Bulging Disc L5 / S1 - referred Leg Pain. Sciatic nerve pressure.

[Benny87]

I have extreme referred leg Pain - caused by assumed sciatic nerve pressure from bulge from diagnosed minor Bulging L5 / S1 disc. Signs of canal stynosis - as I have pins and needles in my left foot and calf muscle consistantly. I get severe Glutenal cramping from walking so awkwardly to lessen the impact as sitting and walking seems to aggravate sciatic nerve due to added pressure on the disc. Lying down relieves leg pain. Acupuncture and physio can not relieve my pain more than temporaraly. Physio has given me exercises and also tape strapping to keep me standing straight, not crouching. I have had a few spine stretching treatments with a machine - pulling lower back down whilst strapped to a table. Dry needling, Hydro therapy, Massage and looking at remedial massage currently. You name it - I feel like I've done it. I've got no known allergies to any other medications or supplements ever prescribed or suggested.
I took magnesium yesterday as suggested for muscle cramping. This only caused me a massive headache, dizzyness, extreme stomach cramps that then turned to nausea and vomiting. I guess magnesium just didn't agree with me.
Due to having a bulging disc, all the doctors I go to seem to laugh when I say i'll do anything to take the pain away. They tell me to learn to live with it and write me another script for one of many pain killers Endep 25, Indocid 100mg, Tramadol 100mg, valpam 5mg... nothing is effective any more and I can't help but feel so depressed that after 4 months of dealing with this excrusiating pain at 20 years old - the rest of my life is going to be unbearable.
I keep getting told by practically everybody that surgery is not the answer. The hospital has put me on a waiting list for a consultation with an orthapedic surgeon and after all the attempts in the worlds to get an earlier appointment I've only got to wait another month - but after that there will be many more waiting lists to look forward to, who knows... what surgery is considered in these cases.
Can you suggest anything that will take my pain away? I don't want to be addicted to pain killers and I'm scared it's getting worse not better, or even bearable.

[Madimel]

After bitching to my Dr for over 2 years about my feet feeling like i am dipping my feet in boiling oil, walking on thorns and looking sunburn then turn purple he put me on pain meds and gave me more depression meds thought it was in my head...FINALLY i told him look i cant walk more then 20 mins w/o felling like my bones are grinding bone to bone and my legs are numb with shooting pain going down them, he had to do something I begged him to give me a MRI and i said if I am will to pay $400 out of pocket NOW would I be faking it? So i go it and HUMMMM i have bone spurs pushing on my nerves and a  Herniated disc..I am so mad because he just kept feeding me pills and allowed me to be in pain for tha 2 years :(///// Do  you think water beds make YOUR BACK FEEL BETTER? I got a memory foam w/the cooling pack on it and it hurts me so bad thank you Jeni

[PaulaCH]

After being a very sporty person, I can't remember when I didn't have a bad back.  After going to Chiro to help it I found instead he possibly cause my disc L5 S1 to herniate or bulge and I have been in constant pain ever since.   Right now I am in bed trying to recover from back pain and referral lower abdominal pain and leg cramping I get when my back is bad.  No Meds seem to help when it is bad.

I have just become a yoga teacher in the last few years and have spent a lot of time studying backs and the only way I think we can help our back injuries is by relaxing the muscles around the affected area in order to take away the pressure on the nerves. This involves correct breathing into the abdomen and Daily relaxation incorporating that breathing in a comfortable supported position with legs on a chair or over a bolster or with the knees bent.   I find is most beneficial and better than any operation or medication.  TRY IT AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU ALL GO

[Lisaanne27]

I have just had two surgerys to relieve the very same problems you have had, I'm three weeks into recovery but am starting to have that awful pain come back once again!!! After my first op I was fine then eight weeks later my sciatic pain pain came back soooo bad I couldn't walk, sit, stand do any thing and was taken to hospital via ambulance and spent a week in there continually getting worse, the pain I kid you not was really worse than child birth, I know this because I've had three children without pain relief. The pain meds I was on tramdol, Panadol, gabapantin, codeine, morphine, cedamine, amoung a few other ones but none of which did any thing, then added hot and cold packs and electro pads to help but still nothing!!! After seven days in hospital which felt like a life a life time I got to have surgery for the second time for the same thing.  I woke up feeling remarkably better, no pain but numbness and pins and neddles in the back of my buttox down my entire leg to the bottom of my foot ( left leg)  but three weeks later the pain is coming back, I am sacred the pain will be as bad as it was, and I can't really afford for this to happen, no scratch that I can't afford it period as I worked for my self for cash and have now been out of work for six months. This sux!!! Are you all better?

[daisykay]

I lay my legs on a bean bag at 90 degree stay like this until pain is gone I sleep like this too I pray you feel better.

[daisykay]

I have found if I put my legs up 90 degrees and I use a bean bag to do it  but it has to be 90 degrees and lay there a while it has help me a lot .I pray for you to get better. marcia

[daisykay]

How are you feeling today 2014 hope still doing good please tell for I am looking into surgery.Marcia