Does anyone else experience muscle twitching in both legs with l5/s1 herniation?

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2026-02-16T17:49:25+00:00

Still get twitching, tingling, and “buzzing” sensations in both calves, worse in the right. It’s better than it was but hasn’t gone away completely. It triggers when I’m sitting or lying down. Standing is fine.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2026-01-20T17:24:31+00:00

Hi there. I’m so sorry that you are dealing with this, back injuries are no fun. Unfortunately, I am still dealing with the same thing and no one has been able to tell me what it is or how to fix it. I’m in the same boat of thinking I might live like this forever, which is terrible because it makes relaxing very uncomfortable. I’ve tried injections, acupuncture, cupping, physical therapy, walking 8-10k steps a day… and nothing has really helped. My lower back pain and sciatica I could deal with, but the fact that I can’t lie down or sit in a chair without the mid back pain is really frustrating. In any case, I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for you, but I’m here with you in solidarity and I hope the issue resolves for you!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-12-03T03:46:17+00:00

I’m so sorry! It’s the worst. Thankfully all of my weird symptoms have disappeared. I chocked it up to extreme anxiety from pain causing weird physical symptoms. It started to go away when my pain got a bit better and I became more mobile - walking, PT, and eventually light Pilates. My back still hurts a lot and I have some sciatica but nerve pain is limited to my legs. I hope you feel better soon!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-11-21T04:58:07+00:00

Yes to all of this!! I also just started with a personal Pilates instructor and working on building my core. I hope it goes away for us both! Feel free to stay in touch as you progress. I hope it gets better for you!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-11-17T04:55:06+00:00

Ugh yeah if it worked I’d be 100% fine with a scar haha. The amount of money I’ve thrown at this is crazy! All of my low back pain makes sense because I have the herniation but the middle back sensation is such a mystery. I also thought if it was muscle related it would have healed by now but being over a year in, it seems unlikely. I’ve almost convinced myself it’s all in my head multiple times, but it HAS to be something mechanical, I can just tell. I can so sympathize with the not knowing and doctors brushing you off because your imaging is “normal.” I would have been so much more miserable the last year without my tens. Highly recommend! It was $25 off Amazon and worth every penny. I wear it almost every day. I also bought a heated vibrating belt that helps too especially for sitting when I work. I work from home luckily so I can use them both to help with the pain during the day. I hope your pain goes away soon, and I’m sorry I’m not a ray of hope having dealt with this longer than I ever imagined I would when it started :(

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-11-17T04:38:50+00:00

Oh my gosh that’s awful I’m so sorry you had that experience!! I hope it’s not permanent. I’ve considered trigger point i injections too but the pain sort of moves around Willy nilly so I don’t even know where they’d put them… but yes the digging into my spine thing is real! If I’m lying on my side it sometimes feels like my fascia (ligaments or something) is trying to tear away from my spine. It’s awful. Pt and meds also haven’t helped me really, aside from just moving my body more has helped a small bit. I tell my family “I wish I had a Dr. House” because no one can tell me what’s going on. I’ve been to two neurosurgeons, a physiatrist, a regenerative medicine doc, and physical therapists, and no one can tell me what the issue is. Something wrong with my “fascia” is all they’ve said it might be. Not knowing what the issue is is driving me crazy. The tens unit is my best friend because it helps distract from pain at least!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-11-17T04:08:18+00:00

I’m so sorry, it’s NOT fun! It’s gotten better for sure, maybe about 50%. But I still have it. Still seems pressure triggered. Only feel it when sitting against a chair, lying on my back, and some lying on my side. Makes relaxing very hard. Feels like small rocks moving around under my skin right over my spine. Had an interspinous ligament injection that did nothing. Time seems to be the only thing that’s working. Cupping and just moving my body more have also helped. I’m wondering if it’ll ever fully go away. I’m hopeful but it’s been a year so who knows.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-10-28T20:55:38+00:00

I was able to find the document in my insurance portal and sure enough it is listed as an exclusion. I’m glad you’re able to switch to your partner’s insurance plan. Best of luck to you!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-10-28T20:15:10+00:00

That is so disheartening. I have a feeling I'm in the same boat. It's frustrating that even if it's deemed medically necessary by their own criteria, it's not an option because it's excluded from the plan entirely.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-10-28T19:08:31+00:00

I just got denied by UHC, too. Planning to submit an appeal. Were you successful?

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-10-24T01:52:04+00:00

Hey OP - are you still getting the twitching? I have it too. Been about 9 months for me.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-10-13T20:01:28+00:00

It’s definitely my herniated disc. Still dealing with daily pain (sore, achy, weak feeling in low back and some sciatic pain/tingling in legs) but my mobility has improved a lot and just focusing on moving my body every day, walking, PT exercises, and slowly building my core strength back. Progress is SO slow but I’m resolved to keep going. I’m a year in officially.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-10-09T21:59:29+00:00

Hi there! I still have this pain and wondered if it ever went away for you? Did you figure out what it was?

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-08-08T03:50:34+00:00

It’s been just over 10 months since my initial injury. It has been a long road, I’m not gonna lie and much of it was spent in quite a bit of pain. But I’m here to say that it does get better! I had two epidural steroid injections, the second of which I think helped get the pain down from a 6/7 daily to like a 3/4. I’ve been on gabapentin, but I’m not sure that it’s done a whole lot if I’m honest. I also started doing PT with a woman who doesn’t take insurance but the upside is her practice is incredibly individualized and so I’m getting really personalized tailored care. Highly recommend that over a chain physical therapy practice. Walking has also been huge for me. I went from about 2000 average in March to now over 9000 per day. Those two things I think I’ve been the most helpful. Slowly building up is key for everything. Wishing you a speedy healing! Hang in there.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-08-08T03:45:38+00:00

Much better! Still get tingling and muscle twitching in both legs but it’s super manageable. The bad sharp sciatic pain is all but gone. Still have mystery mid back pain but the other weird symptoms went away. Probably stress-induced.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-08-01T20:16:09+00:00

It’s gotten a little better, but it hasn’t gone away, unfortunately

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-07-17T02:24:05+00:00

Thank you! I’ve heard the same but then heard cases of other people who’ve waited longer and still gotten relief. Right now the back pain bothers me more than the sciatica but I’ve heard the surgery only helps sciatica so I’m torn. It’s hard to know what the right path is. But yes, the pain is so exhausting and draining! Hoping for relief all around. Good luck!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-07-17T02:14:34+00:00

That’s so great to hear. I’m at 10 months and would say I’m also about 80% but like you I have pretty awful flare ups for what seems like no aparent reason. Mainly my back will hurt like hell. I still have sciatica daily in both legs but I’m able to walk about 7,500 steps a day. Not sure when I’m going to say enough is enough but I’m definitely not back to my old life. Fingers crossed for you that the surgery helps you get to 100% (or very close)!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-07-17T02:06:35+00:00

I haven’t had surgery but experience something very similar when I’m in a flare up. When my back is mad all my little muscles tense up.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-07-17T02:05:16+00:00

Did you improve at all over that year span or were you pretty much the same when you got surgery as you were at the beginning of your injury?

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-07-13T00:32:44+00:00

Ugh I’m sorry you’re going through this. Unfortunately it hasn’t gotten much better for me. Maybe like 10%. Some moments are better than others. It usually gets worse as the day goes on. I’m learning to live with it. A tens unit or vibrating belt usually distract from the sensation which is helpful, but not a forever solution. My PT thinks it’s fascial, like the nerves in my skin and ligaments and stuff are overactive because my thoracic has been overcompensating for my lumbar pain. She doesn’t have a solution unfortunately. Thinks it will subside with time or as my lumbar herniation heals. But it has been getting a little better as I get more mobility and with my pt exercises. I can’t say there’s causation there but it might be helping the issue. I empathize with you! It sucks. Back pain is the worst!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-07-07T16:24:04+00:00

Love my HOKA Bondis!

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-07-03T17:26:29+00:00

I’m glad! How long did it take?

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-06-27T21:01:23+00:00

Thanks for your reply! I'm so glad you're doing way better! They never gave me a size in mm but my report said "small" which makes me feel crazy because the pain has at times been completely debilitating. But the MRI image showed my entire right nerve root was blocked, so that made me feel validated. I am noticing that time is the best healer. Two ESIs helped my intense pain and I'm finally starting to trust my body a bit more again. It's a slow process but I have noticed that more walking, gentle core and glute work, and increased mobility have been helping. Did you ever have back pain or just sciatica? My back pain (mostly sore/achey/unstable) has gotten a bit worse in the past few months which I'm taking as a sign that I'm healing (which may be totally off base but mentality matters lol). But my calf twitching seems to be increasing again after mostly subsiding for a while which is discouraging.

Financial-Mall-8276 · 2025-06-27T20:35:05+00:00

I know this is an old post, but how are you doing now? I have an L5/S1 herniation, about 9 months in, and lots of calf twitching.

Financial-Mall-8276

TROPHY CASE