Numbness / Pinch in back of thigh. Chiropractor or Physical Therapy?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi there, for the past 10 years, I would get this periodic pinch ever few months in the back of my thigh. I always thought it was the chair digging into my leg. Now I've learned its some form of Sciatica. I've been seeing 2 Chiropractors for the last 2 months. One seemed to make it worse due to being too aggressive, the other seemed to make it better by being less aggressive and doing other moves like reseting the bone. So yes it has gotten worse but the first chiro didn't help and I was still doing things that weren't helping like stretching my hamstrings. So now I'm at a point where the new chiro does does help it for a few days but it never holds and will act up again. I am wondering if there is something else I should be doing at home like certain safe stretches or exercises. And does this defiantly sounds like a disc issue or could it be my Piriformis Muscle and if I Should see a physical therapist instead? Sitting for a few minutes acts it up. Laying down is ok. Its never painful. Just numbness or a light pinch. Sometimes i moves from my back thigh to my hip. I can't take an MRI because I have Tinnitus and a MRI is too loud. It will worsen my Tinnitus to dangerous levels. So the doctors are kinda in the dark. Is there another non-radiation method for seeing the discs? I hope there is someone here that has similar symptoms and can share what helped them. I really don't want to do surgery. Walking helps the most. The more I walk, the better I feel. Thanks for reading.
0 likes, 2 replies
CHICO_MARX riverraven
Posted
Rule out. Sounds like you've gone down the Chiro path with mixed results. PT may or may not help. This is all assuming that the actual diagnosis of sciatica is correct. The question is: What's the root cause of the sciatica?
There are soooo many causes of sciatica that you have to start ruling things out to find the answer. One cause could be spinal...something going on in the L4 through S1 region. If an MRI is not possible (plus they can be inconclusive), try a CT/Myelogram with contrast. This should be recommended and read by a neurosurgeon. It is also a lot better in diagnosing spinal issues than an MRI.
I've had LOTS of sciatica issues over decades and all but one have been solved by chiropractic and/or PT. However, one time, nothing worked...not even pain shots. Turned out to be a bone spur literally crushing the sciatic nerve root at L4/L5. Same day laminectomy, residual inflammatory pain gone in a few days...problem solved.
So, a trip to a neuro to rule out a spinal cause might be your next step. If everything is clean, then find a PT who specializes in sciatica issues. That might be your best bet.
Greebo64 riverraven
Posted
Almost 5 weeks on:- Post Decompression + Foraminotomy Surgery [no fusion] for Lumbar
Stenosis.. This was carried out by a top neurosurgeon who deals predominantly
with"Complex Spine" problems in the UK
I have Still got some leg pain but now much better,
however now i have terrible lower back + tail bone pain , i did not have this
pain prior to surgery i only had leg pain. i am now getting quite worried about
this & the success of this surgery.
i am finding difficult to walk any distance due to this
LOWER BACK Pain which i did not have before the surgery, so the pain is now
much much worse than before the surgery, there is a good improvement in the leg
pain, but i now cannot walk [ dont want to walk] due to the lower back pain
which is much worse than the leg pain i had prior to surgery.
I am hoping some one who has had this surgery can
reassure me that it will get better...right now i am regretting having had the
surgery