What is Sciatica
You may be surprised to learn that sciatica is not a spinal condition, but instead a symptom of a low back problem! Many different low back problems can cause sciatica. Sciati...
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do I have sciatica?
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I am new here so please forgive me if somebody's asked this before.
I have had chronic lower back pain that has made walking difficult but not agonising. It hadn't spread down my legs or anything and was centralised in my back. It went on since about March this year. Today I got out of my computer seat, bent over to pick up a box, and screamed in agony. I had the most agonising back pain in my whole life. I cannot describe it but it was very sharp and very pulsating. I couldn't move my body for five minutes. My left leg was paralysed temporarily as well while I stood in the kitchen. I was shaking as well from the pain and it was horrendous. I have had painful things in my time but nothing comes close to this. I made my way downstairs slowly to the living room where my mother has her strong dihydrocodine painkillers and took two. They are now wearing off and the pain is returning. On my way down there I couldn't put any pressure on my left leg as it sent a surge of pain up my back and I had to levitate by using the bannisters. It seemed to get better if I pushed my chest upwards. I noticed that I had a weakness in my knees and they were quite stiff before this happened, say it started last week approximately. I am aged 17 and I am often lying in very awkward positions for a long time. I don't know if my age makes a difference, but I spent a lot of time in lab stools and terrible unergonomic chairs at high school for 6 years. Combined with my odd lying positions might this have something to do with it? It is two weeks until I begin my science degree for three years so I wonder if I might have sciatica. I researched it on the web and my symptoms are quite similar. SciFly Posted on 08/10/08, 05:08 pm |
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PS: I also worked in an auctioneers moving heavy sewing machines, typewriters, furniture, and crouching & stretching in order to find things on shelves. I also had to move IT stuff such as a giant Lexmark Optra printer down some stairs along with a gas cylinder and a space heater (although not at the same time!)
I gave up in April 2008 when the company went under. Might my job have had something to do with this as well? 
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PPS (sorry): I also did a bit of part time work for a haulage company that was a part of the auctioneers. They sold IT equipment (e.g. copiers, printers, computers, furniture, etc).
I was a trucker's assistant and it was my job to move heavy items from the back of the lorry and take it to the customer. It was often giant photocopiers that were involved and other heavy things. I also had to move old printers, copiers, etc to be recycled (or sold on again). The usual method of transport was a wheelbarrow (yes, i kid thee not). I think I might have answered my question.I only did this job twice when they were short staffed. My main job was to run around the three warehouses moving stuff around, searching and fetching, etc as well as administration tasks (e.g. accounts, Inland Revenue forms [UK equivalent of the IRS], and other computer based stuff in an ergonomic seat, thankfully - I also got to value objects and do an auction) FlySci
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Does the pain radiate from the back, down the outside of the leg and into the foot? Or it may not go all the way to the foot, but is the pain on the outside of the leg?
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When I had the bad pain my left leg was very weak and sort of paralysed. I can't remember much about where the pain was when it happened as I was too busy yelling!
I now have a dull ache going down the front of my left leg. It starts at my thigh and ends up at the top of my foot. It's not that serious and comes in fits and bursts. It is accompanied by weakness. The biggest concentration of pain is at the top of my leg. My back pain is quite dull now and only occurs when I sit in certain positions (e.g. sitting at the computer right now). It's nowhere near as bad as last night. It was still quite sore this morning (my back and my leg) and I have a sort of limp from my left leg which is sort of dragged around. It seems to get better as the day goes on only for it to get worse again at night.
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I'm not going to say that it's NOT sciatica, but usually with sciatica, the pain radiates on the outside of the leg as that's where the sciatic nerve is. However, there are many other nerves that can be affected, and if you've herniated a disk, you can feel the pain ANYWHERE in the leg, and that DOES include the sciatic nerve too.
If I were you, I'd see my doctor and tell him what happened ~ hopefully he'll order an MRI with and without contrast to see if you've herniated a disk. X-rays won't show anything as they only show bone and will NOT show disks or other soft tissue. Best of luck. Lee
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Thanks Lee. I'll go and make an appointment with the Dr.
It'll probably take a month to get an appointment as the only doctor I trust is very full up with appointments. We do have other ones, but I don't trust them. SciFly
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Please let us know how you come out, ok? I'd appreciate it! Lee
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Okay, will do.
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You might have a slipped disk but I doubt you have sciatica. I'm not a doctor. I'm just a physical therapist assistant student beginning my degree but from what I've learned about anatomy and sciatica, you don't sound like you have it but you have another back problem.
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I have made an appointment with the doctor - it'll be another month until I can see him. The pain comes and goes in my back and can be quite severe at times. Sometimes I am pain-free for a day and then it'll come back for a few hours and then I'm fine.
I'm not sure what's really going on with my back pain as it comes in fits and bursts, which is kinda strange.
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