7 Answers

I had the same L-5, S-1 problem but, with pain on the left side. The nerve had pressure as a result of the herniation. Have you tried Acupuncture? I have friends that swear by it, what about a Chiropractor? Yes the problem with med's is you build a tolerance to them.

Staying in bed will only weaken the muscles and could cause atrophy which will make the problem worse. I started out eating a healthy diet, lot of veggies and started hiking, or walking at first. I could hardly get up the mountain in the beginning, but after a few months I could Jog half way up and all the way down. Your muscles need to be exercised to remain or get healthy.

The most important thing to do is something, get another doctor's opinion, besides the first or second one you got. Keep on trying to improve your situation and hang in there, good luck.

you probably have a trapped sciatic nerve. this nerve runs down our backs, through our hips, down our legs and ends just under our heels. you should check your shoes and see if they are wearing away around the heel or on the outer side of your feet. If it is the latter it would suggest that you are weight shifting when your legs are tired. In other word lifting one foot off the floor whilst pressing down with all your weight on the outer edge of one foot. This occurs in people who stand in one spot for a while, like hair dressers for example.This area is the reflex area and controls the sciatic nerve. Continuing to do this over a long period of time will give the type of pain you are experiencing. If you want more details then email me direct. I have 34 years of proffessional experience of this. But first look at the soles of all your shoes and tell me where they are wearing away. It should be the same on all your shoes. I expect that it will be on the out side of your heels or on the outer side of the shoe. If not good luck go see a reflexologist.

There is a therapy called micro current. I went to the local chiropractor and she has one of these machines , It did wonders for me . Pain is nothing to live with . When i was getting treatment, there was people from out of state going to her. Ill give you her practice = Sulphur Draw Chiropractic, Lamesa, Texas. Dont expect to just walk in , She said she can only work with about six to eight of these patients a day. Good luck.

Sounds like you have some nerve damage with a bit of sciatica now for good measure! I know it sucks! I have similar problems: Sciatica, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, RA, OA, the list goes on and that's just my spine! Hang in there as the alternative sucks too if you know what I mean. !?

Hi Shelly

As a former fellow sufferer I can truly empathize.
I recognize one of your of you symptoms a sciatica.
That is the red hot poker down your thigh to the foot.
Very painful but curable. Indicates trapped nerve and nodules/knots in the sciatic nerve.
This would aggravate a flat or moving disc but if you have had fusion there is no give. ouch!

You need specialist help and a thorough diagnosis from a reputable Chiropractor. Seek a second and third opinion if you have too. You do not say why you had fusion, or what the practitioner who gave it is going to do for you. Regular professional massage and gentle repetitious exercise will will help.
Swimming is good. Hydrotherapy, Hot sauna followed by cold shower. Also hot corn bag and frozen pea treatment. Corn bag 3 mins in microwave, followed by frozen peas. Don,t eat the peas if you have refrozen them.
I have had hip and Knee replacements on opposite legs. Painful at the time but now I am off the nasty pain killers and walking almost normally if slowly after revised knee replacement.

Keep off the NSAIDS and steriod as much as poss. Side effects will kill you.
Tramadol with paracetamol helps but too much can cause dizziness.

I hope that is some help.

I had it in my right leg, and after a MRI scan they took away the lower disc, and cleaned the nerve endings up....3 yrs down the line the right one is ok...its the left one thats now playing up..i`m ok sitting down..but standing and walking is a problem...i have just had a second MRI scan..and await a meeting with a neuro surgeon in April..hopefully he can cure me for a second time. my thoughts are with you my friend.

I had L4 ~ L5 area affcted, can not remember which one, but after more than 3 to 4.5 yrs of waiting for healing... GP&DR, couldn't help me ( and I didn't to have an operation) I literally Started to skip halfh a" from off the floor, with out a rope, to start with, but with just an imaginary rope. ((To remove some time, that stupid competition with oneself)) And my jumps not higher then halth a" And this was very hard to achieve, when I first tried it couldn't even come off the ground, due to the pain and luck of strength...There for!!! I said to myself this was a good start as any... :) And decided to do 8 jumps, in the morning, 8 in the afternoon, and 8 at night...the same every day...and very slowly, at first could hardly achieve this. And on the third day Added 2 more to every of my 8 jumps: i.e. 10 in the morning 10 in the afternoon 10 in at night... so on and so on... adding 2 more jumps on every third day!!! AND HAD COMBINED IT WITH SWIMING 1-2- OR even 3 time A WEEK This was the Jack Pot for me!!! !!! !!! My GP & DRs had told me that both will be extremely bad for me, and my HEALTH...But I was between a ROCK & A HARD PLACE... AFTER a month of this I checked it out! and I could'n beleive it! The pain had totally...gone and I could JUMP 4600 JUMPS BETWEEN 15&20 minutes with out even thinking about it!!! and I kept it going for about 3-4 months...The pain had gone for good And I had My very Beautiful French BODY BACK WITH NO PAIN...But after a year and a bit the pain came back...It took me quiet a while to understand that it was like a measure of my fitness from now on...AND there for to keep the fitness going...fairly! And that gave ME a PLUS and not a miner point... This means as soon that I feel the ghost of a PAIN I know that my fitness is reminding me of some thing:) I have also put my name to a GYM 3 YEARS SINCE and I have never been as fit in my life, and I speak as ex Gymnast and ex Dancer...etc, etc!!! !!! !!! NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO...
NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO...NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO...

"Joel M"