Need someone to talk me down-sciatica

[Jessi 23]

Hello

for the last two-three weeks I’ve been dealing with what I HOPE is just sciatica.  My left leg and toes get very tingly and I get the lower back pain with it at times, and occasionally the hip pain.  The most intense issue though is the tingling.  I went to my chiropractor twice this week and he’s been working with me.  I go back twice next week as well.  However I feel like I’m getting worse instead of better.  The first day I went to the chiro I felt better the next day, but I went again yesterday and today I was in the car for about 3 hours total (breaks in between) and it is a lot worse today.  Basically my whole leg is a weird numb feeling.  I can still feel everything, but it feels “numb” if that makes any sense.  
I did some stretches and that didn’t help at all.  
may worry is that it’s something worse and I’m going to end up paralyzed (I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but I still fear it).  
I also have been having a little tingling in the left arm and fingers as well, but not as much as the leg
I had an mri done like 8-9 years ago and I had a slight herniated disk at l5-s1.  Then I got into a car accident in 2019 and had a ct that showed a compression fracture at t2.  My chiropractor says I won’t become paralyzed from that, but I’m worried that since then something else has happened and I may need another mri.  
does this sound like classic sciatica or should I push for testing?  I’m just so scared that something else is wrong that is going to require surgery and leave me unable to walk 

[Ironman 193]

1 hour ago, Jessi said:

Hello

for the last two-three weeks I’ve been dealing with what I HOPE is just sciatica.  My left leg and toes get very tingly and I get the lower back pain with it at times, and occasionally the hip pain.  The most intense issue though is the tingling.  I went to my chiropractor twice this week and he’s been working with me.  I go back twice next week as well.  However I feel like I’m getting worse instead of better.  The first day I went to the chiro I felt better the next day, but I went again yesterday and today I was in the car for about 3 hours total (breaks in between) and it is a lot worse today.  Basically my whole leg is a weird numb feeling.  I can still feel everything, but it feels “numb” if that makes any sense.  
I did some stretches and that didn’t help at all.  
may worry is that it’s something worse and I’m going to end up paralyzed (I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but I still fear it).  
I also have been having a little tingling in the left arm and fingers as well, but not as much as the leg
I had an mri done like 8-9 years ago and I had a slight herniated disk at l5-s1.  Then I got into a car accident in 2019 and had a ct that showed a compression fracture at t2.  My chiropractor says I won’t become paralyzed from that, but I’m worried that since then something else has happened and I may need another mri.  
does this sound like classic sciatica or should I push for testing?  I’m just so scared that something else is wrong that is going to require surgery and leave me unable to walk 

Three hours in the car is a long time.  Even I get cramps in my driving leg (I am getting older, but I exercise). 

It could be anything - nerves, muscles, circulation. 

[Jessi 23]

16 minutes ago, Ironman said:

Three hours in the car is a long time.  Even I get cramps in my driving leg (I am getting older, but I exercise). 

It could be anything - nerves, muscles, circulation. 

Circulation 😳 that’s another fear I have.  That I have poor circulation in that leg and will have a heart attack.  

[Ironman 193]

2 minutes ago, Jessi said:

Circulation 😳 that’s another fear I have.  That I have poor circulation in that leg and will have a heart attack.  

My legs fall asleep and am on BP meds.  My toes turn purple. 

Just keep the circulation going - you won't have a heart attack.  Your doctors would noticed something by now,

[Jessi 23]

16 hours ago, Ironman said:

My legs fall asleep and am on BP meds.  My toes turn purple. 

Just keep the circulation going - you won't have a heart attack.  Your doctors would noticed something by now,

Well I hope it’s got nothing to do with circulation or anything like that and is just my sciatic nerve 

[Ironman 193]

1 hour ago, Jessi said:

Well I hope it’s got nothing to do with circulation or anything like that and is just my sciatic nerve 

If you sitting in a car for three hours, it would be your back, not circulation. 

Me, I am on BP meds to lower it - I technically am only borderline, it was never in the "high" zone except when I took two decongestants.  I was 122/92 (low 90s), but they put me on it anyway so it's around 75 now.  I bet I would be fine if I wasn't on the Cymbalta.

[Pdt321 3]

I just wrote about a similar situation on here a few weeks back.  I know what you mean about the leg feeling numb but still being able to feel it.  I have a known lower back disc problem in my L5-S1.  In January I re-injured my back, even thought I don’t remember a certain scenario where it happened.  I had the same symptoms you are having.  I tried heat, ice, stretching, yoga, etc.  Nothing worked.  I was best when I was standing and had the worst symptoms while sitting.  My doctor said he treats this usually with medicine to reduce inflammation and can refer to physical therapy.  Sometimes the therapy works but it may just take time to heal.  It’s taken me 8 weeks for my symptoms to go away but I’m finally feeling good aside from a little tightness in the lower back after waking up.  
 

Ultimately, I’m sharing this because of the similarities of symptoms.  My issue was a previous back issue that was re-aggravated causing a nerve impingement. The best thing is to see your doctor if you want to be certain.  

[Jessi 23]

9 hours ago, Pdt321 said:

I just wrote about a similar situation on here a few weeks back.  I know what you mean about the leg feeling numb but still being able to feel it.  I have a known lower back disc problem in my L5-S1.  In January I re-injured my back, even thought I don’t remember a certain scenario where it happened.  I had the same symptoms you are having.  I tried heat, ice, stretching, yoga, etc.  Nothing worked.  I was best when I was standing and had the worst symptoms while sitting.  My doctor said he treats this usually with medicine to reduce inflammation and can refer to physical therapy.  Sometimes the therapy works but it may just take time to heal.  It’s taken me 8 weeks for my symptoms to go away but I’m finally feeling good aside from a little tightness in the lower back after waking up.  
 

Ultimately, I’m sharing this because of the similarities of symptoms.  My issue was a previous back issue that was re-aggravated causing a nerve impingement. The best thing is to see your doctor if you want to be certain.  

Thank you!  That’s very reassuring to know you’ve experienced the same thing and it just takes time.  I did see my dr already who told me I needed to go to the chiropractor.  I was just getting a lot of anxiety because I’ve been to him twice now and it’s still not resolved.  I took some ibuprofen yesterday and that lessened the symptoms a little bit.  
 

so are you doing medication and PT?  Or are you doing exercises at home that are helping you?  

[Iugrad91 501]

I had a similar issue and went to PT for at least 4 months. It is probably not going to resolve after one or two visits. Sometimes it can even get worse before it gets better. Give it some time and maybe give PT a try. Mine was caused by weak muscles on the opposite side of the pain twisting my pelvis. I never would have thought it could be something on the opposite side. Let the experts do their job and give your body time to heal. 

[Pdt321 3]

3 hours ago, Jessi said:

Thank you!  That’s very reassuring to know you’ve experienced the same thing and it just takes time.  I did see my dr already who told me I needed to go to the chiropractor.  I was just getting a lot of anxiety because I’ve been to him twice now and it’s still not resolved.  I took some ibuprofen yesterday and that lessened the symptoms a little bit.  
 

so are you doing medication and PT?  Or are you doing exercises at home that are helping you?  

Well, I actually saw my doctor for a physical and it was about 6 weeks into the process.  My symptoms were still present but improving so we just discussed what had happened.  He told me to call him if it happens again so we can do medication and PT much earlier.  I basically gutted it out.  I agree with the statement above that it could get worse before it gets better.  For me, it was all about time and letting it heal properly.  I wish you well. 

[Jessi 23]

28 minutes ago, Iugrad91 said:

I had a similar issue and went to PT for at least 4 months. It is probably not going to resolve after one or two visits. Sometimes it can even get worse before it gets better. Give it some time and maybe give PT a try. Mine was caused by weak muscles on the opposite side of the pain twisting my pelvis. I never would have thought it could be something on the opposite side. Let the experts do their job and give your body time to heal. 

I’ve been trying to do some core and lower body strength training exercises.  Along with stretching. Hopefully that will help. I will also continue going to the chiropractor.  

[Jessi 23]

11 minutes ago, Pdt321 said:

Well, I actually saw my doctor for a physical and it was about 6 weeks into the process.  My symptoms were still present but improving so we just discussed what had happened.  He told me to call him if it happens again so we can do medication and PT much earlier.  I basically gutted it out.  I agree with the statement above that it could get worse before it gets better.  For me, it was all about time and letting it heal properly.  I wish you well. 

So you all don’t think I need to worry about becoming paralyzed?  Logically, I know how crazy that sounds.  But my anxiety makes me feel like it’s a rational fear.  I’m also going on week 3 of being back on anxiety medicine so hopefully that will start to help as well and I won’t even notice the sensations as much.  

[Doug97 19]

On 3/27/2021 at 1:25 AM, Pdt321 said:

I just wrote about a similar situation on here a few weeks back.  I know what you mean about the leg feeling numb but still being able to feel it.  

I've had EXACTLY the same thing. The more I worried about it, the worse it got. When I realised it was psychosomatic (caused by my anxiety), it went away.