OK, so based on other recent posts there’s multiple types, so I’ll try to be specific here:
At least I think it’s sciatica. Hurt my lower back on the left side about 6 weeks ago while warming up for deadlifting. The back felt better rapidly. The problem is now when I sit down and extend my left leg out in front of me straight I get a weird shooting/tingling pain down my left leg, starting in my lower left back.
My left foot tingles, and I get a stabbing pain in my left calf, oddly as time has gone by the stabbing pain keeps going lower and lower on my calf; started out just below the knee, now it’s almost at the bottom of it. . I get this same sensation if I stand up for a while or walk around for a while. I also notice that it happens more frequently in the morning when I first get out of bed and everything is stiff (my muscles, not my dick). I also get the pain in my left leg/tingling in foot if I sit down with my legs straight in front of me and attempt to slouch over forward.
Exercising does not exasperate it, I’m back to deadlifting again with no pain. I don’t THINK it’s piriformis syndrome, since doing things like bringing my left knee up to my chest doesn’t seem to cause any pain. Also attempt to stretch my piriformis or doing any activities that stretches it do not cause the pain. Oddly enough though, if the pain in my calf is bad enough, and I use my lacrosse ball to hit my piriformis the pain rapidly dissipates…
It is possibly nerve root compression. The leg pain moving farther down the leg is the problem potentially getting worse. You need to see a professional for an accurate diagnosis. He/she should differentiate between nerve root or peripheral nerve (sciatic). Then try to identify the structure causing the compression (muscle, disc, etc.). You need to know these things before trying to decide how to deal with it properly.
Whilst I note your point that you can now deadlift it is highly likely that you have suffered from a slipped disc. The fact that I suspect this is what has happened is primarily based on your reference to the pain/tingling gradually going lower from the hamstring to the calf and foot which is classical for slipped discs. You may ask if its a slipped disc then how have you spontaneously healed? The answer is that when a disc slips the pain and sciatica is caused by the compression of the nerves in the route canal. Again the signficant factor here whcih in my mind requires investigation is the fact that the pain has gradually gone lower. You need to be ultra careful with disc issues so its better to be on the safe side.
It sounds like you had good advice sofar. In your situation i would avoid anything compressing my spine. An expert visit is a wise step.
All the best !
As a former sufferer of this (damage at L4 and L5 discs), I advise you to put your training on hold now! If you continue to deadlift, or exercise for that matter, you risk making the problem worse. Your goal now should be to seek some chiropractic attention, get the inflammation under control, and get you spine back to health. Second piece of advice is to totally ignore halfwits on this site with no experience of such injuries. You will know who I mean. They often talk about doing lunges instead of squats and taking fish oil! I would have loved to show them my MRI scan, annular tear and all!!!