I’m around 11 days into dealing with sciatica, which came about several hours after a deadlift and squat day. The morning after and for the following 2-3 days, the pain was very intense. I was unable to sleep due to the pain, and could only manage very short walks before needing to sit. I am taking naproxen (1000mg daily) and was also taking codeine as and when I needed it, but haven’t used the latter for 4-5 days now.
The pain has subsided to a degree where I can now sleep and walk about much more, sitting if the pain gets a little too much, and this is thankfully an improvement from a week or so ago. I have also been able to bench/ohp over the last few days, and do 25 mins of steady state cardio on an Echo bike.
My main concern is I have had numbness below the knee cap and down the shin. Some of this has cleared but those two areas remain numb (not completely numb though). My knee reflex is very minimal on the effected side. Finally my quad also feels very weak. When I try a light squat (c.40kg), I can feel the weight shifting to my right side.
It’s hard to describe where I feel the pain around my lower back/glute, but the cobra pose is one that makes the pain more intense (I don’t do yoga but felt this was a good example to explain). If I had to describe the location of the pain, it would be at the top of my left glute.
I seem to be going in the right direction but the numbness/quad weakness has spooked me somewhat.
Hey Tom - sorry to hear about your situation. Overall, it does sound like you are improving. If you are concerned, then I think it’s reasonable to find a local clinician for a consultation/evaluation (which will iikely include a neuro exam) to have a baseline and monitor progression/worsening of neuro symptoms. You can also check to see what strength deficits are present, if any, by doing a single leg leg extension, curl, calf raise, and resisted dorsiflexion - comparing side to side. As long as neuro deficits aren’t worsening and a person isn’t experiencing new onset bowel/bladder issues then I don’t get overly concerned in these scenarios or order imaging. Hang in there.