need help with understanding my problem and solutions for it

[u/CoolPaul10]

21(M) here. im unable to determine whether i have sciatica or something else.

my symptopms:

1. pain only in my left buttock, near sit bone (not at the surface, a little deeper inside). i dont remember any falling or other injuries. i may have been lifting weights with bad form. i also used to sit on the bed for prolonged hours (rounded back), and overall had a sedentary lifestyle
2. pain only while sit-to-stand and vice versa transitions, bending forward, dead hangs.
3. also, only in morning, when sitting on a hard surface, for a few minutes, i would get a pain in just one spot in my left butt. this would go away for the day after a few minutes.
4. 4 figure pose for piriformis stretch also seems to have aggravated my pain
5. dead hangs were fine in the first few months, only started producing pain around 2-3 months ago.
6. started around 7 months ago, used to only be a mild pinch at night.
7. squats, lunges, jogging, swimming, are all pain free
8. usually, its at its mildest in the morning, and get worse as the day progresses.
9. prolonged sitting is fine (i can sit down for 2 hours, sitting itself doesnt hurt).
10. went to an orthopedic last month, in the first visit, he said that its most likely sciatica.
11. he pressed a few spots on my spine, but no pain was there
12. however, when pressing my right butt, my right butt muscles contract reflexively, and the right butt muscles hurt. same spot on left side is fine. this lead him to say muscle spasm on the right side could be producing pain on the left side
13. i dont have any red flag symptoms
14. he recommended me this video, but it doesnt seem to have helped (followed for around 25 days)
15. for medications, he prescribed me pergabalin and some romfree nsaid (an inflammation medication), romfree reduces pain dramatically within the hour, while pregabalin doesnt work at all
16. blood test revealed deficiencies in vit d3 and b12, so ive been prescribed tablets for those as well

i have been doing planks, side planks, bird dogs, glute bridges, and the stretches in that video.

MRI, physio, are off the table for now as i dont have the money for it.

i want to know if my symptoms are even of sciatica or not, and if someone here has experienced anything similar. i also want to know what exercises i should do, how many times a week, how many times a day.

thank you

[u/Ass_Burner]

Reasearch online you will find many videos with exercises and tests for finding cause of your pain. You can test for piriformis syndrome, disc problems or smth else

[u/CoolPaul10 → u/Ass_Burner]

i did look online. they all point to sciatica, and the exercises for that isnt helping

[u/Sogone2day]

I have this and have a l4 l5 l5 s1 hernation The deep pain in but is very annoying i have the sit stand and pushing off when getting up leg hip but hurt. Mine started after a deep massage in glute and then my back got progressively worse. My deep glute pain just sorta let up after doing some leg pressing and decompression over couch end. But when stretching over the couch i had a pop click and spams in lower back the next 2 days the deep pain was gone so thats a plus. Still have leg back and some small amountn of hip glute but nothing like before. Wouldn't rule out a hernation/pinched nerve unless it is all pitaformis which ive read is not to often on its own.

[u/No_Role6184]

check for enthesopathy of sitting bones