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March 13, 2010 - 2:26pm
Sciatica?
How many of you have sciatica issues with no back pain? I have left leg sciatica issues from my rear to the bottom of my foot but no back pain. I don't know what I have going on now but im sure its not good.
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I did have sciatica pain minus back pain when I was first injured off & on. Over time my sciatic nerve "died" as in quit working. I told my Dr I was never so happy to have a part of me die lol
But seriously I was told that the sciatic only pain was depending on how inflamed nerves where, how my disks were swollen and many other variety of issues inside my back are.
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, degenerative disk, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 49 - Here to find & offer support. Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011
I was wondering because my discectomy was back in Aug. 09 and I haven't done anything obvious to herniate the disk again. I don't have any back pain just sciatica all the way down my left leg. Something is obviously irratating I just don't know whats going on.
Sorry to hear you are still having complications, there is several of us here with similar situations after laminectomy/discectomy surgeries when we have continued pain, pain on opposite side or sciatic pain just like you.
I wish I had some answers for you, in my situation I will be having another decompression surgery to clean it all out and remove anything that my doctor sees that could be pressing on the nerve because I have had all the tests and I have been told not everything shows up, but I shouldn't be having all this pain.
I know you have had another MRI but what about a discogram or a myelogram, there are more tests that can be done to find out why you have the symptoms that you do, maybe you could see your doctor again and tell him you are still having problems or get a second opinion.
Another option is to have a nerve block injection, I have had several since my surgery but they just don't last long, but it could help your doctor determine which nerve is producing your symptoms.
Keep us posted and I hope you find out whats going on and you get some relief from your symptoms.
Take care,
Sandra
July 2009 - Laminectomy, discectomy at L5-S1
May 2010 - Laminectomy, foraminotomy and facetectomy at
L5-S1
June 2011 - ALIF fusion at L5-S1
I was supposed to have a myelogram/ct scan done but I seemed to be getting a little better so I didn't do go through with it. I was also worried it would make things worse to do the test.
I just got out of bed one day last week and noticed the pain I had been having on my right side (opposite of surgery side) just was gone like someone switched a light off. The bad side was I noticed a familiar feeling in my left calf muscle and as the day progressed so did the sciatica.
The only problem that the Dr. has seen so far was an instability in my L4/5 joint. Maybe the vertabrae was sitting more to my right side for a while and has shifted to the left pressing on the nerve.
I don't have much disk left after the surgery from what my last MRI showed... so I have no room for error in there.
I guess I will call my insurance and see if they will approve another MRI. They might not do it since I just had one in Oct. I have to do something though I can't sit and wait for my leg to go completely numb and then start looking for answers. You know what I mean.
doesn't always cause back pain.
I also have found that I have scar tissue that is pressing on the nerve, that could be your situation also. My surgery was just a month before yours, you should make a follow up appointment with your doctor just to be on the safe side.
Do you do PT? I still continue to do my stretches to help with the sciatic pain, that can be helpful.
Good luck
July 2009 - Laminectomy, discectomy at L5-S1
May 2010 - Laminectomy, foraminotomy and facetectomy at
L5-S1
June 2011 - ALIF fusion at L5-S1
I still do stretches and exercises daily. I'll tell the reason I don't think its scar tissue is because when I had pain on my right (none surgery) side I had absolutely nothing going on with my left side. I had no sciatica, pain, nothing. Its just all too coincidental that the day the pain leaves my right side... new issues show up on my left.
I think between the nearly no disc height and instability this is where my problems come from.
Or a Ct myelogram may need to be done instead of another MRI, which should help pin point your pain and why.
It is a little odd for the pain to switch sides at the same time. A discogram will be able to tell your doctor if your disk is bad but sciatic pain would mean something is pushing on the nerve. It's definately time to follow up with more tests. If your doctor was willing before I am sure he will still help you now.
July 2009 - Laminectomy, discectomy at L5-S1
May 2010 - Laminectomy, foraminotomy and facetectomy at
L5-S1
June 2011 - ALIF fusion at L5-S1
I have sciatica with no back pain. I had intermittent lower back pain for a few months before it hit my nerve. Luckily I've been able to muscle through it without surgery so far.
Good luck finding the source of your pain. That has got to be frustrating to go through surgery and then something else pop up.
Kathryn
July/August 2009 - Lumbar back pain.
Sept 2009 - Mild butt/leg pain proceeded to get worse.
January 2010 - Dx with L5/S1 herniated disc with 7mm fragment compressing S1 nerve root.
Feb 2010 - Caudal ESI. Took 10 days to work, but so far, so good.
May 2010 - Started lowering my meds to see if I can come stop altogether. Only take Lyrica 75Mg once a day and Meloxicam every other day.
Its pretty tough