u/Dude-Man-TRM

Need help… has anyone experienced something similar??? I injured my right side SI joint when I was 24. I continued to injure and re-injure it over the past 20 years. In years passed, I would have pain for a week in the lower back (SI), take some pain pills, then the pain would go away.

I began feeling numbness in my right leg and foot in the second half of 2024 while I was in bed. It would wake me up. Then in January of 25, I was doing exercises (trying to start the year off right! Haha) and I pulled the SI by overextending, in the same classic way I had done in previous years. Typically this would result in a week of misery, some pain pills, then I’d be better. This time, not the case. Horrible sciatica nerve pain, and numbness accelerated that hasn’t gone away.

I’ve had MRIs and doctors don’t see anything too bad other than chronic wear-and-tear changes at L5–S1 + mild SI arthritis, neither clearly causing nerve compression. I’ve done piriformis injections, epidurals, RF nerve ablation, and nothing works. I punched in all of the doctor notes into AI, and it’s suggesting the Cluneal Nerve could be the problem. And possibly the fact that my SI joint fused on its own, which is rare, due to injury and reinjury.

Has anyone been diagnosed with something similar (Cluneal + SI fusion causing long term pain)? Would love to connect with you if possible to compare symptoms.

I’m a year and a half into this pain and need it to go away! 😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫

Thanks for reading!

I’m a 47-year-old male that has had chronic sciatic pain since January 2025. MRIs show a slight disc herniation, but nothing serious. My pain is constant. Standing and walking are better than sitting. Numbness is increasing week over week in my legs and my feet, particularly my heels. I’ve had every shot known to man: radio frequency ablation, piriformis injections, steroids, and shots in my L5S1. I’ve prayed and prayed.

I’ve taken Celebrex, gabapentin, pregabalin, and oxycodone. Nothing works. Alcohol helps, but that’s dangerous and NOT something you want to get hooked on.

Any ideas? I will literally do or try anything at this point to get better. I’m considering peptides, stem cells, etc.. my doctors are lost.