I'm sorry you're having this pain right now. I hope you can see the Rheumatologist soon. I had facet joint arthritis and sciatica from pinched nerves & L5-S1 herniated disc affecting my leg but I'm not sure about what you're experiencing. I hope they do another MRI and find out what's going on. I take Cymbalta for leg pain and it seemed to help more than Lyrica. I hope you get some relief of pain soon. Does using a cane help a all? Please keep us posted how you're doing. Take care. Charry

As far as I know, there is no "sciatic arthritis." Sciatic refers to the sciatic nerve, and a nerve, in and of itself, cannot have arthritis. But there is a relationship between sciatica and arthritis.

Some causes of sciatic are related to arthritis. For example, stenosis, the narrowing of the central canal inside the lumbar spine, disc herniation, the slippage of vertebrae (spondylolisthesis.)

Spinal arthritis can result in bony overgrowths, osteophytes, that can form at the facet joints, the vertebrae and inside the spinal canal. When these form on the facets and in the spinal canal, the result is spinal stenosis, or they can press on the nerve roots. Either of these situations can result in sciatic pain.

It sounds like there is still some nerve compression that is causing the nerve pain in your leg. Perhaps the disc has reherniated or there is a problem with an adjoining disc. Perhaps there is forminal or central canal stenosis. Something is pressing on the nerve, causing the pain in your leg. These things should show up on a MRI.

It might be time to find a new spinal specialist if the rheumatologist has nothing to help you.

ok, my pain is concentrated in my knees not just one but one or other or both at times o only have realy bad pain like once every 3-6 months other then that i can deal. I dont feel i reherniated but could be wrong.Reherniation means they will do a fusion due to the severity of first herniation and that scares the ----- outta me. Also i had this kinda pain most of my life not quite as frequently though. I have not seen my spinal doc since he relieced me for work last febuary. I do not use a cane i work through the pain. The other wierd thing is if i sleep pain is gone. I apreciate your comments and advice

It's really unusual because while I had facet joint arthritis and then had knee and foot problems and I go for an x-ray and I have arthritis in my knee and both feet. It seemed like my whole body was doing this arthritic thing stemming from the herniated disc. Do you take celebrex or lyrica? I hope you feel better. Charry

ok so i wake up 1-12 and my knees and leggs feel great. very little pain even when on them for 8 hrs at work, this is what confuses me and probable doctors to. I have not even taken anything for pain and all i ever take is advil or alieve. No celebrex or amything hurts my stomock to much. So why would i have a few days every 4-6 months that i suffer confuses me. I dont see th rhyuemy till feb 1st still gonna go and see what he says. Mri im not sure and definately cannt aford one right now. broke and have kids and my wife to provide for. Yea i know i have to take care of myself to take care of others and Iam doing what i can. Thanks for the well wishes and my all your pain levels go down also. Noone knopws back pain till the experience it.

Now i feel dumb lol. Was at work when my knee tightened up and went back to doc he said i had water i knee gave me a script for mobic and double checked my apointment with rheumatolagist. Doc also gave me some info on the condition witch was more confusing than anything. So i cannt wait to go to rheumatalagist to get same face to face answers.

Please let us know what the rheumatologist has to say. This all sounds very unusual!!

hello sir,

When degeneration is found in the spine or other joints, we often simply are told it’s arthritis. When we are a little more stiff in the morning, we call that arthritis. When we have back pain from years of wear and tear on our.

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So i wne t to rheumatolagist and he said yes i have psoriatic arthritis. Mobic was a good start if pain is not better by the 23 third he said he wants to give steriod injections into the knees to relieve pain and swelling.He gave me web site links to answer more of my questions all around i think he was one of the best docs i have ever delt with straight up front yet still joked around with ya. My knees swell up everynight so im sure ill have to get the injections but if it gives me relief ill take it. He said this could have been with me since i was a kid since ive always had knee problems and that is is now realy flaring up. so he wants to knock it down now before damage to joints acour or it moves to other joints. Ive not heard of other people with this yet. He did say only 1% of people with psoriasis get the arthritis before or after skin symptoms apear. hope all are feeling well

Interesting posts and feedback. There is no sciatic arthritis.

Per other comments, if you have arthritis at you lumbar facets, you can try local injections.

If x-ray findings at you knees are consistent with arthritic degeneration and space narrowing consider medication and acupuncture. You can work on weight loss and improving flexibility of muscles, ligaments and fascia in your thighs and legs to assure that you knee pain is not due to problems with tracking of the patella as it moves with knee flexion/extension.

so i got he siatic wrong it is psoriatic arthritis. I do alot of streatching because of the micro on l5s1. No damage on xrays yet but i have built up fluid on both knees now and will more then likely be on methotrxate on the 23. I apreciate the advise thanks

Let me know what you find out about psoriatic arthritis please. I am waiting to get to a rhuem myself. Going to a derm first to confirm psoriasis but I really suspect this may be what is hitting me as well

I am so glad to finally find ref to PsA short for psoriatic arthritis on this site. After cyst laminectomy in '07 and a year later disc fusion, both at L4/L5 I had almost no pain relief. I had severe right hip pain, groin pain and pain down my right thigh and outer calf. I was seeing a pain mngmnt dr and he ordered MRI of right hip and referred me to a rheumatologist. I was diagnosed with PsA but hip was by then so damaged I recently had total hip replacement. My hip feels fine but I only started taking Arava for PsA 2 weeks ago and it hasn't yet alleviated the extreme sacral and pelvic arthritic pain. I have a half hour after I get up and then the burning aching starts and I almost can't walk.
Look forward to hearing from others suffering from psoriatic arthritis.
Katita