Numbness, tingling, spasms in leg long after sciatica diagnosis

Hello aunt vic.
I have had what is described in this string twice in my life!
Luckily the first time I had an amazing and experienced doctor at university who diagnosed me with PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME. I will quickly explain how it works but I en encourage you and others in this string to look it us on the Internet and maybe ask your doctor about it. So basically from overuse, a small muscle in the hip enlarges and squeezes the sciatic nerve! I believe the heavy box you mentioned might be the "heavy use" that results in a swollen muscle. This type of sciatica or I should say this etiology for me, has , both times resulted in the symptoms described here.
I hope that helps. I know... A year later. But better than never!

Anna

Hello Everyone,



I had a bout with Sciatica early in the spring of this year (came on after a long night of sitting at the computer to study for finals). Went thru 8 visits with the physical therapist. Had MRI done and found that I had degenerated L4/L5; nerve compressed --> trigger sciatica. My therapist taught me an exercises to stress my lumbars and strengthen my back muscles so they can support my back (because L4/L5 are degenerating slowly) that are very helpful for sciatica.

Since then I have modified my daily routine and habits like NOT seating too long and keeping up with the exercises that I learned during therapy (easier said than done).



But I consciously used a 60 minutes alarm to tell me when I am seating down in front of the computer to get up and move around and stretch. Even with that, the last 2 weeks, I am getting these tingling/numbness on my right calf. I bought a compression sock and wear it and it seems to help. The numbness comes on if I am sitting or standing up too long. So far the compression sock seems to relieve the numbness a bit. I remove at bed time.



Thanks for sharing your experiences;

Jade.

Hello Distictively me,

Its most likely your piriformis muscle sometimes refered to as piriformis syndrome.  Google it.  there are some easy stretches that will loosen and stretch this muscle which is deep in your butt cheek. This muscle irritates the siatic nerve and causes muscle spasms at first.  Mine is pinching my S1 nerve and is causing a numb achilles heel and left outside of foot in numb and tingly.  It started as siatic for me and may or may not have also had a bulging disc. But this time was different and left me with this numbness and loss of feeling but with no real pain.  I did my own research on line to figure it out cause doctors were not sure...so glad I did.  It will take a while to get full feeling back but it is working for me hope this works for you!         Ginger

Well, I feel like I need to marry one of you so you can understand my pain and feelings perfectly. My husband and friends around think i'm exaggerating the situation and/or sometimes taking advantage. I just can not do anything! It is ridiculously insane how your life changes completely from suffering this. I am feeling a LOT better now after 2 months of acupuncture. I am still in some pain but with tingling and numbness after standing or sitting for a long time. If someone has ever recovered from this completely, please let us know your treatment. I am willing to pay for the information. I have tried injections, PT, chiropractor, spine decompression, etc. I started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after accupuncture but now I feel like I'm stopped in the middle of the tunnel and can not get to the end. PLEASE HELP! Thanks...Celep

Hi Auntvic,

I did a similar thing. I'm in my 20s. Don't know if I'd pulled back before, but had a pain in my shoulder so instead of steering well clear I slid a plant pot across the floor with my left leg, similar story, and it's been about 2 months now! Thankfully I can walk around but the worst pain was getting out of bed in the morning. Have been prescribed anti-inflammatories for 2 weeks. I'd be really interested to find out how you've been getting on since and whether you recovered fully in the end? Thanks!

I've had a slightly "niggly" lower back (sacro-iliac area) for about 14 years but it was always something I could live with as it was no bother to me a lot of the time, and I went through long periods of not feeling anything wrong at all. I am a 58 year old woman in excellent condition otherwise, and used to manual work all my life.

Anyway, about 6 weeks ago I developed a back pain lower right. I used heat rubs, but they seemed to make it worse. My back was just stiff when getting up in the mornings, then after I got moving a bit it was OK. Then sciatica started about 3 weeks ago...O..M..G I couldn't get out of bed without tearing pain, I was sobbing with it while trying to shower and brush my teeth. I couldn't put any weight on my right leg. This all eased slightly after about a half hour, and I could get on with the day. My day involves about 8 miles at least walking every day, not on even ground, and some of it up steep hills. I also have logs to chop, and other physical tasks (hard to do now but they still have to be done)
The pain would come back worse again at night, but I had a knack of being able to sleep through it...don't ask me how...my way of escaping I think. But the 8 hours sleep didn't help, and I dreaded waking up!
I was greatly helped by a Homeopathic remedy "Rhus Tox". 2 tablets every 2 hours for the first day, and four times a day after that. It really did help, had an even better effect than Ibuprofen, but it didn't cure it.
Fearing it may be a disk problem I went to my doctor a week ago. He examined me by lifting the right leg straight till it was 90 degrees to my body as I lay flat. He asked me how it felt and I said it didn't hurt much, and he said if I had had a herniated disk I would have shouted in pain!

The sciatic pain has definitely eased up a lot and mornings are not anything like as bad as they were, but all is not fixed. My toes have now gone numb (3 outside toes on right foot) and my foot feels cold 80% of the time. If I sit in any position, or lay down for any length of time I get pins-and-needles in the calf muscle to my foot. I am hoping that doctor was right....if anyone has any feedback on that I would be most grateful.

ripped all three hamstring muscles off the bone in butt eight mths ago had reparied have nerve damaged had emg other test not much better guts it out

Hi everyone im 19years old and have been lifting pretty seriuously for 2 years now...Two weeks ago I hurt my lower back due to lifting I assume, and it hurts to sit, squat, and put socks on. However, sleeping or laying down is when it doesnt hurt..The last couple of days the pain has gonedown my left buttcheek. I thought it was a slight pull but after reading symtoms Im fraid I may have sciatica. Does it sound like I have it thus far? 

OMG! i am 27 and the pain in my back started immediately after i had my first child at 21. doc said that my pregnancy was a factor because i gained 70 lbs while carrying, lost about 30 after having him and then gaining 50 not even a year later. the pain was so sharp that i couldnt lay down flat on my back and it was agony trying to get out of the bed in the morning. i have also worked as a CNA (nurse's aide) since i was 16 and had lifted "millions" of patients. i eventually had an x-ray, 2 MRI's, and countless doctor visits for pain meds. after a car accident at 25, another child at 26, and attempting to return to work, that made matters EXTREMELY worse. i cnt have surgery because my weight would make it risky and i cnt do that kind of down time with a toddler. my next option is spinal injections and physical therapy and more prayer.

OMG! i am 27 and the pain in my back started immediately after i had my first child at 21. doc said that my pregnancy was a factor because i gained 70 lbs while carrying, lost about 30 after having him and then gaining 50 not even a year later. the pain was so sharp that i couldnt lay down flat on my back and it was agony trying to get out of the bed in the morning. i have also worked as a CNA (nurse's aide) since i was 16 and had lifted "millions" of patients. i eventually had an x-ray, 2 MRI's, and countless doctor visits for pain meds. after a car accident at 25, another child at 26, and attempting to return to work, that made matters EXTREMELY worse. i cnt have surgery because my weight would make it risky and i cnt do that kind of down time with a toddler. my next option is spinal injections and physical therapy and more prayer.

Well, my issues are similar to the others.  The difference is this:  I fell at work 10-4 and hit very hard on concrete.  I actually bounced on the floor several times.  I laid there for a while until I could get up.  The incident caused me to do a split, roll to my left side and slammed to the floor.  I filed workers comp by prompting from my friends.  Long story short, I am in so much pain, tingling from my waste down, burning on my buttox and hips and it is hard to stand or sit in one position.  I have had 3 epidurals that last about 1-3 weeks and the pain returns.  These epidurals have been administered all within two months.  I think that is too often.  Naturally, WC wants me to go away.  Now they want to run me through some sort of assessment study even though I am still in pain, I have hernias and have seen no improvement.  Whatever!!  Through the years I have had some back pain but nothing like this.  I do have 2 bulging discs that were there before but did not cause me the issues that I am having now.   They are trying to come up with a pre-existing condition that will reject my claim.  You know, all I know is that my pain is intense, relentless tingling and burning and it is getting worse.  What will I do?   Any advise?

you have every single symptom that i have had for the past 15 months due to having severe siatica.i have been referred for an mri scan as there could be a problem with a disc in my lower back.yhank you for putting this in the internet.i don't feel so alone now!

Wow! That was scary to read. I have everything you just descibed. Everything. When you said the tops of your feet itch like crazy I got the chills. You're the first person I have read about that described that symptom. The tops of my feet also itch like crazy. Only the tops. Its my right leg with the sciatica and some days are better than others but when I have a bad day, it goes all the way from my lower back through my right butt cheek down the back of my thigh then slowly turns and runs along the outside of my calf all the way to the tips of my toes. I get pain, numbness and tingling simialr to when your foot is asleep except all the way up the leg, I have to take short strides when walking because long strides seem to make the symptoms worse. Like you I don't have health insurance and this is why I've read so much online about this. My thigh has a burning sensation in it right now. I wish I could figure this out. The itching on the tops of the feet has to be realted somehow as well. Hmmmm........frustrated. I've tried pain meds, NSAIDS or whatever and nothing seems to help. I just have good days and bad days. I wanted to get into shape and thought I would start running except I can't get 50 yrds before my right leg goes completely numb. I'm a 36 year old male and want to be active and play with my kids but this is keeping me from enjoying life as I should. Did you ever find anything that helped?

Trent I think you just have a pulled muscle. You're probably feeling better now aren't you? That can hurt really bad

Has anyone here that has replied ever tried an inversion table to relieve nerve pinching?