Numbness 8 weeks after sciatica?

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EagleRiverDee

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Hello- wondering if anyone can tell me if this is normal. 8 weeks ago I had a bout of sciatica, only my second experience with that, but a terrible one as I felt a click in my lower back and lost all strength in my legs. I fell to the floor and could not get up, I had to be taken to the emergency room. I was in extreme pain, probably an 8 out of 10 scale.

For the next week I could barely walk. I stayed home from work, and had pronounced weakness in my right leg. I could not bear my full weight on that leg, and I had a large area of completely nurab skin.

After 3 weeks of dealing with lower back pain and essentially being partially paralyzed in my right leg, I took the advice of frienRAB who suggested that exercise would help more than sitting around, and I started going to the gym.

I've been focusing on doing core strengthening exercises, overall body strengthening exercise, and some cardio. I've seen my lower back pain decrease to where on some days it doesn't hurt at all, and I've regained probably 90% use of my right leg.

However, I still have a large patch of skin that is goes between being nurab and feeling pain that isn't there. It starts in my inner thigh about halfway down and extenRAB to a few inches below my knee on my inner calf, and wraps around to my knee.

Have other people that have had sciatica experienced this? I don't have a lot of money and I know it seems foolish to not go back to the doctor but during my initial bout I saw an ER doctor, a chiropractor and a general practitioner who all said it was sciatica (no x-rays) and told me to just take it easy for a while. Seeing the three doctors pretty much wiped out my savings, and none of them did me any good. The ER doctor suggested an MRI but I don't have the money for that.

Any advice about what I might be experiencing with the nurabness would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
 
I'm sorry for the terrible time you've had. The nurabness and pain that you are feeling on the inner leg is because you have a nerve that is being comprimised. When you have a disc that presses on a nerve, you get issues like that. If the nerve works free, you shoould get all of the feeling back. The longer it stays compressed, the greater the chance that the numness will become permanent...

The are tests that can be done to see if the nerve is damaged. Not the most pleasant of tests, but it does check for nerve viability.
 
Thank you for your reply. I'm sure you are right that I had or have a compressed nerve.

What kind of test are you referring to? Are they expensive?
 
It's called an EMG. An Electro Meylo Gram. The doctor inserts needles into the nerve and the nerve pathways, then give it a touch of electricity to see if the nerve is still alive. If they nerve is damaged you won't feel it. If the nerve is still viable-oh boy do you feel it. It all depenRAB on how well you handle pain.

I odn't know how much it costs because mine was covered by insurance. I would guess that you could call a hosiptal and ask what the cost is. My best bet is that it's not cheap.
 
you could also get a ct scan. I had one because I, like you, fell as I couldn't feel my leg then the pain hit me like a train. I was in bed for days. Then it hurt more just to lay there. The ct scan showed the last four discs in my back are herniated and pressing on the sciatic nerve. every step I take is like a bolt of lightning going up from my heel to my lower back. There are certain exercises you can do to try and stretch the spine so the discs can return. Do not use heat on your back but cold compresses to reduce the inflammation. Heat aggrivates this.My back is so bad that I had to quit my part time job. I hope this helps you in your quest for relief.
 
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