Dear kevin ,
hello I am sorry I cannot answer your ? I am writing because I have weakness in my left thigh with sciatic pain and numbness behind the left knee . My pain started a month and 1/2 ago with my hip ( couldn't cross my legs). I went to er for pain last week - they did no ex-rays and just sent me off with pain meds . I went to orthopedist 2 days later. He took normal x-rays and said they were fine but found a bone spur ( said must have been past injury - I do not know about it anyway) wants to do blood tests for arthritis I do not think that is it. Feels like a pinched nerve to me. How did they go about finding your disc ? Did they do an mri right away ? What were your symptoms. Ps they refuse to give me muscle relaxants . Any ideas why - also I am going to post this as a general post so for those reading this excuse the repetitiveness- alison

I was diagnosed with a herniated disk on l-5 from a Dr. At the er.From ex-ray only...Was referred to another Dr. Which ordered a mri ,,from that it was apparent that the disk was large...Praying and working out to aid in the problem, hope this helps...Mri is alledged to analyze soft tissue....A also use glucosomine, and try to use good body dynamics.. :d :d

The location you describe which one (disk ) is that? The er - you were lucky - they did nothing for me what so ever in terms of diagnosis.

I'm 53 and have been doing housekeeping for 23 years. Four weeks ago I developed sciatic pain from the right hip to the heal so bad that I could not walk at all. My calf would go into spasm and I ended up in a wheelchair. Naturally I have no insurance, but I do have a friend who is a massage therapist. My Dr. Says that I injured s1 and gave me me valium and vicoden for the pain and spasms. I have had much more luck with deep massage, acupressure and ice. After a week of therapy I can now walk and am off most of the meds. I start on the treadmill and balance ball next week. Ice can really give you a lot of pain relief.

You really need to be careful with this situation.
Loss of motor strength is a bad sign indicating that you have neurological deficit. If this continues for a prolonged period of time you will risk losing partial or greater function of that nerve permanently.
Nerves do not repair or regenerate.
An mri with possible surgical intervention may be necessary for proper resolution to your problem. Surgery may not be something we want but it sometimes is the only available solution to the problem.

I do understand the situation, but with no insurance, no one will touch you. I am lucky that my physician will treat me at all.
The weakness is fading and I still have pins and needles if I over do it, but I am using a cane for balance and the pain is pretty much localized to the back and buttock now.
I am going to have to find another line of work though.
Thanks for the reply.

Disc herniations are very unpredictable. I see them in people that have physical occupations and in people who sit and do nothing all day long.
It seems some people just have congenitally poor discs etc.
Symptoms decreasing is always a good sign. Hopefully over time your symptoms will go away and never return, but error on the side of caution and try get some health insurance down the road for peace of mind.
If something comes up and you need advice drop me an email.

Evidently this particuar problem is hereditary. Both my oldest son and daughter have herniated this particular disc.
I am doing the treadmill, slowly, and the balance ball,which I promptly fell off of. For some reason my symptoms got dramatically better after this. I can walk upstairs and upright now and am off all pain meds except advil. I hope it continues but won't count on it.
My mother's bottom three discs had fused by my age and she never had another backache....Go figure.
The massage and accupressure really do help.
I would like to get insurance but 1600 a mo for the two of us is a little much. I can get 10,000 deductable for 200 a month but don't have even that as we just took in my mom and have had to start a business just to have work. We're older, it's not easy.
Have found a neighbor to team with me when I try to go back to work in a couple of weeks and if I have to quit at least she'll have work.
Tingling better and foot doesn't drag, but can't wear shoes with any support as it still sends my foot and calf into spasm.

Can anyone give me some advice I was a health active young woman (34) went to step twice a week swam, walked the dog 5 times a week was generally in good shape. Then suffered severe leg pain couldnt walk and ended up in hospital for a week. A disk was out in my lower back sitting on the scatic nerve I am now left with a numb buttock, back of thigh, numb heel and small and next toe I cant feel, I now walk with a limp have been doing exercises but still feel the same. It has been 4 months now and no better I can hardly walk for more than 15 mins and my heel is really sore. Please can someone tell me when it gets better so I can go back to an active life and loose the stone i've put on

What on earth did your Dr. Tell you besides your disc was out? Five mos. Of numbness is a long time. I changed my shoes to flats because the really supportive tennys that I was wearing put my calf into spasm and barefoot is the most comfortable. My achilles tendon had been shortened by the shoes and it agrivated things.
Are you on any meds? I know it's humiliating sometimes but using the store wheel chair or a walker occasionally to take the weight off your hip helps.
There's a website called healthetech that features a diet program called balance log that has taken 60 lbs. Off me and it seems to have helped some of my friends as well. I even lost 3 lbs in the last two mos. Of this attach, a first believe me.
The last time I herniated a disc (higher up) it took 4 mos. To get back to work an a couple of years before I felt really ok. The numbness gradually faded and so did the pain. Sorry.