Sciatica - any tips?

[dexterdoglancashire]

I've had a bad back for around 18months now - newbie lottie owners take note - do NOT overdo it, or you'll end up like me!
I'm used to the aching back, even the sciatica down the left leg....but over the week or so, I've now got sciatica down my right leg and it's really a pain in the backs**e.
I'm not the kind of person who goes to the doctors at the slightest thing - in fact, I would say I have to be "dying" before I go, but my latest back pain is really making me think I need to pop down and say I've got a problem.
What does everyone think? I know what my problem is, do I really need to go and see my GP?
Is it a chiropractor or the other person (whose name I can never remember!) I need to go and see?
.....and finally, how about this? I'm off to the Isle of Man for the weekend - camping and going on the back of OHs bike! If this wasn't so painfull - it would be funny!
Any suggestions gratefully received - although it will be Monday before I can read them. (apart from tonight of course)
Many thanks in advance!
Bernie

[shirlthegirl43]

I would go to see the doctor Bernie. I get sciatica from time to time too and know just what you mean about the pain. Perhaps the doc could give you a painkiller to help ease your holiday.

[Sanjo]

I had sciatica, back pain and hip pain for many years off and on but a couple of years ago it just wouldn't budge. I spent hundreds of pounds on a chiropractor. It cost me £29 each time for less than 10 minutes attention but the relief never lasted long so I then tried an osteopath but that didn't work either and neither did pain killers. I thought I would go mad as nothing helped and I was such a misog. In the end I had to go to the doc and he referred me to a skeletal clinic locally. I was seen fairly quickly and I had just ONE session with her. She seemed to know exactly what I was talking about, which in itself was a help because you can't make people understand what the pain is like if they do not suffer it. She gave me a range of exercises to do to strengthen certain parts of me. I followed (and still follow) them regularly. Within 3 weeks there was a definite difference. I am not cured but I am no longer suffering like I did. Please see your doctor. Sciatica is a miserable thing to have. It is mentally and physically debilitating. What have you got to lose? If you give it a go and it works you have gained. If it doesn't you will be no worse off than you are now. You may even have something like our skeletal unit in your area. I wish you all the best and hope you get it sorted soon.Sanjo

[lzyjo]

My husband and I get sciatica, and I'm only 20! I swear the best thing is to ride a stationary bike. I real bike might work too. Just 20 minutes, works leagues better than ibuprofen.

[blue411]

I have sciatica and have had to have time off work because of it, when its bad i cant even stand up, i saw an osteopath and i swear the man is a genious,he manipulated my nerve back into position and said i would be sore for two days, and he was spot on, afterwards i started to get pins & needles in my thumb and first finger( i know weird), and i mentioned it on my next visit, he said the nerve had moved and he counted discs in my neck and massaged the area and bingo...next day it was gone! i spent £30 a session and i only had to go twice, no pressure to return, he said only need to go back if it returns, and that was last November, ive just started to get some more twinges and i will be seeing my man next week, well worth the money, alternativley, my sister has it worse than me and has been hospitalised and had acupuncture and she swears by that.
Hope this helps, oh and dont put heat on the pain use something cold, thats was advice off my man after i told him i was using a hotwater bottle, felt like i was being told off by my dad!!! LOL

[HeyWayne]

My osteopath is a legend, suffered back problems for years resulting in an op on three discs.

After the op I had the occasional problem, but nothing to the same extent, however I wanted to get it sorted as it was getting me down. Doctors and physios didn't seem to do the trick and I've heard a number of horror stories about chiropractors.

Anyway, this dude taught me how to stretch (ironic for someone of my height I know), but it has done the trick and I have to date (touch wood) been problem free - about 3 years so far.

Try these:

Depending how high your bed is - or how long your legs are, lay on your back and rest the backs of your knees on the edge of the bed - so you are lifting your bum off the floor if that makes sense? Alternatively you can lay on your front with your legs hanging off the edge of the bed (or similarly heighted thingy). Effectively what you are trying to do is releive the pressure from your lower back.

Also try laying on your back and bring your knees up about halfway, so your knees form a kind of 90 angle. Then let your knees fall away from each other - stretching the inner thigh.

One I find particularly effective is to bring my right leg over my body, pulling my knee up and towards the floor on my left side. This will pull on the outer thigh. Then do the same, in reverse, for the other leg.

Hold each stretch for about 20-25 seconds, then after each stretch ice (bag of frozen peas will do) the area to reduce the inflamation.

Of course the best thing would be to get yourself to an expert though, just to make sure nothing problematic is going on.

Hope it helps? (and makes sense?)

[tootles]

I have sciatica too! (it's sooo common you know!!)
My advice would be to be very careful with osteopaths and the like. They can't neccesarily diagnose the source. Mine is caused by a disintegrated disc - something neither an osteopath or chiropractor can tell you. Mine has been helped by MRI scans pinpointing the exact spot and floraminal (spelling!?!) injections to relieve the swelling. when it was at it's worst I couldn't even get up to goto the loo!!
My husband (bizarrely) has then same problem for the same reason and was told that incorrect manipulation could have left him with permenant damage.
Go to your doctor, he will give you anti-inflammatories and sort out the best course of action. If you do need an MRI get in there now before you can't move!!! (I was given a waiting time of 9 months!!! - badger and get a cancellation)
alll the best
Tx
p.s. don't panic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[petal]

you poor thing, rest is the only answer and strong pain killers - so painful, i sympathise - mine started after my last baby and an epidural.

[piskieinboots]

I strongly agree with tootles and sorry petal but rest can (in most cases) make it worse in my experience - much worse ....but we are all different and the doc must be your first port of call, hopefully followed by an MRI as in my case.

Re-read this thread

I am still ungoing treatment, for me, as for Sanjo and Wayne, exercises are the best - no, the only way. You should see me with my leg up on the washing machine bending forward stretching out that hamstring!! Thankfully I have excellent range of movement and bendyness - but stretching my hamstrings and pirifomus (see lovely pictures in thread link) works.

Docs with ya lass!

[snuffer]

Back Pain

I don't have sciatica but do suffer from neck, shoulder and back pain after breaking my neck and spine in an accident several years ago. I find that a combination of pain killers and a T.E.N.S. machine works for me. (Most of the time). I know not everyone likes using pain killers but if they allow you to get on with your life in a relatively pain free way then I'm all for them.

[squashysu]

Hi ya Bernie

So sorry about the sciatica, i had a year of it, together with the HMS, its not good, i know the pain!

If you want the quick fix, try and get to see an osteopath, who may help with the nerve, but then you will need to see the Dr and get some exercises, i had to go the physio's at the hospital and the exercise class they gave was really really good.

I have to do stretching and physio for the HMS, I hope the weekend in the Isle of Man is good, try and enjoy yourself at the TT, somewhere i would love to go on OH bike as well, perhaps the vibrations from the bike would be good for you, you never know .

SS x

[smallblueplanet]

I have sciatica too! (it's sooo common you know!!)
My advice would be to be very careful with osteopaths and the like. They can't neccesarily diagnose the source. ....

I agree with tootles, and have no wish to diagnose. However I find that my sciatica is nearly completely 'cured' by changing where I sleep from a 'soft' matress to a futon matress (on a wooden base).

[SarzWix]

Bit late to this thread (and many others ) but just wanted to add my two penn'orth
After spending 18 months bent double and walking with sticks because of sciatica, I learnt a few things... The most important thing is to work out what is causing your disc to bulge in the first place (it's the bulge pressing on the nerve which causes the pain). This is almost always caused by some kind of constant/repetative pressure on the spine in a specific place. Even if it seems to just spontaneously "pop" because of a sudden movement or fall, it's only because it's been bulging for a while before hand (think of it as a balloon, maybe?) For me, it was standing for a full shift, behind a counter which was slightly too high for my height, then tripping over a box in the store-room. When I had back problems at the age of 16, it was caused by sitting on the same chair for hours at a time revising for exams! It could also be caused by sitting on the same chair at work for hours at a time, or standing at the potting bench for too long, or leaning over weeding for too many hours. Once you work out what you're doing which is putting constant pressure on your spine, you can think of ways to change it - maybe have your chair at a different height for half of the day, or build in 10 minutes of moving around every hour. If you don't do that, it will keep coming back!
Also, the notion that resting is bad 'coz you'll seize up', is only true up to a point. Remember, the root cause of the pain is pressure on the spine, so therefore to allow it to heal, you have to release that pressure. The best way to do it is to lie down! Or a flotation tank would be nice If the pain is too bad to lie down, then you need more painkillers. It took morphine to get me flat, but it worked! So try and make time for a few days of 'pressure-relief', and then an hour or so every day after that, as well as the stretching excercises!

Really hope you get it sorted soon Bernie, take care Xx

[Madasafish]

May I recommend gentle yoga.I suffered very badly from neck problems for 12 years until I took up yoga 6 years ago. All gone.

Very good for joints and helps in cases of stress.

[piskieinboots]

Also, the notion that resting is bad 'coz you'll seize up', is only true up to a point.....

Sarah's right, for me resting/sitting/lying makes me way worse - but that may not be true of everyone.

Docs first I'd say before trying Osteo's etc - an MRI is the only way to actually see what is happening and I'm pretty sure only a Doc can refer you for this, not an Osteo - erm I believe.

I now see a Physio following my MRI - this has all been given to me on the NHS, so whilst I would happily have paid for someone to 'take it away' I felt more comfortable seeing Doc