I had the same problem 1 1/2 year ago. After MRI they found that the disc at L 4 / L 5 was completely bulged out and pressing on my sciatic nerve. Had surgery the following month with instant relief. My neurosurgeon removed the disc and place a cage in its place then fused the two together with a rod on each with two screws in each side. After that ended up having my right and left SI joint fused with three screws in each side. Best thing I ever did, all of the pain is completely gone. All of this was from injury and wear and tear of being a nurse for 40 years. Your MRI will tell your doctor what is causing your pain. Hope you get relief.

Thank u! Im hoping it's something pt can help. I really don't want surgery.

I’ve had sciatica really bad too and I went to PT thinking it probably wouldn’t help, but surprisingly it helped me a lot. I’ve got spinal stenosis and that’s what’s causing my sciatica. Just something to try anyway, can’t hurt, sure helped me. I also went to Chiropractor too.

My recovery time was pretty quick to me after I had been pretty much immobile for what seemed like forever. After the L4-L5 fusion ha to stay in hospital for 3 days. Walking started hat night and even more over next few days. Pain was surgical only . Didn’t have any pain when walking o sitting. The more you walk the faster the soreness gets better. After the SI fusion came home same day. O problem walking. Again surgical pain only but no problem walking or sitting. After 3 months after each surgery was released by my neurosurgeon. Went neurosurgeon last Tuesday for my last 3 month follow up. Free to do anything I want. I have had no problem with any movement at all. It’s as if I never had a problem at all. I walk, turn, sit, get up and down from chair or bed or bend with no difficulty at all. It was the best thing I ever did. The SI joints have to be done ne side at a time. So it took me about a year to get all 3 surgeries but there again it was the best thing I ever did. Good luck. I hope you get the same results if you move forward with surgery. Keep me posted on mri results.

The exercises they had me doing were insane. Giving me crazy amounts of resistance training with a zillion reps. If I could do that I wouldn't have RA or need therapy. By the third day I could barely move. I was looking for massage, traction, heat and maybe a TENS unit not boot camp 😂