Sciatica?

[needsunderstanding]

My partner has been plagued with what he thinks is sciatica nerve pain for a number of years. He often complains of tightness in his lower back on the left side and when i try to massage it for him he says it hurts too much to touch. Furthermore he complains that it travels down through his left buttock down his left leg and stops at the knee. Shortly after i met him the pain was so bad that he couldn't stand up or walk. He often describes it as a dull ache and with it ending at the knee. He sleeps on a soft couch and wakes up with a stiffness in his lower left back... Does this sound like sciatica?

[Slipsoup]

To assess for piriformis syndrome, a doctor can do a few simple maneuvers to see if pain is elicited. I passed the test; however, the doctor I was seeing didn't look any further. I had to keep searching until I was diagnosed properly.

[Slipsoup]

My sciatica initially affected both legs but now is only on one side. I have an extruded disc at L5-S1. As a result, my sciatic pain goes all the way down my leg to my big toe. I found the pain varied with different activities but could be present while lying down, sitting, walking, bending, swimming, etc. I'm 7 and one-half months from my injury and can finally say that my sciatica is bearable. I started a postural exercise program called the Egoscue Method and it has worked wonders for my daily functioning.
I hope your partner does get some diagnositics. His treatment and recovery can be better guided after being diagnosed.

[needsunderstanding]

I just asked him about sitting down and he says that it does bother him when he's sitting sometimes.

[needsunderstanding]

And he says that the pain usually stops at the knee. I do remember he literally couldn't get out of bed for about 4 days when it really hit him. He hasn't done anything to diagnose it but i'm urging him to do so in the next few days.

[needsunderstanding]

Hi,
Thanks for replying. He often complains when he bends over and tries to stand up. It's only on one side as i described before. The muscles in his lower back are really tight and sensitive when i try to work out the "kinks" and when i massage his left buttock it seems to feel better. He tried some of the stretching exercises and that provided him with some immediate relief...Sound like sciatica?

[Slipsoup]

Hi. It sounds like it could be. Often herniated discs can put pressure on the nerve. The length that the pain travels can assist in determining where the herniation is. In other words, the lower the herniation, the lower the nerve pain goes.
Sciatica presents in many different ways. It often results in difficulty sitting too, among other things.
Has he had any testing done? An MRI and EMG would help to confirm the diagnosis.