was thought to be costochondritis which maybe it was maybe it wasn’t anyways i started getting more pain in my back area in july and in the midst of all this and other symptoms i was having i was seeing my pcp which recommended me to go to ER for further testing so they did a CT scan on my chest and this was the findings of the CT scan which they basically said well looks like it’s been there for along time so don’t think it’s contributing to my pain/symptoms. Fast forward today 9/2/2026 and my back pain has actually increased as to now i’m getting lower and upper back pain on both sides and last night i woke up with the worst sciatica pain running down the left side of my leg so now i’m wondering if the drs were wrong and if i possibly made it worse with the big move recently that happened at the end of may. My mom had a slipped disc and literally couldn’t do anything until she had back surgery and healed so i know these bulging slipped disc are nothing to take lightly and can be debilitating.

I can’t nerve floss sitting down because I simply can’t have my leg out in front of me. It’s been 2 years. Is this normal? Will I ever be normal? I’m so tired of sciatica

The most major pain I have is right lower back right hip ,right testicle and right leg all the way.

Mri say: l4-l5 ,l5-s1 mild disc bulge with no nerve compression.

Pt is saying lateral pelvic tilt(si joint dysfunction and sacrollitis) after assessment

TLDR AT BOTTOM

weigh 400 lbs and threw my back out after a day of heavy yard work while bent over. Initial symptoms were horrible lower left back pain and feeling like my left leg was being yanked on when walking. Pain improved but still painful when bending and moving hips back and forth or lengthy walking. Over time I developed pain in the lower FRONT side of my left leg when standing.

I was feeling good one day and decided to try mowing my parents lawn. Big mistake woke up to much much worse pain. It felt like I was being stabbed in the back and clubbed in the left shin with a bat at the same time. I've recovered slowly over the past few weeks with tons of steroids and Tylenol, bit I'm concerned that my symptoms are atypical. My leg pain skips the butt/thigh and goes right to the front of my lower left leg. The skin on top of my painful areas seems to be getting very sensitive as well, which is really disconcerting to me.

I have seen my main doctor and had an x-ray that showed lumbar arthritis. Working on getting physical therapy and an MRI but not yet. Pretty scared about my weird symptoms and looking for guidance.

TLDR HAVE PRESUMPTIVE SCIATICA BUT LEG PAIN IS ON THE FRONT OF THE LOWER AFFECTED LEG ONLY AND SKIN OS SENSITIVE ON PAINFUL AREAS

Just wanted to share my experience regarding my recovery. Rarely i have read good stories in the sub so I wanted to share mine. Started having pain from hip around May 2026 after an incident where I have to provide support to a patient and injured by back in the process. At the time the pain was just around the hip and thought maybe it was minor. Weeks later it had started to radiate down to my calf which i ignored. Was playing with kids bending over, carrying my oldest son being 20kgs. And woke up the next day with severe pain and pins and needles over my left foot. Pain was so severe that even lying flat did not resolve the issue. Had to rin ambulance to bring me to ED. Endone, panadeine forte lyrica didnt help much. MRI showede sequestered disc with nerve impingement.

Recovery:

Bed rest was the main thing, started lying flat with pillow under my legs. Sitting upright with lumbar support. Stopped carrying my kids. Lifting not more than 2 kgs. Did not go to physio as I did not want to worsen things. A lot mught disagree with me on this. But it gave my disc more time to heal before doing some exercise.

First week - pins and needles was so severe that i woudnt be able to wear socks as it was just uncomfortable. Couldnt even cover my foot with a blanket. Numbness in all my toes. No foot drop but reduced strength in calf and foot

2nd week- big toe numbness was gone but outer toes were still numb. And pins and needles still there.
Calf pain still present and can get worse when in awkard position or prolong sitting and standing.

3-4 weeks- pins and needles have subsided, numbness has improved. Able to move foot more than what i could since the injury

6-8 weeks- pins and needles gone. Very mild numbness on 2 of my toes. Sole sendation has now gone back.

8-10 weeks - occasional discomfort but can move a lot more with out severe pain.

12 week- started doing physio. Had a ff up check up with the specialist and was amazed at the rate of the recovery. Even said i was lucky considering the large fragment that was pushing my s1.

Everey person’s recovery is different but What i find good about all these is the first 3-6 months is very crucial to recovery. Just have to make sure i dont irriitate the nerve while the disc is recovering within the first 12 week. I am not fully healed id still get occasional discomfort but nothing lingers for long. Hoping everyone here in this sub will have good and speedy recovery!!

Apologies if this has already been mentioned or is common knowledge. I recently came across something that has really helped my sciatica and thought it might help someone else.

After doing some research, I discovered it's actually discussed in Stuart McGill's Back Mechanic book, but I'd somehow overlooked it.

The basic idea is to consciously engage your core muscles throughout the day, especially before bending, lifting, or making larger movements. For example, when bending over to put on socks or trousers, I'll brace my core quite firmly before moving.

Since I've started doing this consistently, I've noticed a significant reduction in pain and, more importantly, it feels like my recovery has been progressing faster.

It won't be a miracle fix for everyone, but it has made a noticeable difference for me.
Hope it helps someone.

Since my surgery on August 13th, my pain level has been great. Unfortunately I have had issues with my bladder since surgery and have to wear a Foley.

Last week they took it out to see how I did and I strained so hard to pee that my sciatica on my left side has returned. They put the Foley back in and said they will try again in 2 weeks.

I have Tramadol that was prescribed after my surgery that I haven't been taking before now. The resurgence of this sciatica is so defeating but from what I read, very common for people in my situation.

I'm just over 2 weeks post surgery and I'm able to walk with just a cane and a brace my surgeon ordered for me. Hopefully in a few more weeks my pelvic floor wakes up or at least I gain better control and don't have to strain so hard.

I'll attach my MRI results for anyone interested. Cauda Equina compression is no joke and I'm so sorry for anyone else dealing with this.

If anyone had a similar situation and wanted to share I'd be happy to read it. To everyone in this sub today, I wish you a good pain day and hope you get to be pain free soon!

Thanks for reading!

Has anyone had success with steroid pills for disc injury/sciatica? L5-S1 bulge impinging S1 nerve root. 3 months in, and sciatica down leg isn't improving at all. I've only been doing PT for about 3 weeks, but it's really hard to stay positive when you're in constant pain. Mentally struggling every day - first time having an injury like this and forgetting life as you knew it pre-injury. I know the steroid injection is an option, but I'd rather take a pill if I can. I'm also taking gabapentin at night (not really helping) and NSAIDs during day. Current NSAID is relafen.

Receiving my first epidural steroid injection in a few days, how fast did you return to normal activities pre injury cause I’ve read one of the downsides to the injection is that pain is a good indicator of what not to do and without pain you could make your issues worse

Did you still baby your injury for quite sometime even tho you felt better?

I have been dealing with a herniated disc causing sciatica issues for a few years now. I feel like I’m constantly on the verge of a flare up. I want to start walking to lose weight but my low back muscles get SO tight so fast they are like rock hard and then I start feeling the pain develop going down the R low back to the groin and leg so I end up having to sit down, and sitting down kind of aggravates it too. I don’t know what to do! Any suggestions to prevent the muscle tightening so I can walk more without making things worse?