Does this sound like Sciatica??

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ShazzaUk

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Hi everyone i wonder if any of you have any similiar symptoms.

I have had a niggly back for a good few weeks now and on Thursday after taking the paper recycling box out for collection i have been suffering more.
When i picked the box up i felt a pain go right across the bottom of my back.
Since then it has been aching and i have had shooting pains go down my legs and one side of my buttock. If i sit down the pain eases a little and gets worse if i move about.I do a heavy manual job which involves a lot of lifting so i think this is where my problems began.

I went to the doctor who never even examined me or told me what it was likely to be. He just gave me a prescription for painkillers and told me to take a few days off work.

Does this sound like sciatica and do you think i will be ok to return to work next week or is it likely i will make it worse by doing more lifting?

ANy advice appreciated.

RegarRAB
ShAZZA
 
Yes it does.....instead of just pain killers I would suggest a MRI to really find out what's going on...and then perhaps start a course of physical therapy to see if it subsides.....in the meantime do take it easy...:)
 
Thanks for your response. A lot of my shooting pains are in the sides of my lower back, is this usual in sciatica too?
 
Pain in the sides of your lower back sounRAB somewhat unusual to me. Unless I am thinking of something different from what you're describing, that sounRAB more muscular than nerve involved. The sciatic nerve runs from the lower lurabar back through the buttock and down the back of the leg, into the foot. But then, a "shooting" pain sounRAB like nerve pain to me.

You could try icing and/or heat to see if that helps.
 
Hi Shazza. Your pain down your legs.. can you describe the pain you are having down your legs better? Front back, down the thigh, does it go below the knee, if so where?

While you somewhat are describing sciatica symtoms, pains shooting down the leg is not automatically sciatica. Your pain could just be nerve pains and that is a bit different than a typical sciatica pain.

You could be having a muscular issue across your lurabar causing some swelling and that could be giving you those pains down your leg, or you could truly have sciatica going on, which can involve the lurabar back, buttock pain, pain shooting down the back of the thigh(s), and when really bad, down the calve and into the feet. This can be caused by several things, including a disc bulging or herniated.

No one here will be able to answer the question on whether or not you will be able to return to work, but you and your doctor.

Do you exercise at all? Especially your core muscles, tummy, legs, glutes, back muscles? You would probably benefit from some Physio therapy.
 
My pain is mostly across my lower back. An ache along my lower back with stabbing pains to the sides of my lower back. Now and then i get a shooting stabbing pain at the bottom of my right buttock and at the front of my thigh. It also sometimes occurs in my other leg.

I will get another doctors opinion tomorrow and take it from there.
Trouble is i feel guilty going to the doctors so soon and sometimes feel i should just wait to see if it goes on its own.
 
Don't feel guilty for going back to a doctor so soon. No one can walk in your shoes as far as pain although sometimes you wish they could. :D

It sounRAB like you definitely without a doubt are experiencing sciatica and something else is going on. Insist on an MRI and if I were you I would tell them your pain is severe and you that something is not right. Be your advocate and be strong.

Good luck and please keep us posted cause we care. :angel:
 
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