Hi,
I have sciatic nerve problems, and would really, really appreciate any help.
a) Sudden, large L5/S1 herniation 2005 - disk-area pain, no leg involvement, MRI, no surgery
b) 5 years of continuous low-back pain, maybe 10-15 periods of 4-5 days stuck on the floor due to moving the wrong way, not from any high-effort actions
c) 1/2010 - something happened - no back pain for 1 week, then woke up with 6-level pain (10=unconscious, 9=on floor trying to scream, 8=on floor screaming, 7=on floor crying, 6=on floor on Oxycodone miserable) - pain was down left leg and into foot, and was exactly the same 24/7 for 4-5 days, then completely went away; left foot outside edge and heal numb, 1/2 of calf non-responsive, numb streak down back of thigh and calf
d) After "waiting a while" (about 6 weeks), probably the worst medical advice ever, had another MRI and microdiskectomy - surgeon said all was well. However, pre- and post-surgical conditions were identical. Surgeon's release papers stated, in all-caps, bold, underlined: NO RESTRICTIONS, PERIOD.
e) 6 months later, lifting a small lawn mower, it went wrong again. 1 week later, while doing light housework, ended up on the floor again, leg pain again, exactly the same as the first time, 4-5 days of level-6 24/7 pain, Oxycodone and Predisone immediately, then suddenly (like across 1 hour) no pain. This time I lost the other 1/2 of my calf, and more of the bottom of my foot, and another 1.5 toes went numb (down to big toe and 1/2 of next toe). "Gave it a while" again, then another MRI and microdiskectomy, with the same results - pre- and post-surgical conditions exactly the same. Surgeon reported all was well, specifically that the nerve was compressed, had been de-compressed, was not cut or torn, and had a CSF pulse.
f) 6 months later - same exact condition. I can press about 45 pounds with my left calf vs 300+ pounds with my right calf. I can walk, and consciously try to push off with both calves, but the left one just does not work correctly. Most of the outside edge and bottom of my foot, and outside 3.5 toes are numb when I wake up, then get somehow worse, like my foot is being crushed, all day long. Standing/walking definitely make this worse - too much of that results in pretty bad (5-6) level pain in the center of the ball of my foot and, at its worse, my big toe. Another MRI with/without contrast shows no clear problems to radiologist or spine surgeon, no more surgery for now.
So: any hope here? Can the sciatic nerve grow back though an intact sheath, when it was apparently mashed by a disk herniation bad enough to quit reporting pain after 4-5 days, then left to fester for another ~6 weeks before surgery? Does the increase of symptoms through the day, related to being upright, say anything about the nerve needing to be more de-compressed?
Thanks for any help,
Joe