Back pain & left leg pain = Worried

Hi Jimmy,

You make it sound like sciatica isn't all that serious? It is never good at is is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve caused by a disc bulge or herniation or spinal stenosis whereby the root nerves are the ones affected. Depending on the mapping of the pain it is possible to tell which discs and area of the spine is affected.

I wouldn't delay at all but see your gp as soon as possible.

Hi Jimmy,

You make it sound like sciatica isn't all that serious? It is never good at is is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve caused by a disc bulge or herniation or spinal stenosis whereby the root nerves are the ones affected. Depending on the mapping of the pain it is possible to tell which discs and area of the spine is affected.

I wouldn't delay at all but see your gp as soon as possible.

I agree but like to re-assure you that it probably is not another disc prolapse. Back pan can recurr for unkown reasons after surgery. The area operated on can just inflamed - after all its been attacked and damaged - albeit in a clean and surgical way, but we accept that someone with a previous leg may get pain in the area without thinking it is broken again. The area of surgery is just the same. In fact I had a recurrence of my back pain for no reason a few weeks ago. I had surgery 18 years ago. It has settled down with no porblem - although I did visit an osteopath whihc helped a lot

If it has come on suddeny, the chnaces are it will go quickly- but the sooner yo get any relevant treatment the better

Good luck

Sorry, I was talking about the leg pain that is sciatica and has only a few causes, back pain could be caused by a multitude of things .

Hi Jimmy,

You make it sound like sciatica isn't all that serious? It is never good at is is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve caused by a disc bulge or herniation or spinal stenosis whereby the root nerves are the ones affected. Depending on the mapping of the pain it is possible to tell which discs and area of the spine is affected.

I wouldn't delay at all but see your gp as soon as possible.

Hi Cassie.

I apologise for my ignorance. I wasn't totally sure what caused sciatica. But after reading up on it, I am now aware what causes. I didn't mean to sound like I did, apologies. Thank you for replying.

The pain currently comes from my lower back, down through my left buttock and into my left leg. Stops around the top of the calf muscle.

I agree but like to re-assure you that it probably is not another disc prolapse. Back pan can recurr for unkown reasons after surgery. The area operated on can just inflamed - after all its been attacked and damaged - albeit in a clean and surgical way, but we accept that someone with a previous leg may get pain in the area without thinking it is broken again. The area of surgery is just the same. In fact I had a recurrence of my back pain for no reason a few weeks ago. I had surgery 18 years ago. It has settled down with no porblem - although I did visit an osteopath whihc helped a lot

If it has come on suddeny, the chnaces are it will go quickly- but the sooner yo get any relevant treatment the better

Good luck

Tashanie, many thanks for your post. I really do hope that it is just a minor re-occurrence of pain. Last week I did 4 days of exercise without a break inbetween, so I am hoping that just over-working myself was the catalyst of the pain I'm receiving at the moment.

Is there anything I can do in the meantime to ease the pain a bit? I have taken ibuprofen this morning, which didn't really do anything. But since my friend gave me a couple of migraleave which has done the trick for now. Somebody at the christening mentioned keeping my legs elevated may help.
Will lying on a hard-surface and doing leg raises and buttock raises help?

Thanks again for both of your posts.

Tashanie, many thanks for your post. I really do hope that it is just a minor re-occurrence of pain. Last week I did 4 days of exercise without a break inbetween, so I am hoping that just over-working myself was the catalyst of the pain I'm receiving at the moment.

Is there anything I can do in the meantime to ease the pain a bit? I have taken ibuprofen this morning, which didn't really do anything. But since my friend gave me a couple of migraleave which has done the trick for now. Somebody at the christening mentioned keeping my legs elevated may help.
Will lying on a hard-surface and doing leg raises and buttock raises help?

Thanks again for both of your posts.

Ibuprofen 400mg three times a day with food, plus paracetamol 1 g four times a day is the basis of pain relief in this situation. Take them REGULARLY.

Elevating your legs won't help, a hard board won't help. These days we know that keeping mobile within the limits of your pain is the best thing to do. So keep moving - but don't overdo it. I would guess the exercise you did was over doing it and caused this flare up.

I really do recoemmend osteopathy if you have one close to you.

Hi Jimmy

I would just like to say that if you show no improvement in a few days or the pain gets significantly worse or involves your ability to pee you need to see a doctor. I was told by my consultant that within the first ten years of having my fusion there was a very high probability of discs either side rupturing. As you don't mention whether you had a discectomy or fusion this might not be relevant to you. However, you should be aware that even if it was a discectomy (normally the first type of surgery tried, then progress on to fusion) you can reherniate at any time. I reherniated only a couple of weeks after surgery as they only remove the piece of disc sticking out not the whole disc as I thought. Even after a fusion there can still be disc material at the surgery site as I have some showing on my MRI at the level fused.

My advice to you would be take care of your back and don't rush into treatments. When I initially herniated 2 discs I went to see an osteopath on the advice of a physiotherapist and it put me in hospital. I was told by the consultant that no one should push around a disc that they suspect has herniated as it can cause more pain and symptoms. I lost the feeling in one leg completely, it scared the life out of me. So initially I would just use painkillers and hot and cold compresses for the first few days. Keeping mobile helps, but I would stay away from anything to vigorous such as running, just gentle walking is enough. Finally listen to your back, if it hurts stop, the pain is trying to tell you something. With care some herniated discs will get better all by themselves within six weeks so even if you have reherniated don't panic.

Keep us posted

Wend x

My advice to you would be take care of your back and don't rush into treatments. When I initially herniated 2 discs I went to see an osteopath on the advice of a physiotherapist and it put me in hospital. I was told by the consultant that no one should push around a disc that they suspect has herniated as it can cause more pain and symptoms. I lost the feeling in one leg completely, it scared the life out of me. So initially I would just use painkillers and hot and cold compresses for the first few days. Keeping mobile helps, but I would stay away from anything to vigorous such as running, just gentle walking is enough. Finally listen to your back, if it hurts stop, the pain is trying to tell you something. With care some herniated discs will get better all by themselves within six weeks so even if you have reherniated don't panic.

Keep us posted

Wend x

Mainly good advice but I MUST defend osteopaths!!

As I asid I really doubt another disc is herniated - but a reputable osteopath will make a proper examination , take a detailed history and will tell you if they feel they should not treat you. Since heading for your GP id probably a good idea anyway, you can ask the surgery if they know an osteopath. The days when osteopaths were regarded as voodoo practitioners are happily LONG gone. Your GP may even be able to refer you.......

Hi Tashanie

Maybe there are good osteopaths but I actually was sent to the college where they are trained and had both a tutor and instructor check me every session both before and after treatment. I hope this explains why I am a bit sceptical and wouldn't rush to repeat the experience. It was also one of the tutors that caused the problem on my last session as he felt he needed to 'go deep' and even though the student kept telling him I was in a lot of pain and I told him he was really hurting me he carried on. I left that session in tears and after getting home and having a rest for an hour then found I couldn't move my leg and had hardly any sensation. Maybe it's just a bad college/university but my spine consultant was adamant that until an MRI rules out disc herniations you should steer clear. I do have a sister in law with muscular back pain who uses one and gets relief, so maybe they work if you have muscle problems.

Wend x

Thank you for the further replies 🙂

I forgot some information, d'oh!

The surgery I had, I believe was a discectomy.

I have visited an osteopath in past (a few weeks before my diagnosis which led to the surgery), after I had lower back pain through playing american football. I had about 3 sessions I think, and from my memory, it didn't really help. The guy put my back through it's paces and I came out more sore than I went in.

So as you can see, I'm a bit apprehensive about the osteopath route. But hey, if it works, I'm all for it! Maybe I just had a bad experience/osteopath.

Also, I forgot to mention that the first time this whole ordeal happened, I was on a diet to get my weight down (I was 26 stone at the time). And I'm on a diet at the moment and doing well (lost about 2 stone since end of january).

This is a strange coincidence. And I do hope it's just a coincidence! :confused::mad:

I have been saddled with lower back pain for years and only recently have been able to control my pain. All along I knew, in the back of my mind, that it was a stress induced pain.
The hardest part about tackling the back pain, for me, was getting to the point where I was willing to try anything, but didn’t want to go under the knife. Then I read Dr. Sarno’s books on tension myositis syndrome. It changed my life.
I have been able to help 3 of my friends and realized I could help more. So I created the below site. If you are looking for more information on it, please see the below.

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Thanks and love this board.

Hello all,

Hope everyone is doing okay.

Just a follow up reply, and some new questions.

It's been 4 weeks since the original pain in my back (which has now gone), but the left leg pain is still there.

I saw my GP who gave me painkillers (which I could only take 2 a day, forgot the name though sorry), and they seemed to do the trick at first. But now the leg pain is coming on strong, and the tablets don't seem to be helping.

I went to a music festival the weekend just gone, and did a bit of walking, so I'm hoping this is why I have pain at the moment.

Do you think I should see my GP and tell him I'm still suffering with the pain?
Luckily, I have BUPA health coverage through a scheme in work, so do you think I should bypass my GP altogether and go down that route?

Any help is greatly appreciated, and again, I hope everyone is well.

Hi Jimmy

Why don't you use your bupa membership to get an MRI scan as this will tell you if there are any disc problems in your back. It is possible you have either reherniated one of the discs you had surgery on before, or another disc is causing problems. The only way to get a proper diagnosis though is to have an MRI, you can then make decisions about your future treatment if it is required.

Hope this helps.

Wend

Hi Wend, thanks for the reply

It's looking like that's the route I'll have to go down. First I have to get my GP to fill in the open referral form. I just hope he doesn't get uppity about me wanting to go through BUPA and not the NHS, because he's probably the nicest GP I've had, though he wasn't my GP when I had my surgery originally, so he doesn't know what it was that happened.

Hi Wend, thanks for the reply

It's looking like that's the route I'll have to go down. First I have to get my GP to fill in the open referral form. I just hope he doesn't get uppity about me wanting to go through BUPA and not the NHS, because he's probably the nicest GP I've had, though he wasn't my GP when I had my surgery originally, so he doesn't know what it was that happened.

hi jimmy t85, sorry to hear about your on-going back trouble. i cant see why your g.p should 'uppity' for 2 reasons, first, you're in bupa thru your work so it won't cost your g.p. practice, and second, you will be seen a hell of a lot quicker thru going thru your works private insurance!. when it comes to spinal trouble g.p's, a and e and surgeons seem to treat most bad back patients the same, (i.e. 'take paracetamol/ibuprofen and come back in blah blah weeks if your still bad, then when you go back they put you on somethig else by which time you know somethin is seriously wrong!) then when eventually find the one's that have real disc/nerve/numbness damage they operate but it leaves a lot of people with nerve/numbness/crushing sensations and they may never work again!. if i had had a triple disectomy i personally go anywhere near an osteopath!!!, he/she cannot possibly see how much of the discs are left after your triple op, or wether the outer caseing is cracked, or whereabouts they are EXACTLY pressing,or how much.for example last week i had the results of a scan that says that my bottom 2 discs,L4/L5 andL5/S1 are 'bulging, trapping my already damaged sciatic nerve' creating horrendous pain, (nerve left damaged from previous lasor op's), but a second surgeon says that with the direction in which the discs are bulging i should have pain on the inner part of my foot, but mine is on the outside so he can't operate.now if a surgeon can't find a solution after LOOKING AT A SCAN, THERE NO WAY I WOULD LET ANYONE LAY A HAND ON ME WHO CAN ONLY SEE MY SKIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!. by the way,i was told the further away your pain is from your back,you say your's stops at the top of your calf, the more likely it is to be your disc,maybe a prolapse,pressing on the nerve,my pain at the top of my buttock,with burning sensitivity,and then STARTS at my calf and goes down into the right sid of my foot and into my last 3 toes. THE SOONER YOU GET SORTED WITH BUPA THE BETTER, ISN'T IT QUICKER? I WOULD NOT GO THRU MY G.P IF I WAS IN BUPA, IT TAKES TO LONG!!!:(. HOWEVER, ONLY YOU CAN MAKE THAT DECISION.

let us all know how you go on,GOOD LUCK.:)
daveyam.

Thanks Davey

I made an appointment with the GP, but I can't see him until July 18th, so I can't do anything until then, regarding BUPA.

Luckily, I'm not in any pain at the moment, so fingers crossed.

I feel silly posting about my problems, when there are so many more people on here who are suffering really, really badly. I wish speedy recoveries for you all!

Hi Jimmy

Please don't feel silly the idea of this forum is to ask questions about things that worry you and then have people offer advice. It doesn't matter how big or small your problem or whether others are worse, we are here to help. I love giving advice when it helps someone understand or just confirm what they were feeling. So please keep posting.

Wend x

Hi Jimmy

Please don't feel silly the idea of this forum is to ask questions about things that worry you and then have people offer advice. It doesn't matter how big or small your problem or whether others are worse, we are here to help. I love giving advice when it helps someone understand or just confirm what they were feeling. So please keep posting.

Wend x

Thanks Wend, much appreciated 🙂

I'm in a fair bit of pain today 🙁 Had a sore back yesterday (Sunday), but with no leg pain. Today it has reversed and I have no back pain, but quite a bit of leg pain. Typical. In hindsight, I shouldn't have came into work.

GP appointment is July 12th now, so not too long before I can be referred to BUPA.

Hi Jimmy

My pain switches around all the time, sometimes my back is the worse then my legs. I've come to the conclusion it's our bodies way of keeping us on our toes 🙂

I hope going to work hasn't caused you too much more pain. Try and take it easy.

Take care,

Wend x

Hi Jimmy

My pain switches around all the time, sometimes my back is the worse then my legs. I've come to the conclusion it's our bodies way of keeping us on our toes 🙂

I hope going to work hasn't caused you too much more pain. Try and take it easy.

Take care,

Wend x

It's a strange one, isn't it? You're probably right!

In the end, the pain whilst sitting (I work in an office), was unbearable, so I had to come home. I managed to get an emergency appointment with a GP (not my own), who I gave the BUPA referral form too. He did some tests on me (the usual leg raises, reflex test and bend forwards/backwards test), but didn't mention anything.

Hello all, just a quick update.

Been off work since monday, but hoping I'm okay enough to go to work tomorrow. I don't want to give my supervisors any excuse. I don't think they know what I've been/going through.

Have got a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon on Monday evening, so I'll keep you posted.

Hope everyone is okay

be carefull !

hi jimmy t85, don't overdo it at work, does your supervisor understand your situation?, sounds like you are doing your best to get to work under really painfull circumstances.
i hope your appointment goes well on monday:). keep us posted.

regards,daveyam.

Hi Dave

Not really. They say they do, but I don't think they do.

Had consultation on Monday, and was sent for a MRI scan yesterday, so will await results from that and see where we go from there

hi jimmy, hope the mri brings good news, keep us posted

kind regards, daveyam

hi jimmy

can't you ask your consultant to write a letter for your work to explain your condition in my opinion i don't think you should be working but i understan the needs to.

please let us know your results from mri

good luck clare xxxxx

Haven't spoken to the Doc yet as they're busy. However, I've been checking this problem out as much as I can and I've read people talking about cortisone or hydro-cortisone injections, especially when they're abroad.