I went to sleep about two-three months ago and everything was fine. When I got up the next morning my right hamstring was in pain. It was not debilitating pain but painful nevertheless and definitely out of the normal. The pain goes from the top of the knee area to the buttocks. It’s not entirely the full hamstring area all the time. It doesn’t bother me when I sleep. Only bother me when I first get from a sitting position but when I take a few steps [not very good BTW] the pain starts to diminish but doesn’t go away completely. Also bothers me when I sit on a hard surface.
My Neuro thought it was a back issue and he sent me for a MRI. The MRI shows some herniation around the L5S1 disk which happened from a fall years ago.
Although I had the herniation years ago, I didn’t have any hamstring area problem. BTW, the hamstring muscle is fine. It’s the nerve that’s causing the problem.
Just wondering if the Ataxia is showing itself another way now because my gait is not normal. Just so you know my gait has been affected for many years!
Sounds like sciatica pain which hopefully is not related to the ataxia but I don’t actually know if it might be. It can just flare up periodically…sorry, not much help.
I fell badly landing on my lower back a few weeks ago, and after the initial shock had worn off I didn’t appear to have any breakage, pain or bruising. Then pain kicked in and really incapacitated me, I was in danger of having another fall. The pain from stretched muscle took a while to settle down, but I was worried about continuing pain in my hip.
A GP explained back pain can reach so far down the thigh and yet not be sciatica, and he sent me for an X-ray. Although I have since had what I thought was sciatica running down my other leg.
Now, I have to be very mindful of sitting, not slouching, on a firm seat. Last night I fell asleep on a firm chair bolstered by cushions, on waking I realised the comfy cushions had slipped out of place and standing was agony.
After a restless night, things are pretty much the same this morning, I’ll try a painkiller and hopefully it will wear off. It’ll be a week before I get the results of the X-ray, and fingers crossed my hips are still intact. But if the pain persists, an MRI was mentioned.
My gait is becoming increasingly worse, as I walk weight isn’t equally balanced and it’s highly likely this is putting pressure on tender joints and muscles.
Just my opinion, but Ataxia shows its ugly face in more ways than is publicized. It has a sneaky way of causing other problems because of the challenges.
have you thought sciatica? hard surface, best when lying, no motion, sounds like it, I cannot tell you more, as don’t know much about it myself, just google sciatica, if in the USA, no idea under what word. I am not German, but knew it locally by a folk name Hexenshuss. literally dancing witches. I am 50/50 Brit/Slovak.
I blame ataxia for everything until it’s proven innocent. It sounds as though your ataxian gait is trapping a nerve. Or perhaps your gait is damaging your spin
I know you say “…my last comment was a joke” but for many of us with rare conditions that ‘joke’ can seem very real. Like ‘What do you mean it’s not related?’ Even having conflicting medical opinions has often brought that "So whose paying you for that view’ sort of thought to my mind and I’ve had a few, quite a few, conflicting opinions. Like we choose to be here. WHAT?? I choose this? I choose to be here? Are you crazy?
I know you say ‘my last comment was a joke’ but it’s very real for some of us. Well, it is for me.
I agree with you. In my case, 3 specialists have discharged me (a UK term for a specialist physician removing people from their list of patients and leaving them to cope on their own). I have to cope alone with ataxia, bad eyesight and total deafness. People who see me, know straightaway that I have walking difficulty so they think I’m drunk (like everyone on this forum), they can see I have eye problems (hence my name) and they only have to speak to me to realise that I am deaf and have severe speech difficulty. No doubt dozens of people have spoken to me and met no response (because I haven’t heard them) so they think I’m rude as well. But still I try to keep a sense of humour so I often make jokes. Unfortunately, they are often misunderstood. They may seem like I’m making fun of people – but really I’m making fun of myself. Still, I am sorry if I caused offence to anybody.
I live in Newcastle, and other Ataxians here have had the same letter. People have been instructed to liaise with their GP We now have no-one in our area who specialises in Ataxia.
Many times I’ve had various muscle and functional issues caused by either clenched muscles (trying not to fall) or by moving abnormally.
I found a fantastic physical therapist the last time I got hurt. He really thought about my total wellbeing and gave me some great exercises and recommendations.
Not all medical professionals are smart or experienced. They’re people just like anyone else. Some will not see an ataxia connection and others will tell you that the ataxia affects everything.
and really incapacitated me, I was in danger of having another fall. The pain from stretched muscle took a while to settle down, but I was worried about continuing pain in my hip.
That is so true… just as well we share stuff.
Thankyou. The good thing is, while it takes precedence I forget about the other symptoms 
I live in Newcastle, and other Ataxians here have had the same letter. People have been instructed to liaise with their GP 
We now have no-one in our area who specialises in Ataxia.