Unusual sciatica symptoms

[ejbpesca]

Trying to self diagnose my recent flare up of pain I've not experienced before I keep reading that typical sciatica is pain down the back of the the thigh. I have no pain there but instead it radiates from the left side of the lumbar into what seems to be the hip joint. I am also sore down the leg but nothing like the sharp shooting stabbing pain I get when trying to rise from sitting. I have to shift all weight to the right leg and wait for it to calm down to walk. Sound familiar to anyone?

[Mark N]

ejbpesca, I never suffered from sciatica before my lumbar fusion so I don't have personal experience about what you are feeling. Others here have talked about having that pain and you could very well have the pain showing up in your hip do to the SI joint that is associated with our spines. I hope your doctor does a good job diagnosing your spinal problem and doesn't just try to go by the symptoms although they are a good place to start. I hope your pain decreases soon and you don't have to suffer much longer. Typically this is a sign of an inflammed nerve and anti-inflammatories are good for that. If you are taking medication now be sure to see if they include NSAIDs as you could take too much by adding some without realizing your medication already includes it.

[Marmar]

Have you checked any dermatome charts? They show where each part of the leg is affected by what disk level. Typical sciatica runs down the leg into the feet. When I had l3/l4 sciatica, it went from the hip to the knee. I know for absolutely certain, because my surgeon actually cut my dura at that level and the nerve was exposed. Mark is right to possibly blame the SI joint, which causes pain in the butt, usually. When you get up from sitting, you probably open up disk space that was compressed while sitting. If you feel numbness, that's a danger sign that the nerve may be impinged. Pins and needles, too. So sorry for your pain, and it is a good idea to keep a written journal or diary of the pain to bring to dr visits. Hope it's just inflammation and that anti inflammatory drugs clear up this new pain!

[Leeaelle]

The sciatica doesn't have to be the sharp, shooting pains. You won't believe this, but I've had sciatica for 27 years now, and it's a severe constant pain that goes from the back, into the hip, down the leg and into the foot. It's mostly down the side of the leg, but does radiate behind the knee, and that REALLY hurts!!! I've had everything done that a pain clinic can do (in fact 3 pain clinics!!!) including an SCS implant and removal, and nothing works. So now I'm just on medications. And the only thing so far in all these years that has worked (and we only found these 3 months ago!!) is OpanaER with Lyrica. I've been on Topamax & Cymbalta for a long time and that helps with the burning/tingling, but not with the actual pain. Only the other 2 has helped with the pain!!!

I hope you get some relief for your pain. It's pretty darn miserable. I'm so sick of it I could scream! ACK! lol Take care and God bless. Hugs, Lee