L5/S1 Herniated Disc and Sciatica
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some perspective from people who have been through a really severe sciatica flare because I’m struggling to find stories that sound similar to mine.
A bit of background:
- I’m a 30 year old very active female with a few years of weight training behind me and have recently training for a triathlon. I also had a knee reconstruction in January of this year.
- I had an L4/L5 laminectomy and discectomy about 7 years ago and recovered really well.
-In 2021, I had an L5/S1 disc bulge that caused another significant flare. I treated it conservatively and eventually got back to living a normal, active life. At the time, my spine surgeon suggested that if surgery became necessary, it would likely be a fusion, but thankfully I recovered without needing it.
Fast forward to now, and my recent MRI shows a large L5/S1 disc herniation compressing the S1 nerve root.
I’m seeing my spinal surgeon next week, but I’m trying to give conservative treatment a fair chance first.
About a week ago my symptoms escalated dramatically.
For the first few days I could barely stand or walk. I was completely hunched over, spending almost all day in bed because standing for more than a minute or two was unbearable. I couldn’t sit at all, showers became a huge ordeal, and even getting breakfast or going to the toilet felt like a major task.
The pain has improved somewhat with medication (tapentadol, pregabalin and paracetamol), and I think the severe nerve pain has settled a little. I can now have periods where lying down is comfortable, and I occasionally have moments where I can stand a bit straighter before the tingling down my leg returns.
I’m still incredibly limited though. I spend most of the day lying down, I can’t tolerate sitting, I’m walking very slowly and hunched over, and the lack of sleep is really taking its toll.
I guess I’m wondering:
- Was anyone else this debilitated one week into a severe disc flare?
- Were you mostly bedbound in the beginning?
- How long did it take before you could walk more normally again?
- If you recovered without surgery, when did you start noticing meaningful improvement?
- Did your recovery feel very up and down, or was it more linear?
I’m trying to stay positive because I do think I’ve made some small improvements compared with the first few days, but it’s hard not to worry when I’m still so restricted after a week. Having recovered conservatively once before gives me hope, but this flare feels much more severe and it’s hard not to wonder whether I’m heading towards surgery this time.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through something similar. Thanks.