“Lower leg pain?”
When I sit down in the car or on certain chairs, possibly the sciatic nerve in my right leg gets cut off. The pain in my lower leg is excruciating. The only way to relieve it is to stand up and walk. Each step hurts even more until it adjusts and the pain goes away. Sleeping is fine. I can also walk 2-3 miles with no pain or tiredness. I am taking Ibuprofen 800 mg and Methocarbamol.
Male | 63 years old
Complaint duration: 14 days
6 Answers
You should not be taking these medicines on a regular basis you need a baseline evaluation By a doctor
Sounds like you could have a bulging disk in your low back, which gets slightly pushed out when you sit or bend forward. You should go see a physician and have an MRI. Additionally, you should do some physical therapy to help strengthen your abdominal core, which will prevent the disk from bulging.
Dear 63-year-old,
An opinion without a physical exam is like a peanut butter sandwich without the peanut butter. But here's what I can tell you: You do not have spinal stenosis - narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal by facet arthrosis, plus or minus disc bulges - plus a long list of less common causes. It is definitely an irritation of the sciatic nerve at L4-5, L5-S1or outside the spine such as Pyriformis syndrome - Google this. You need to see an orthopedic spine surgeon for a proper spinal exam. For a quality spine doc in your area, go to the North American Spine Society - they will have names in your area. The Ibuprofen is okay, and if the muscle relaxant Methocarbamol is working, both are okay. Your history is short, so you may have extruded a disc. Many other rare diagnoses are possible. See a spine doc.
Good luck.
An opinion without a physical exam is like a peanut butter sandwich without the peanut butter. But here's what I can tell you: You do not have spinal stenosis - narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal by facet arthrosis, plus or minus disc bulges - plus a long list of less common causes. It is definitely an irritation of the sciatic nerve at L4-5, L5-S1or outside the spine such as Pyriformis syndrome - Google this. You need to see an orthopedic spine surgeon for a proper spinal exam. For a quality spine doc in your area, go to the North American Spine Society - they will have names in your area. The Ibuprofen is okay, and if the muscle relaxant Methocarbamol is working, both are okay. Your history is short, so you may have extruded a disc. Many other rare diagnoses are possible. See a spine doc.
Good luck.
You may need tests to study the nerves in your legs or lower back. Please talk to your physician about seeing a neurologist.
You need to be seen by a doctor specializing in Spine: Spine Orthopedics, Physiatrist, Spine Pain Medicine. You need an examination and MRI of the lumbar spine to identify the cause of the pain. Excruciating pain in the leg is most likely a referred pain from pressure on the nerve roots in the lumbar spine. Most common causes in a 63-year-old would be Spinal stenosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, and Herniated Disc. Early diagnosis is important.
That sounds painful and life-style limiting. If the pain is truly confined to your lower leg, the the sciatic nerve may have already divided into the tibial and common peroneal nerve. It would be helpful to know exactly where your leg hurts. The medications do not seem to be helping as it sounds like you are fixing your own pain by your movements. You could try using cushioning in your seating areas, but I do recommend seeing a procedural neurologist. The problem could be controlled with steroid injections. Good luck!
