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Sciatic like symptoms/neurosurgery

FGS
My husband has suffered for over a year with intense pain upon walking or standing. He has had MRIS,Xrays, etc. no definitive diagnosis. Symptoms are intense pain in back, radiating to hip, to front/side of leg to knee with tingling on the front of his leg and to his feet.When the pain hits he says it is like his hip just gives away and the pain is unbearable.  He has had injections for the pain (back), made it worse. He had spinal surgery in 1993(lower spine)and has had trouble off and on with back pain but not like this.Dr.now says may be periformis syndrome, Rx excercise, no help. We are desperate. What tests should we insist on, could it be artery disease or something like that? Would muscle relaxants help? he is now on hydrocodone and 800 mgs of ibuprofen 3x a day.  Can you point us in another direction? Is sciatic pain only in the BACK of the leg or can it be in the front like his? thank you.
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A related discussion, Cathy53 was started.
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FGS
Just a note to say thanks, we have a diagnosis.  The neurosurgeon saw the SYNOVIAL CYST Immediately on the MRI film.  It had been overlooked by 3 doctors (not neuro however) and two radiologists.  When pointed out to us, we also could see it, that is how big it is.  My husband has surgery tomorrow AM and we have hopes for some pain relief.  It seems to be a straight forward surgery and could be done outpatient except for Medicare, who will not pay unless patient is admitted and has an overnight stay.  Anyway, thank you for being there and for other sufferers, KEEP AT IT, we didn't give up and accept the "guess you'll have to live with it" of the other physicians.  We are lucky AND blessed.
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Sciatic pain usually causes pain down the back of the leg, there is a degree of variation outside that, but if the pain is predominantly down the side of the thigh or front, that is the region of the lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh (a nerve that comes off the lumbosacral plexus of nerves next to the spinal cord) or the intermediate cutaneous nerve of the thigh (a nerve that comes off the obturator nerve, also originating in the lumbosacral plexus).

I'm not sure what the indication for surgery was in 1993, but unfortunately surgery does not always cure back pain, and may make it more troublesome to come to a diagnosis. There may be scarring from the surgery or other natural post surgery changes that may not be seen on MRI. Its impossible for me to tell without seeing the MRI scan and examining your husband. If he has not had an EMG it might be able to tell you if there is a pinched nerve or a radiculopathy (pinched nerve at its origin at the spinal cord). You might also want to make sure the problem is not with his joints (hip or knee).

Arterial disease of the leg causes symptoms that come on after a period of normal exercise, and are relieved after rest.

Good luck.

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