Sciatica is not the issue - so what could it be?
For the last 15 years I’ve had leg pain. About 15 years ago it started off very mild and I just brushed it off as “I’ve pulled a muscle” or something, it would be very sporadic and only last a day or 2 and was about a 1/10 pain. Never thought anything of it.
Over the last 5 years this has increased in frequency, length of time it hurts and pain rating. Over the last 3 years it has become even more frequent and more painful and lasts longer.
The last year these flair ups have been happening every few weeks and last between 4 days and 2 weeks. The pain is only from my upper thigh to lower calf (as pictured) and is sometimes in the back of my leg, sometimes the front, sometimes the side. Sometimes the pain is in both legs at the same time or just the one leg, this can switch throughout the day during a flair up.
The pain I can only describe is a pulling type pain, you know the feeling you get when you try to touch your toes without bending your knees? It’s similar to that but it’s more of a sharp jolting pain. During these flair ups I can’t sit, I can’t stand, I can’t kneel, I can’t lay down, there’s pain no matter what position I get into or what I’m doing.
2 years ago I went to a&e with this pain, they did an mri and said there’s a slight bulge in the disc but nothing to worry about then sent me home.
Multiple trips back and forth to the doctors after this I’ve been told “it’s sciatica”. They’ve given me pain meds sent me to physio etc. today I was sent to a specialist physio and he showed me my mri results and explained things to me. He told me it’s NOT sciatica and he can’t figure out what this is, he said my spine looks good and that’s not the culprit.
I’ve never had any numbness or trouble going to the toilet etc. only once have I had slight “saddle numbness” and it only lasted a couple hours during a flair up.
What is going on? What are my next steps?
I live in the UK and am going through the NHS for this. For what it’s worth I’m a 30 year old fit male who is active and goes to the gym and does light weights 4 days a week and weigh approximately 155-160lbs. Since really having issues with this a few years back I have tried dropping exercises that could be causing this etc and nothing has changed. I have been to several private physios all who have said it’s sciatica potentially being caused by a bulging disc.
Any ideas here? Appreciate all your time
no pictures of radiologist report but they effectively said everything is fine, except mild desiccation on l4-l5