Other causes of sciatica?

Posted By Jim on December 21, 1998 at 18:24:25:







I am 27 year old male who underwent a successful laminectomy in October of 1995 due to a sports injury.  In October of this year, I jumped up and landed on my left heel.  I immdeiately had a "shooting" pain all the way up to my kndney area.  I really don't have any back pain.  My doctor thinks that there is probably no disc involvement this time, and I somehow irritated my sciatic nerve in the pelvis region or there abouts.  My only symptom is difficulty in laying down, as I am able to sit, walk, stand, bend and lift without pain.  When I lie down, my whole left leg swells up and I experience "pins and needles" in my outer chin and top of the foot.  Thus I am unable to really sleep.  I have a few questions. First, is it possible to have a sciatic problem without  disc involvement (such as piriformis syndrome)?  Second, could this be a scar tissue problem I hear so much about that suddenly manifested itself after my injury (my symptoms are the exact opposite of my previous symptoms in 1995)?  Also, is scarring from laminectomies as prevelent as the posts on the internet suggest?  Do you know of any long-term studies that show percentages of sufferers?  I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.