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Sciatic pain in both legs

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peter02141
peter02141

Hi all, I've been suffering with sciatic pain for about 5 years on and off. Finally had enough of it and thought time to do something about it. I've recently had an MRI showing nothing other than usual wear for my age (45) which is good news. However still in pain! So I'm taking meds amitriptyline 20mg this is helping somewhat. I am now waiting for physio at the end of the month, can anyone tell me if this has helped get back to normal again after so many years of pain?

1 like, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX peter02141

    Posted

    You might want to take a look at my notes...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/sciatic-nerve-pain-from-the-perspective-of-many-decades-629096

    1. To treat sciatica, you first have to have it definitively diagnosed as sciatica.  Just make sure it's not something else.

    2. Next, you have to find the actual ROOT CAUSE of the problem.  If you read my Discussion, you will see that I've had cases of sciatica originating from very different causes. Note that this is probably NOT an all-inclusive list...just the ones I've experienced.  You have to treat the right cause.

    3. I completely avoid the meds.  They only mask the symptoms and do not address the root cause.

    4. Start with the least invasive modalities: chiropractic, PT, acupuncture, etc.  So many of my sciatic episodes have been completely cured by chiropractic.  You may find the same.

    5. Yes, sometimes, the root cause of the pain is the actual pinching of the sciatic nerve root at L4.  In that case, NOTHING else will work to alleviate the problem except for a neurosurgeon going in and: a. removing any bone spurs; b. performing a decompressive laminectomy to elininate any narrowing that is pinching the nerve; c. cleaning out any other bone or growth structures impinging on the nerve in the L4 through S1 area; d. any or all of the above.  Very many times, an MRI shows nothing or is inconclusive.  In those cases, the neuro just has to go in to see what's happening in there.  For me, it was unavoidable.  Just know that the "gold standard" test for the spine is a CT/Myelogram with contrast. Waaaaay better than an MRI.

    I hope some of this helps.

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX peter02141

    Posted

    Sorry...got distracted and didn't notice "Both Legs".  Guess what?  I've had this too.  It's called spinal stenosis and is caused by the narrowing of the foraminal canals between vertebrae through which the nerve roots exit the spine and through the spinal vertebrae.  MRI was inconclusive; the CT/Myelogram showed the problem.  Confirmed by a pain injection at the intended surgical site to make sure.  (For me the pain relief lasted 2-3 days only.)

    Doc suggested an LLIF fusion of L2/L3 as the fastest, easiest way to correct the problem.  This was magic bullet surgery.  Woke up completely free of the dual-leg pain...running hallways...climbing stairs.  A true miracle op.  Opened up the intervertebral space to decompress the bi-lateral nerve roots.  All pain gone instantly.

    Here are my notes...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-expandable-spacer-570509

    Search YouTube of "globus LLIF" for a really cool animation.  Posterior and lateral pics attached here.

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