r/Sciatica

Hi Guys, I have sciatica that happened 9 years ago due to L4/5 major compression and L3/4 too. I used to have multiple relapses, this time 3 months ago I had a similar pain and this time in right leg. Doctor told me to lose weight as this time it was my weight causing load on my weak spine. Im 31F and weight around 81.5kg (July 2026) Height 5’6 ( Now 77.3 kg with home diet). I have been asked to lose and reach to 60 😅
I was on bed rest for 3 months and used conservative approach as suggested by my doctor. It worked however 9 days ago out of no where I had terrible pain because I stepped out of my house in my Car for grocery shopping, didnt lift anything but this activity was new for my body since 3 months of bed rest and basic home walking of 30-45 mins. I had continuous pain and eventually doctor suggested to take epidural & I took one 5 days ago. It was scary but did give me relief, with ofcourse some discomfort (cant expect 100% no pain)

I am looking for some positive success stories of epidural injection and what steps you took further to avoid the surgery? What all dos and donts to follow?

PS - I was suggested Microdisectomy by a few doctors (spine) but my OG doctor suggested to take epidural as a next stop and see or else we go for surgery.

Basically my glutes were weak or piriformis got inflammed on my left leg because I overused the stair master, which caused painful contractions in the glute area and discomfort every night that wakes me up.

The pain became unbearable and I ended up going to a PT and they did some moves with my leg that was very intense in order to “move the Sciatic nerve”. My hip/piriformis muscle also was “cracked/popped”. A good amount of the pain/discomfort went away but still woke up with this dull ache discomfort. Is this a sign the leg/nerve is healing?

I’m 28M and have been dealing with sciatica for about 6 months from a 1.5 mm L4-L5 and 2 mm L5-S1 herniation.
I’ve improved a lot, but I keep having setbacks whenever I strain my back or do something awkward. Before this I lifted heavy, played soccer, ran, etc., and I really want to get back to that level.
Reading Reddit has made me worried because it seems like so many people still have flare-ups years later.
Has anyone with a similar herniation eventually become completely pain-free and gone back to heavy lifting/sports? Even if it took a year or longer? Would especially love to hear from people who are a few years out.

I need your help. Currently suffering from both demons. I’ve been struggling to get decent sleep for a few months. My plantar fasciitis makes my calf’s and feet cramp up. The balls of my feet start to act up and sometimes feel like they’re falling asleep. My right leg will sometimes fully fall asleep and I can feel the never sensation from the ball of my foot to my upper thigh. I’ve tired sleeping with my legs elevated but sometimes that’s uncomfortable and will also make both legs fall asleep. I’ve tried using a pillow between my knees but one of my legs falls asleep. I’m so tired. HELP!

Update: I forgot to mention I got steroid shots on both feet and that made me feel horrible for 4 days straight. My legs were throbbing until they gave me steroids to calm the symptoms. My podiatrist didn’t proceed with the second round of shots. He said I definitely have PF but scheduling me for an MRI to see what’s going on with my legs and feet. In the mean time he advised me to see an orthopedic doctor for my sciatica.

29F, 4 months into 4mm bulge at L5-S1. I'm improving slowly (can do PT exercises, overall pain is slightly less intense, have had some good days out and about). I have an ESI scheduled in 3 weeks. I still have electrical pain in my leg, so it would be great if the ESI worked, but I'm terrified of the ESI aggravating things/making me worse...

I’m 26 and have been dealing with an L5-S1 herniated disc for almost 2 years after a work injury.
When I first injured my back, I went through physical therapy, medications, stretches, and other conservative treatments. I eventually had an MRI and saw a neurologist, who told me that I didn’t need surgery and that surgery could potentially cause more pain than leaving it alone.
For a long time, I was able to manage the pain, even though I still had ongoing back and sciatic pain. But things have gotten significantly worse recently.
A few months ago, I bent over from a seated position to grab something and felt my back “tweak.” Since then, I’ve had a severe flare-up with intense lower back and sciatic pain, difficulty walking, and shaking in my legs. Both legs can feel affected, although the left has generally been worse. I’ve also had trouble lifting my legs and increased pain when sitting, standing up, bending, or walking upstairs.
More recently, I’ve started experiencing tingling in my feet and legs, occasional numbness, difficulty lifting my legs, and pain across the tops of my feet. I’ve also noticed that my right foot seems to drop when I try to walk on my heels. My feet and legs can shake significantly when I try to raise them. I’ve also developed pain around my tailbone that is worse when sitting.
I currently don’t have health insurance, so getting another MRI and seeing a specialist has been difficult. I’m trying to figure out how serious this progression is and what my next steps should be.
Has anyone with an L5-S1 herniation experienced worsening symptoms like foot drop, leg weakness/shaking, numbness/tingling, or pain in the tailbone/feet? Did you eventually need surgery, and how did you go about getting evaluated when you didn’t have insurance?

I’m diagnosed with HSD and my doctor and physical therapist suspect hEDS, I have daily hip flexor and sciatic pain on both sides and can’t figure out how to manage the pain very well. Over the counter pain medications don’t help much and consistently changing posture, standing, taking breaks from my desk doesn’t really help either…

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with lower back pain for around 9 months, and it has started affecting my daily life significantly.

It initially started after I lifted a half-bucket of water. Since then, the pain has continued and has gradually become more troublesome.

My current symptoms include:

Lower/mid-back pain

Sharp, pin-like/shooting pain going into my leg and hip

Pain around the ankle/leg

Difficulty standing or walking properly at times

Pain becomes worse with coughing or sneezing

Pain can become worse at night

Sitting for long periods also aggravates it because I have an IT job

I’ve already tried medicines and physiotherapy, including TENS/SWD, but I’m still struggling with the pain. An X-ray showed early osteoarthritis, but I’m wondering whether this could actually be sciatica or a disc/nerve-related problem.

I’m planning to consult an orthopaedic doctor again, but I’d really appreciate advice from people who have gone through something similar.

What helped you recover from chronic sciatica/back pain?

Did you need an MRI or consultation with a spine specialist/neurologist?

And how long did it take before you started feeling better?

Any genuine experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. 🙏

Hello, from past one week I have an ache running in both my legs from knees to sole.When I sit , I can feel that muscle pain going upto my lower back. It’s wierd because I can sense this in my both legs. It feels more like a muscle ache although I didn’t perform any strenuous activity. Also, it feels more achy when I sit on the floor in a meditation pose. I am in my 20s and no history of previous leg injuries. Also, the place I live is having a weather transition from summer to cool fall. Is there something I need to get checked? 6 months ago when I got checked, I had Vitamin D in 20s marker and also B12 border line deficiency. Any suggestions would be appreciated!