No, I was always working ...I just retired 2 yrs ago or so. I was in my 40's and still "young".

I think it was the stool, that I used at that store sometimes. I'd do paperwork sitting on it. I think stools, are hard on the nerve as it goes thru the butt muscles.
My midnights was 10pm to 9am 7 days in a row, and then off 7 days.

The first year wasn't too bad on me, the second year, I had a gout attack in my foot, shingles, and pneumonia. My doctor said NO MORE midnights. I just assumed the sciatica was part of all that...it was only in the left leg. This was long before I discovered magnets. I bet they would have worked on it faster!

I only had pain, no numbness. I recall alot of pain, and limping.
When I went out in the mornings at the end of my shift, the morning clerks used to laugh and call me names...gimpy etc. They are lucky I didn't whack them and give them some sciatica to share!