So, I have been mis diagnosed & boy, am I confused! I will try and make this as short as possible. Back in the summer of 2008, I began suffering from an extremley tight calf muscle & then it crept it's way up to my thigh. *At this point, there was no burning/tingiling- etc. When I stretched really well before work outs and after, the tightness would not be present anymore. * The tightness would happen when I would excercise or when I was wearing heels. The tightness in my right leg continued on and off until I broke my foot/3rd metetarsal in my Left foot. I was still experiencing some tightness in my right leg- still none of the burning, tingiling- etc. I went to my GP who ordered an MRI without contrast. To my suprise, I had a bulging disk at the L4/L5 (still no pain at the time of diagnosis & my GP said that she saw nothing being compressed). A bulging disk is all I had on the MRI. Nothing in the MRI report or scan showed or said that the Sciatic Nerve was being pinched/pressed-etc.
My GP then reffered me to an Orthopedic Sports Medicine Doctor who inturn did a few tests from his end on my legs, how high I lifted them and took that hammer thing to my knee. He determined I had sciatica. He then wrote out a script for a 3 week script of cortisone/prednisone and a muscle relaxer. Still, no pain & I was rehabbing the broken left foot/metetarsal thing with PT and also working on what we thought was a tight hamstring/thigh/IT Band in PT. Went back to the GP who said that the Ortho doc. was basically off his mark and took the prednisone/cortisone and threw it away. Around October 15th, I was at the Rec. center riding the stationary bike & I felt this tight/eectrical shock go up the back of my right leg. Then, it went away. I got home & the pain came back & then went away. The next A.M., I was in excrusiating pain in both legs- burning, tinigiling- you name it. I had an appt. set up to see the same Sports Med. Doc. & the only reason for going back was to get the ok on taking off my boot & then I told him about the burning. The SMD then took a look at my MRI again and said that this had to be doe to my disk bulging & wrote me a refferal to a Pain Doc. Went to the PMD, he looked at my scan and he said that I would need 3 EPI's/Epidural to bring down Inflimation in the nerve. So, I went & completed the whole series & felt much better. I had some back pain on and off. I had a minor flare up right after the New Year and was perscribed the pak of some sort. I took it and seemed to do fine & have been fine since. Upon my parent's insistance, I went to see a very well known Spine Doctor who took one look at my MRI and said, "I wish my back was as good as yours! Your disk has a very small buldge but it is in no way pressing, entrapping the sciatic nerve." The Spine Doctor said that due to the level of activity that I do exercise wise, he believes that the nerve is irritated due to the level of exercise that I do currently. He also said that it is the sciatic nerve and were it passes thru the pelvis. He said that I would experience some discomfort and reffered me to another PMD and asked me to get a 2nd opinion there too. Went to the 2nd PMD doc. for a 2nd diagnosis pain wise & he took one look at my MRI and said the same thing... The disk is bulging slightly & not pressing/compressing the nerve at all, nor does it state that on the MRI rep. He did give me a shot of cortizone in either hip....ok.
My current & 1st PMD doc. has me on Cymbalta 60 mg a day and Tramadol for any pain/only taking it when I need it. I also had an ENG nerve test done with the needles & that came back negitive for any nerve dammage. Currently, there is no severe, burning pain. I have some little shocks or pain that comes for a moment and then leaves down the outer thigh, stopping above the knee. I only get a slight sensation in both butt cheeks, when I ley down and on my side. I should also mention, I get little shocks in the soles of my feet, then they are gone. I sit at my day job & I do get up when I need to- I stretch 2 times a day while @ work too. I am not sure what to make of this, or what the next step should be? Could these last two doc's be right? I just don't know what to think? Go with what they say or? I am glad to be mostly pain free and be able to excercise, but could the 1st couple of doc's been wrong? Please weigh in on this- HELP!