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Sciatica and MS

Does anyone know if there is any correlation between sciatica and MS?  If so how long do the symptoms of sciatica normally last?  Thanks, Mary Beth
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Avatar universal
Can anybody help me, im going out of my mind. i've  had m.s since 1991 which over the years have got progressivly worse. also ostiperosis, and trigeminal neuralgia as if that is'nt bad enough to live with ive now been diagnosed with acute  sciatica.
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1453990 tn?1329231426
Welcome to the MS forum.  You've posted to a 3+ year old thread.  You might want ot open a new topic.  There are lesions in the thoracic that can mimic sciatica, but many thoracic lesions effect both lower extremities at the same time.  Sciatica is usually asymmetrical.  Sciatica is typically related to a disk in the lumbar region "pinching" one of five spinal nerve roots that give rise to each sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the left or right or both sciatic nerves and is considered a lumbar radiculopathy.  

In MS, the lesion must be in the CNS, pain radiating down the legs would most likely be caused by a thoracic lesions.  Lesions this high up in MS might also cause bowel, bladder, ED, etc.  An  EMG/NCS would be the most effective way to determine if the pain is related to a peripheral nerve injury like sciatica.

Bob
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Avatar universal
I have done a lot of research into Multiple Sclerosis since I was diagnosed in February of 2005. I am also currently experiencing pain which I at first thought was Avascular Necrosis, also sometimes referred to as Osteonecrosis. This condition is known to be caused by long term use of Corticosteroid's such as Methylprednisolone (a.k.a. Solumedrol) which many neurologists prescribe in high doses (as much as a gram per day for five days) in treating M.S. Relapses. In Avascular Necrosis, the head of the ball joint at the head of the femur where it connects to the hip, actually starts to die, which would definitely cause pain in the hip area and in advanced cases the head of this ball join actually collapses, which I can only imagine would be truly painful and likely restrict movement to the area. So far, all anyone has done is take X-Rays of my hips, which would only catch the condition if it were in it's advanced stages where there has been a collapse or partial collapse. Only when I see a specialist who will order the MRI I have been requesting will I know for sure if my problem is Avascular Necrosis or Sciatica. As Sciatica is caused by a problem with the nerves exiting the lower spine, I think most Neurologists would say that the Sciatica is not related to your M.S. I'm sure, however, that there are at least a few out there who believe as I do. Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the Central Nervous System, therefore it can literally affect any part of your body. I personally believe that you can have lesions on any of the nerves in the spinal chord, be it in the Cervical Spine, the Thorasic Spine, or the Lumbar Spine. Regardless, there are obviously areas of the Brain and Cervical Spinal Chord that eventually lead to the nerve bundle that exits the lower spine, right? So, obviously M.S. has the potential to cause problems with the Sciatic nerve, be the ultimate cause a lesion directly on the nerves where they exit the lower spine, a lesion on the Cervical Spinal Chord that affects those nerves, or a lesion in the brain that affects those nerves.

The best advice I can give you is if you have a doctor (your neurologist for example) that has a tendency to dismiss all of your symptoms as M.S. and won't do any further testing to rule out other conditions, you should seek a second opinion and let the doc you're seeking the second opinion from know that the entire reason you've come to them is that you aren't looking to have another doctor tell you something along the lines of, "Well I'll tell you what your problem is, says here you have M.S. It can cause many different symptoms. Deal with it." (yes, I've actually had a doctor use almost that exact phrasing) but at the same time, if they aren't finding any other explanations, hopefully you can talk your neuro into doing s brain/c-spine MRI at the very least and see if you have any enhancing (active) lesions that might explain your symptoms and if so, it'll likely be time for one of those steroid infusions. :) Good luck to you, I sincerely hope that your doctor is thorough enough to find the true source of the problem and that it's easily corrected.

Take Care,
           Dan…
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Avatar universal
Hi,
I am in limbo but, the satica nerve has always been a problem for me but I wrote that off to a bad water skiing accident when I was 17, some times just the slight bend when I brush my  teeth sets it off and then usually for weeks as you walk strange to compinsate. No one has ever done a scan and x ray of my lower spine??

also someone remind me to add this to my list later... my neck from about 15 my neck used to go out OH so painful nerves all bunched up the most pain ever and yes I had kids, I was in neck braces all kinds of things on and off for years. Now this has not happend for some time (knock on wood) but I wonder .... my friends have said I have been sick for years about 13 years old. ( one doc at the time told me I had a "cold" in my neck :-)

It sure would be nice if all our eggs went in one basket huh? maybe that is why the doctors have such a hard time dx???

Who wrote on buldging disk surgery? can you please email me my best friend found out yesterday that is her issue and is scared single mom and doesn't see her doctor for awhile, she has 2 disks doing this just got the MRI. Having trouble seeing today light bothering me so not sure I read it right on the surgery??

Thanks,
Mary
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Avatar universal
ELT
I learned of something on this site, called Meralgia Paresthetica, which could be mistaken for sciatica.  It can cause a burning in your thighs, an aching, shooting pain in your hips, buttocks, knees, and sometimes groin.  

If the meralagia is caused by a pinched nerve, it is apt to be unilateral.  If it is caused by ms, it is, like all those other fun things, more likely to be bilateral, to some degree.  

I went to my doctor about the pains, thinking that the thigh/buttocks were sciatica or a varicose vein or something, he didn't really say much.  Just that there was a slightly visible vein there.  I went at a different time about my knee, thinking I was injuring it at the gym, he said keep exercising.  I never asked about the hips or thigh, I figured that had to be spasms or something, due to my imaginary ms.

It was like an epiphany when I read the other persons post about meralgia.  I researched it to death on line for the day, and decided yes, it describes what I am experiencing to a tee.

Good luck

Erica
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Avatar universal
Sciatic pain can be caused by a lesion or full on sciatica (nerve compression). The only way to be sure what causes the pain is to have a MRI of the lower back. I had a MRI and found no lesion, only disk bulges.   I believe that my MS induced weakness caused my caused bulges and therefore my sciatica.

My story;

My MS caused me to lose mobility in my right side. I gained most of strength back because of time and physical therapy. I wasn't able to fully regain my strength in my right leg, causing me to limp and walk kind of cockeyed. Well a year after walking with my limp I got my first bat of sciatica, bad. I was out of commission for a while, but after physical therapy it went away.....It came back and so started my 5+ years of battling sciatica and my weak leg. I finally went to my MS doctor with the possibility my MS was causing my pain. He had me get an MRI of my lower back.....I had two large disk bulges (herniated disks). I am currently recovering from a mircodisectomy, all my leg pain is gone, but there is some incision pain.  Only time will tell if the surgery was the right decision, but after 5 years of trying everything out there, it was my only option and so far its worked.
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Avatar universal
Thanks, I thought so...
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195469 tn?1388322888
The spinal cord is weird.  It has "white matter" in it, until it gets to the Lumbar region.  It then branches off into a bundle of nervies.  Sciatica is caused from one of those nerves that is NOT containted in the white matter.

MS is a white matter disease.  No lesions are found in the Lumbar region, because their is no white matter for the MS to attack.

MS lesions are mostly seen in the cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord.  There can be lesions lower in the spine, where there is white matter, but lesions lower than the thoracic region are rare.

So you are correct...the sciatic nerve is too low in the spinal cord to be affected by MS, since that nerve is not covered by white matter.

Heather  
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the clarification:  feel like a moron sometimes!!
I'v had pain in my buttock, sharp pain, does not go down leg but have buzzing and numbness in leg.  The pain only lasts for a few short minutes then goes away.  It was only for a day, and then disappeared.  I've had this pain before and thought it may be positional and attributed it to sciatica but now I'm wondering if it really is.  Isin't the sciatic nerve low to be affected by an MS lesion on the spine?  Don't most lesions occur on the cervical and thoracic spine?  Take care to you too :)
Mary Beth
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Avatar universal
Hello Dowma,
Sorry for the confusion, I no longer have the symptoms of sciatica. It lasted only for a few months a few years ago and like magically disappeared.  I feel that if I truly had this condition I would continue to have these symptoms but I don't.  I think that this is due to my undiagnosed neurological condition.  Take care :)
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338416 tn?1420045702
I think she means the sciatica wouldn't have gone away after a back injury - therefore it must have been the MS.

I'm not a doctor, so I won't comment on that!  But I had a similar situation - my left shoulder was so painful and knotted that I couldn't turn my head to the left.  I thought it was residual whiplash from a fender bender a week ago.  But after two days, it was almost gone, which if it was whiplash, wouldn't have happened.  So it must have been the MS!  Now the pain has moved to my right shoulder - but it's not as bad.  :-|
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Avatar universal
Hi ruggiesse,

Sorry confused, :)  Do you mean if you have Sciatica you would still be suffering from it even after all this time.  Or if you had MS you would still be suffering from sciatica.  I'm sure its just me but sometimes I have a hard time understanding and retaining what i read.  God Bless you too!!  Mary Beth
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Avatar universal
Hello Dowma, I am very new to this forum, I just discussed some symptoms I have been having for 5 years.  I have experienced sciatica- pain in my upper buttock to knee for a few months, a few years ago.  The condition magically ceased after I thought I injured my back without knowing.  Sciatica is a condition of the nervous system and there may be a correlation because if I truly had this condition I would still be suffering from this pain.  God Bless
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338416 tn?1420045702
I had some problems with my left leg that I attributed to sciatica some  years back.  However, I haven't heard of any connection between sciatica and MS.  My current theory is that I have a lesion in my back, somewhere close to the sciatic nerve... if that's possible!
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Avatar universal
Thanks it does hurt, I'm just trying to put all my eggs in one basket!!  
Just wondering if there was any correlation.  I know sciatica is caused by inflammation of the spinal nerve root that's why I was asking.  
Thanks Heather,
Mary Beth
Helpful - 0
195469 tn?1388322888
I do not believe that there is any higher incidence of painful sciatica among people with MS than the "normal" population.

When I have bouts of siactica, I try to sit on a heating pad.  It helps.  My "spells" only last a couple of days at most, only to come back and bother me at another time.

It hurts doesn't it....

Hope you feel better,
Heather  
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