Nine months ago, I (71M) experienced sudden severe pain in my left leg and foot from what was diagnosed as sciatica. My left tibialis anterior got very weak, and my left foot would flop loudly onto the ground when I walked. The MRI report said I had a protusion or extrusion at L5-S1. I saw a spine specialist, who said that there was no need for a procedure and to rehab with pain as my guide.
I’ve worked my way back, with the help of physiotherapy, to 90-100% of where I was before in my training, which consists of cycling, running, and powerlifting. At this point there’s no pain that seems related to the sciatica, and I rarely give it a thought any more. However, my left foot and ankle are still kind of numb and/or tingly, and my left foot still seems to hit the ground a little harder than the right one when I’m running. Are those lingering symptoms at all concerning? I guess it means there’s still some pressure on the nerve, but I’m quite content to ignore it unless there’s a reason to follow up.
Hard to say definitively without more information, but I do think numbness and potential weakness are both abnormal, if present. If you’re satisfied to manage this on your own, that’s great, though our professionals are at the ready if you’d like some help.
I’d add that the trajectory for recovery from acute sciatica can be quite variable between people. See this excellent post, for example, illustrating these differences when it comes to pain:
However, given that you have reported up to 90-100% improvement in your performance, this is a highly reassuring finding. To the extent you still have some minor residual symptoms, it is unlikely that any invasive/aggressive intervention would be worthwhile (or wise). Based on the limited history provided here, I would not have a great deal of concern about this.
Thanks for the info, you guys. I’m inclined to leave well enough alone for now, but I’ll be seeing my GP in a few weeks and of course will discuss it with her too. Meanwhile I’ll try to stay on track for being among the 4 out of 5 that Jesson says are happy after a year!
Nothing to add, just wanted to say - I’m impressed by your perseverance Jim! A lot of people would give up and/or be too scared to try to get back into lifting after severe sciatica. And good on your doctor for not nocebo-ing you with regards to recovery.
