Question
I woke one morning and i felt a cramp hit in my right butt. After several hours the cramping moved to my right quad and right hamstring. I went to my local Doctor and they seemed to think it was my sciatic nerve. I spent the next four days on my knees taking the muscle relaxers and pain pills. The prescibed pills had no effect on my condition.I then went to the ER and i was given a couple of shot of something and some morphine at that point i was able to get up and walk out of the ER.however that is when i discovered a numbness in the outside of my right shine and a sensation that oscilates in the left side of my shin that feels more like  a sunburn. As I said this is a sensation that comes and goes.I have not had any lower back pain during any of part of this time frame. My question is do you have any idea what might be causing this sensation in my lower part of my leg?

Answer
Dear John,

First of all, I hope you are doing well and are enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday presuming you are in the USA.  

From what you have described and treatment rendered, it sounds like you may have Sciatica precipitated by a spasm or tightness of your right piriformis muscle.  The sciatic nerve can be constricted or irritated by this muscle located at your buttock region.  The injection provide relief because it may have calmed the muscle thereby releasing the pressure on the nerve.  However, it is temporary relief since the medication wears off with time.  The burning sensation and the pathway of pain point to the sciatic nerve.  This may have been exacerbated with the tightening of the piriformis muscle again.  

Since you did not have any back pain or injury to your low back, then it is most likely due to the piriformis muslce itself causing the burning pain along the sciatic nerve.  Try stretching the muscle and see if that provide some relief.  Stretching exercise:  cross your right leg over your left making a "4" figure.  Bend the left knee and pull it toward your body while lying flat on your back with the right leg still over the left.  This will give you some stretching to the piriformis muscle.  Alternatively, you can put heat to the area and massage as well may help.  If these home remedy does not help, I recommend for you to visit a chiropractor or acupuncturist to have the condition properly diagnosed and managed.  

Best wishes,

Dr. Man Tran
www.DrManTran.com