Literally can not get out of bed

[iamtooyoung]

Hi, I'm brand new to the boarRAB and feel so alone.

I am 23 years old and have been dealing with pain related to sciatica since I was 20 (no injury, just gradually came about). The past year it has gotten so unbearable and the past few months has gotten excrutiating. I have been to many doctors/urgent care, and have been seeing a physical therapist now for 7 months. I have been diagnosed with sciatica, piriformis syndrome, herniated discs...you name it. But these diagnoses were mostly with doctors who spent 2 minutes with me. Last week I saw a neurosurgeon because my physical therapist and I were certain I had herniated discs. We went over my MRI and although there are "mildly bulging" discs in L4 and L5, he said nothing is significant enough to cause me this much pain and just told me to continue physical therapy. Well, physical therapy helps on a very temporary basis (the time I am there basically I get SOME relief from the ultra sound stimulation but the second I leave it's unbearable again).

My pain has gone back and forth between my legs --mostly on my right side. And starts in my butt (I think either my piriformis or sacroiliac) and shoots down my leg usually stopping at the knee. When it isn't shooting it is painfully aching. I am in bed right now missing work again because I can't get up. (it takes a lot of pain for me to miss work) When I absolutely need to get up (to go the bathroom) I desperately need help from another person to get me up and it is so painful. Just the slightest movement triggers the most excrutiating sharp pain in my butt/hips and down my leg. My physical therapist has concluded that my hips are not aligned properly and this is probably because one of my legs is a tiny bit longer than the other. This is making me think I have sacroiliac problems. On my good days (which has been awhile) I limp like crazy and am just constantly in pain. I am a 23 year old woman who is otherwise in very good shape. But living so sedentary like this will probably make me gain weight, making the pain worse probably. I am in so much pain and keep missing work, I am scared of my future and if I will ever be able to walk normally again. I'm not asking to be pain free just any relief right now would be so welcome.

I take hydrocodone and gabapetrin... probably too much. Doesn't really help. Other than that I use a lot of ice and take warm baths for little relief. I used to know every stretch in the book for this kind of pain and did them regularly but now I can't even move to get there. I also used to do a lot of core strengthening but I am unable to do that now too with the pain so bad. ANY ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE ME WOULD BE SO MUCH APPRECIATED. I feel so alone and so hopeless right now. Thanks guys

 

[jennybyc]

Now that you know it's not a surgical problem, I'd strongly advise you go see a rheumatologist. They don't just treat arthritis. They are the medical side of orthopedics and treat muscle, tendon, ligament, joints, bones and even nerve problems. Your problem sounRAB very much like my husband when his piriformis problem got really bad. Cortisone injections into the muscle really helped him. And if worse comes to worse, the piriformis muscle can be cut away from the sciatic nerve.

But try a rheumatologist. This is really their area of expertize.

gentle hugs...............Jenny

 

[redsmom]

TOOYOUNG,
sorry your feeling so much pain but rule everything out and see what's left. I suffered the same and after surgery I still have problems with Sciatica in both legs for which I'm taking a narcotic for and just recently stopped taking (stupid me) I'm trying to see if I can tolerate the pain without the drug and so far It's not a ten but an eight and I've lived with an ten for many years so I'm going to see how long I can do this. Back to the point, I had five months of PT post op and still complained of the pain and tingling in that left foot which I think is just nerve damage by now but my therapist said that I too had Periformis Syndrome so I went to see a specialist who ruled it out and told me that my hip muscles were just very weak and unstable from so many years of having a weak back which in turn causes everything below the body to become weak. I've been "Rolling out" which is also one of the treatments for Periformis and the purpose for that is to stretch out the muscles which tend to tighten up around the sciatic nerve and thereby strangulating it. I'm still working on it and I can walk around during the day pain free but it's the night that kills me. So I continue to do my stretches and work out at the gym to strengthen my back and core. Let us know what you find out.
I hate pain and I'm sorry your having it and this is the best place for you to be.

Blessings, Viv

 

[iamtooyoung]

Jenny -- thanks so much for your suggestion. I have been going to a bunch of specialists who just can't seem to figure out what is wrong with me and it's so frustrating. I think the next step IS a rheumatologist -- thank you so much for your input! I also want to try the injections, I like hearing that your husband found relief with this


ReRABmom -- thanks for responding! I'm so sorry you too, have been dealing with this pain. We sound very similar in that I have been told I am very weak in my hips as well. When the pain isn't completely paralyzing I do stretches aimed at the hips as much as possible. This pain is horrible. Thank you for your response though

 

[whattothink]

You might look in to Vax-d. When I was 21 i was in a lot of pain from an accident. I tried a lot of different treatments (chiropractor, physical therapists, and epidurals and others) and non of them worked. Before I went to surgery I heard about Vax-d and thought I would try it before sugery and I worked. I have been pain free for years now. Now that being said last year my husband started having back pain and tried Vax-d and it didn't work as well for him. He feels better, but still has some pain.

These backs are tricky things and the best that you can do is look at all your options.

Best of luck to you.

 

[SpineAZ]

Consider a consultation with an orthopedic spine surgeon (or another neurosurgeon). I was very young when my problems started and the two neurosurgeons (at a large university teaching hospital) I saw wanted me to do epidural injections, PT, etc and it wasn't working. I had a great orthopedic spine surgeon who really looked at the films and found the problem which he was able to correct surgically.