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

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.
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Avatar universal
It appers that no one has looked at alternative therapy here. I was also suffering from the lower back pain - L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-S1 and the doc advised same surgery (as advised to all the sufferes here) however, i searched for alternaives and got the formula -  mix 100 gms each of turmeric (powder), dry ginger, fenugreek (powder) with 50 gms of withania somnifera. Take 1/2 spoon with luke warm after daily after breakfast and after dinner. This will cure the disc pain. Reduce the quantity/frequency as you go along. All the best.
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Avatar universal
I am glad to see I am not the only one going through this. I started with right leg pain almost 15 years ago, It came and went, wasn't really a constant issue, but has been progressively getting worse over the years.

About about six years ago the pain began spreading from my back side, down my right leg, and into my foot. Again, it wasn't constant, maybe a couple days a week or so I would have to lay down to let the pain ease up. Usually this happened after running errands all day. My doctor told me they couldn't find anything to explain the pain.

It got to the point that I was living on Ibuprofen and Vicodin. Gradually the pain just got worse and worse. I can't sit, stand. or walk for a very long time or the pain becomes so intense that it takes days before I can find any relief. I had been to a podiatrist, chiropractors and numerous neurologists. The neurologists always did the same thing, touched my legs to see if I could feel it or felt decreased sensation, made me walk, bend over and touch my toes, etc. They did EMGs in my calf and thigh on my right leg.  As usual, no one could find anything to explain the pain. Then I started falling, my left leg seemed to disappear. I had constant pins and needles, burning sensation, etc. The pain is so bad at times I can't walk. I have also been dealing with decreased sensation below the waist. Bladder and bowel problems. etc. The pain has now spread to both legs.

I have been on every medication you can imagine. Two years ago they put me on Lyrica. I had every side effect imaginable and I acquired Addison's disease. Although, I was finally able to find a neurologist that actually took the time to listen to me and my symptoms. He did an EMG on my back and found that I have severe nerve damage at L5-S1. According to my neurologist, the damage has been there for a long time and is just progressively getting worse. He recommended that I see a pain specialist because there was nothing else he could do for me.

I've been with my pain specialist for almost two years now. I was getting epidural shots every month and have been taking 15 mg oxycodone, 20 mg oxycotin extended release tabs, 10 mg flexeril, 10 mg Ambien, and Limbrel 500. After two years of increasing pain and medications, I asked for a referal to a surgeon. The hard part of that is, they never do CT scans or MRIs below L5! So each time I've had tests done, they tell me there is possible protruding disk, degenerative disc disease, and degenerative arthritis of the spine. They tell me there is nothing they can do for me so I have to live with it.

I am 47 years old and over the past year I have lived like a hermit. I have to have a cane with me at all times just in case my legs decide to stop working so I don't fall. I have a braces for my sacrum and my ankles. I have literally stopped living because of the pain. The only one who actually listens to me is my pain specialist and he is doing everything he can to get a surgeon to listen to me and run tests for the appropriate area of the body where the damage is. It is really sad when the surgeons, and most neurologists, have a God complex and think they are the only ones that know whether or not there is really something wrong. NOT EVERYTHING SHOWS UP ON MRIs or CT scans.

I've had surgery for Chiari Malformation. Prior to my surgery I dealt with the same problems that I am now with various doctors. Even the surgeon tried to tell me I didn't have Chiari, but the final test came back verifying I had Chiari, so the surgeon almost stuck his foot in his mouth! After my brain surgery, the surgeon told me they found problems that DID NOT SHOW UP  on my MRIs and CT scans. What a surprise.

I am going through the same thing with last surgeon I saw for my back. First of all, he didn't request MRIs or CT scan for the sacroiliac region as requested by my pain specialist and orthopedic doctor. He didn't feel it was necessary and everyone else didn't know what they were talking about. I am going for a second opinion in a couple weeks. I am hoping that I get a more positive result from this surgeon.

I am sorry for rambling on, but my heart goes out to you. You are your own best advocate! You may have to see a multitude of doctors before you find that is actually willing to really listen to you and want to help you. Someone that is capable of working outside the box. Not everything is in a book and if it is a rare condition, that makes it even harder to find a competent doctor. Do your own research and don't be afraid to ask questions, show the doctors what you have found, etc. Remember, the doctors are only "practicing medicine". The human body is a never ending mystery and not everybody has the same thing. The doctors need to learn to listen and be willing to admit they don't know something. They need to work with their patients, not make them feel like they're idiots.

Don't give up! No one will fight as hard for you - as you fight for yourself.  As frustrating as it may be, keeping looking for a doctor that will listen to you and want to go the extra mile to help you. That's what real doctors do!

I wish luck, don't give up, and do your own research on your symptoms and the doctors.
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1 Comments
in much the same as you l4 l5 s1 and osteo arthritus of spine had ops did not work now all they can do is feed me with pain relief morphine amitripline depression tabs gabapentin  diazapan and many more .There are days you will feel like giving up but like you stay strong take a deep breath and look at what an amazing world we live in.WE might of been dealt a crap hand but make the most of it,your only here once,there are many people worse off than us.
Avatar universal
First things first .... Do not go to an orthopedist. you must see a neurologist. your back is a very tricky part of your body, it basically runs your whole body. While you have many nerves going down your back that must be protected the ortho dr is not prepared to understand fully what is gonig on . Out of the scope of practice. Thats why you must seek a neurologist but not just any one, ask physcians and ppl you know if they could recommend one they have been too. I also have the sciatica now down my right side, was on my left I have spinal stenosis, DDD and hernitated disks L-5 thru S-1 currently waiting to see my neurologist again for round two surgery, first one cleared the pain and have not had any problems on my left side since. so im praying this one is a success as well, this will probably and most likely be a lifetime thing for you. but seek out the Neurosurgeon first.....
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Avatar universal
Olivo,

You have described my daily changing symptoms exactly.  I will stop explaining my symptoms to my friends.  They are starting to look at me strange.  Thanks for validating me.  I sometimes question if I'm going crazy.

Mommyone2three
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Avatar universal
I am considering Bowen Therapy for a similar problem, can you let me know how your back is now after a couple years and If you had to keep going to therapy?
thanks!
Sherry Fraser
email sherryfraser1(at)hotmail.com
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Avatar universal
OK I am at least not crazy as some of these docs I have seen. I have L3/L4, L5/S1 BULGING discs but in my case it is bilaterally. It stings from my lower back right down to the calves  more in the left and pins and needles in both feet mostly the big toes and soles of feet. Never felt anything like this in my life.
I had a caudal injection last year but that one did not work. I came back in 2 week later and my Doc did 3 in a row along the right side of the spine after about a week my pain scale came down. 2 weeks later he did the same thing on the left under an x-ray guidance and believe it of not it gave me relief BUT if only lasted about 14 weeks and lo and behold it came back 10 fold.  I would also like to add that I have DDD and facet athropathy  and scoliosis.   I also can not sit long or walk and stand to long either. The first mri I had showed L3 spinal nerve restriction.
To make a long story short I called back to see the Doc who gave me these shots and now I was seen by a Physicians Assistant.  I swear she looked like she was straight out of college and I told her my symptoms and told me to get another mri and a x-ray on my back the x-ray showed mild to moderate discs narrowing at L3/L4 &L4/L5,  The mri I had this time at another location showed mild annular bulging diffuse discs at the same levels but this radiologist said there was no any explanation for my symptoms and he wrote that on the report, funny it was most likely staring at him right in the face on the MRI but he  did not see it lol.  I had my next appointment with that PA and believe you me I was in PAIN plus it was a 60 mile drive one way and a very uncomfortable ride. And guess what she told me? that she could not find anything wrong with me (I firmly believe that a young PA can not analyse film! she also asked me if I was on any psycho-active drugs? This is not all in my head and I did not take street drugs.  Now I am on a long waiting list to see The Doctor. What a mess. I am trying to rebuild my core muscles in the meantime. I have read that some bulging discs do heal that it is a natural process but this is taking an awful long time.  My body is telling me that there is something wrong and there are nerve irritations  and I don't need a rocket scientist to tell me that. As far as surgery the doctor told me it might make things worse. I feel like I am in purgatory...
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