Hey guys. Briefly; suffered a suspected L5/S1 bulge/herniation 3 years ago while lifting with associated pain/numbess/motor deficit along S1 dermatome of left leg. Fast fwd three years, motor deficit all but gone, no pain but large areas of numbness all along that S1 dermatome. Sucks but what are you gonna do, not train?!
Past 6 months have noticed a very slow onset of painful radiculopathy in the OPPOSITE leg. Low grade pain (non-persistent but frequent) and very similar to what occurred in left leg with the exception that left leg was quickly (over days) progressing from pain to numbness to motor deficit. Right leg is just staying at a low grade pain when lifting but does appear to be worsening over months.
What do? The onset of radicular symptoms concerns me greatly given the ongoing numbness and incomplete healing I had in left leg and the experience of three years prior. Just today I axed a deload week HBBS set as I had clenching in the lateral gastrocnemius of the right leg.
Was really stoked to begin a Strength block this winter but not feeling too confident. Is there a higher prevalence of a bi-lateral disc bulge if you have suffered a unilateral bulge? Or maybe am I just fortunate enough to be stuck with sciatica in the right leg and can train on. Thoughts and considerations appreciated. Not really a re-hab question but hoping to ward off the need for rehab. Thanks.
Hey Topgunnavigator - sorry to hear about your recent experience. We would need to get a consultation with you to work through your history and current experience. If you feel like you are having similar symptoms on your right leg and begin noticing numbness and motor deficits then I do recommend having a local consultation with a trusted healthcare clinician to at minimal establish baseline deficits via a neuro exam. As I’m sure you are aware, provided neuro findings are not worsening then these situations are typically conservatively managed over time. Prevalence rate of lumbar disc herniations makes it difficult to answer your question, given we can have such findings in folks without symptoms (no pain or dysfunction) but that doesn’t then mean such findings are never related to someone’s symptomatic experience. It’s more of a question how much, if at all, such a finding alters recommendations for management.