This Is Spinal Crap: All’s Well That (Some Day) Ends Well

The continuing saga of Dave’s mid-June bout with (spooky music) sciatica!

So, several weeks later, I got in to the Spine Clinic. My symptoms over these weeks since the MRI have been pretty consistent — slight numbness along the left side of my left leg, more significant numbness along the left side of the left foot. Maybe some even more slight numbness on the right/right bits. Occasional slight weakness in the legs. I’ve been pretty vigilant about not doing what was causing me pain earlier — sitting in a chair with good posture, lying on my stomach in bed — so there’s been no pain.

Filled out a form in the lobby, describing what’s going on, and feeling vaguely guilty that I was there and wasn’t feeling any pain. Silly, I know.

Went in, briefed the doctor (she had my records and all, but …), and she walked me through a series of exercises with my legs — pushing and pulling and lifting and all that.

Then we sat down with the MRI imagery, and she pointed out that everything actually looked very good, except for this one little bulging disk bit stuff waaaaaay down at the base. Symptoms of which, impinging on the nerves, sound quite a bit much like my symptoms. So that’s the bad news.

The better news is that this will heal, huzzah. The response to the steroids was very positive, and gave things a chance to stabilize, and for now … well, there’s not much more to be done, and no significant risk factor to deal with:

1. I should do the things I do. I’ll probably keep the standing desk at the office, just ’cause.
2. Continue to exercise. Core strengthening stuff is good — Pilates has some good work for that, she recommended. Regular walking is a great idea (that, at least, I can do).
3. Running and other bouncy-bouncy activities are probably not a good idea. Weight lifting, right out (though normal, careful lifting of stuff should be okay).
4. There’s no real need at the moment for any further treatment unless the pain returns. If it does, the PT, acupuncture, or steroid injections can be tried.
5. The numbness will go away. Over time. Like, the next few years.

That last is the most annoying bit, but … well, honestly, if that’s the final outcome here, I’m going to consider myself awfully lucky.

So, that’s what’s going on. Thanks for the support and well-wishes folk have offered me — if such things work/help, perhaps that’s what happened here. With luck, aside from some “Say, whatever happened to your sciatica, Dave?” post a few years from now, that’s the end of this thread.

(Google+ post)