Well, I have to have an MRI next Friday...

[bradruth]

My symptoms seem to be pointing to a pinched Sciatic Nerve likely caused by a herniated disc in my lumbar or sacral vertebrae.

I've been having intermittent pain and stiffness in my left lumbar/buttock/thigh area, accompanied by radiating stabbing pains throughout my entire left leg down to my foot, for a solid 8 months or so now. It recently got worse and the pain has been ridiculous for about a week. Even walking is a bitch for the first half mile or so, until it finally loosens up to the point where I can almost take a full stride.

Went in to see the doc yesterday and he can't put me on anti-inflammatories because I'm allergic to sulfur, so I'll get the MRI and the likely treatment will either be 1.) physical therapy, 2.) cortisone-like injections to the lower back, 3.) neurosurgery, or 4.) some combination of the three.

Anyone ever had anything like this? The pain is constant and fairly intense, which is pretty much just pissing me off.

Update 9-16-05: Well, that was loads of fun. Laying still in a tube for 45 minutes while loud noises bombarded me. The weirdest part was how warm it felt while the machine was scanning...it was like I was laying on a heating pad. I can see why they ask if you're claustrophobic about half a dozen times...that'd be a nightmare for someone that was.

Update 9-20-05: Turns out it's mild degeneration of the L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs with minor buldging of the L5-S1 disc. No herniation and no pinched nerve. It looks like the nerve is just inflamed from certain aggravating causes and it should subside with time. Overall good news...now if the pain would subside sooner rather than later I certainly wouldn't complain.

 

[KK]

nope

 

[Juice Box]

oh sh!t dude.....is that the test where you have to drink that Barium shake? When i got my appendix taken out, they had to scan my torso, and made me drink 2 liters of this nasty ass Barium shake.....it was like curdled milk with a hint of orange....*shudder*

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: Juice Box
oh sh!t dude.....is that the test where you have to drink that Barium shake? When i got my appendix taken out, they had to scan my torso, and made me drink 2 liters of this nasty ass Barium shake.....it was like curdled milk with a hint of orange....*shudder*

I don't think drinking barium will help them scan my spinal column. Maybe they'll make me drink it just to be asses, though.

 

[Juice Box]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Juice Box
oh sh!t dude.....is that the test where you have to drink that Barium shake? When i got my appendix taken out, they had to scan my torso, and made me drink 2 liters of this nasty ass Barium shake.....it was like curdled milk with a hint of orange....*shudder*

I don't think drinking barium will help them scan my spinal column. Maybe they'll make me drink it just to be asses, though.

well, what it does is makes your stomach and other organs stick out in the scan...so they can tell them apart. You might have to...if you do..I really feel sorry for you

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: Juice Box

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Juice Box
oh sh!t dude.....is that the test where you have to drink that Barium shake? When i got my appendix taken out, they had to scan my torso, and made me drink 2 liters of this nasty ass Barium shake.....it was like curdled milk with a hint of orange....*shudder*

I don't think drinking barium will help them scan my spinal column. Maybe they'll make me drink it just to be asses, though.

well, what it does is makes your stomach and other organs stick out in the scan...so they can tell them apart. You might have to...if you do..I really feel sorry for you

I don't know why they'd want my organs to stick out for the scan. If anything they'd want my discs and nerves to stick out.

I'm guessing it's more like a CT scan, which I've had done before.

 

[BooGiMaN]

it sucks to get old dont it.....

 

[Juice Box]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Juice Box

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: Juice Box
oh sh!t dude.....is that the test where you have to drink that Barium shake? When i got my appendix taken out, they had to scan my torso, and made me drink 2 liters of this nasty ass Barium shake.....it was like curdled milk with a hint of orange....*shudder*

I don't think drinking barium will help them scan my spinal column. Maybe they'll make me drink it just to be asses, though.

well, what it does is makes your stomach and other organs stick out in the scan...so they can tell them apart. You might have to...if you do..I really feel sorry for you

I don't know why they'd want my organs to stick out for the scan. If anything they'd want my discs and nerves to stick out.

I'm guessing it's more like a CT scan, which I've had done before.

well, they inject your bloodstream with a dye that also sticks out....that stuff is WEIRD....like the dude tells me "you will feel a warm sensation in your mouth" and I was like "yeah....right" and it hits me like, wtf?!

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: BooGiMaN
it sucks to get old dont it.....

I'm 21!

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: Juice Box
well, they inject your bloodstream with a dye that also sticks out....that stuff is WEIRD....like the dude tells me "you will feel a warm sensation in your mouth" and I was like "yeah....right" and it hits me like, wtf?!

Well...that sounds like fun.

 

[ajpa123]

Mine goes from the small of my back all the way to the ankle..Fell from a skateboard hard onto concrete really hard, i landed on my smaller back... i feel your pain. I hate it when the pain is concentrated on my ankle.. hurtz like hellz bellz.

And when it hurts in ur buttock region, u need to stretch as much as possible and massage.

My pain is basically gone, but i stretch everyday, i remember stretching to when it hurt the most and jus keep stretching and holding it in place. I shed a lot of tears, i won't lie.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: ajpa123
And when it hurts in ur buttock region, u need to stretch as much as possible and massage.

My pain is basically gone, but i stretch everyday, i remember stretching to when it hurt the most and jus keep stretching and holding it in place. I shed a lot of tears, i won't lie.

Massage just puts more pressure on the nerve, which causes more pain. Stretching will be applied in the PT, but I'll see what the medical professionals suggest before starting that.

 

[skyking]

my bro had chronic sciatica from driving, and he managed it with stretching. See if the PT endorses quadricep stretches, the ones where you grab your toe while standing and flex your leg up behind you. That and hamstring stretches fixes it for me and my brother.
link to images.

 

[xeno2060]

The MRI should be painless. It will take about 20 minute and be loud. Likely they will give you earphones and ask you what kind of music you like to listen to. You will probably lie on your back with your arms over your head and they will slide you into this tunnel. Odds are you dont need contrast (IV or oral).

I (Kitkat13, Im at Xenos house) had to have one about 3 years ago. They ended up giving me three cortisone shots in my spine in 3 weeks.... this did NOTHING for me. I had to have surgery where they basically shave off the part of the disk that is pressing on your nerve... Its probably your L4-5 or L5-S1 disk.

In my experience, the surgery was well worth it. I would say I am 98% better. I still have twinges now and then but I can walk, sit, stand and get in and out of the car without pain. Untill you have had pain like this, you cannot understand how aggrevating and exhausting it can be... Good Luck!

 

[Bootprint]

Good luck, I had something like that. Cause extreme pain in the upper part of my left calf.

Hopefully PT will do the job, even if it takes a few months. Surgery is not a great option, one method is to completely remove the bulging disc and use a metal plate to connect the two vertebrae.

 

[ajpa123]

xeno.. when i started readin ur thread i could have sworn it read....

The MRI should be pantiless. It will take about 20 minute and be loud.

:shocked:

 

[Yossarian]

I had an MRI on my head once. It was pretty sweet to see my massive brain.

 

[Rock Hydra]

I have scoliosis(sp?) which will probably give me problems later in life. It's not fun.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: skyking
my bro had chronic sciatica from driving, and he managed it with stretching. See if the PT endorses quadricep stretches, the ones where you grab your toe while standing and flex your leg up behind you. That and hamstring stretches fixes it for me and my brother.
link to images.

Thanks.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: xeno2060
I (Kitkat13, Im at Xenos house) had to have one about 3 years ago. They ended up giving me three cortisone shots in my spine in 3 weeks.... this did NOTHING for me. I had to have surgery where they basically shave off the part of the disk that is pressing on your nerve... Its probably your L4-5 or L5-S1 disk.

In my experience, the surgery was well worth it. I would say I am 98% better. I still have twinges now and then but I can walk, sit, stand and get in and out of the car without pain. Untill you have had pain like this, you cannot understand how aggrevating and exhausting it can be... Good Luck!

How long was recovery after surgery? I have some stuff going on in the next few months to a year that I can't really afford a long recovery process right now.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: ajpa123
The MRI should be pantiless. It will take about 20 minute and be loud.

:shocked: :laugh:

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: skyking
my bro had chronic sciatica from driving, and he managed it with stretching. See if the PT endorses quadricep stretches, the ones where you grab your toe while standing and flex your leg up behind you. That and hamstring stretches fixes it for me and my brother.
link to images.

Thanks.

No problem. It really does work, and beats the heck out of anything the doctors have to offer.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: skyking

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: skyking
my bro had chronic sciatica from driving, and he managed it with stretching. See if the PT endorses quadricep stretches, the ones where you grab your toe while standing and flex your leg up behind you. That and hamstring stretches fixes it for me and my brother.
link to images.

Thanks.

No problem. It really does work, and beats the heck out of anything the doctors have to offer.

Best case scenerio would be that they give me *something* to take down the inflammation and pain and then I hit the PT.

 

[bradruth]

Update 9-16-05: Well, that was loads of fun. Laying still in a tube for 45 minutes while loud noises bombarded me. The weirdest part was how warm it felt while the machine was scanning...it was like I was laying on a heating pad. I can see why they ask if you're claustrophobic about half a dozen times...that'd be a nightmare for someone that was.

 

[bradruth]

Update 9-20-05: Turns out it's mild degeneration of the L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs with minor buldging of the L5-S1 disc. No herniation and no pinched nerve. It looks like the nerve is just inflamed from certain aggravating causes and it should subside with time. Overall good news...now if the pain would subside sooner rather than later I certainly wouldn't complain.