Reddit was a huge resource for me when I was in the thick of my back and sciatica pain, so I wanted to share my story in case it helps someone else.
I (36yr old female) dealt with on-and-off lower back issues for about 12 years after injuring my back working out. I would go months with no issues then inevitably hurt it again and deal with 2 weeks of pain and muscle spasms before eventually getting back to “normal.” Yoga, exercising, and stretching helped me stay pain free for months at a time.
Unfortunately that all changed while I was pregnant. To be fair I had two pregnancies with minimal or no back pain, but I think my body was done by my third and final pregnancy in five years. That’s when the sciatica hit — severe leg and hip pain, nerve pain, back pain and muscle tightness - there were days I could hardly walk or hardly sleep. Before surgery, I tried everything recommended to avoid going that route including
- Physical therapy for 6 months
- Chiropractor, including electrical stimulation and ultrasound
- Ice and heat therapy
- OTC and Prescription NSAIDs
- TENS machine
- Inversion table
- Daily walks
- Special pillows — lumbar support for sitting and a pillow between my legs for sleeping
- Back brace and support belt
Some of these things helped temporarily, but nothing gave lasting relief, and the nerve pain continued to flare.
Eventually, after imaging confirmed a 9mm herniated disc at L4-L5 and conservative treatments failed, I decided to move forward with an endoscopic microdiscectomy.
It truly felt like a miracle when I woke up from surgery and the pain I felt daily for over a year was just… gone. Recovery was actually fairly easy especially considering I could move around better after surgery than before. I followed lifting restrictions (no more than 10lb) which was difficult since I had a 9 month old baby at the time, but other than that could live fairly normally and go back to work (I work from home) after two days off. I did have some nerve tingling and mild zaps as the nerve healed, which is normal, but the debilitating pain never came back.
After my six weeks of restriction, I completed six weeks of physical therapy, which honestly only felt necessary for a few sessions to get comfortable working out again. At 12-15 weeks post op I was fully back to working out / lifting weights and back pain and sciatica stayed gone!
I know surgery is a big decision and everyone’s situation is different, but for me, it was absolutely the right call after exhausting conservative options and finding the right surgeon.
If you’re in the middle of the herniated disc/sciatica struggle — hang in there. You will figure out what works for you!