Sciatica

Well stop doing stairs, silly!

What causes yours? I had a bout of it years ago, and it was caused by a tight piriformis muscle, a muscle beneath your glutes. Lots of stretching and some postural awareness made it go away. I had a tendency to turn one leg outwards, and my tight piriformis squeezed down onto the sciatic nerve on that side. I had to work at the stretching and to break my bad postural habits.

Had it 15 years ago. It was excruciating. I couldn't walk more than two,blocks before realizing that I was crying from the pain. I went into physical therapy, which was mostly about various ways of core strengthening. After 9 months I was ok. Still can't believe it. Taking off extra weight helps.

I seem to be developing it. Any advice?

[quote]What causes yours?

2 herniating discs in my lower lumbar region. Had an X-ray done a few years ago.

Last time I went through two rounds of Prednisone with some muscle relaxers. I'm not so much in pain like then (I was literally crying from pain) but I don't like the feeling of not being steady on my feet. Not to mention I operate a forklift at my job.

Crying from pain is a strange feeling, too. It is just completely involuntary. Not at all like a sad cry.

That was my experience of the crying too.

R3

Take ibuprofen to relax muscles and gentle stretching helps. Heat packs can help and gentle specific stretches are a good idea. Mine takes a couple of weeks to ease off when it flares up.

Meloxicam is not an innocous drug, do not use it daily. See your primary care doctor and get a prescription for physical therapy. If this fails, ask for an MRI and then see a specilaist, either an orthopedist or an interventionalist. Sometimes a nerve block with a bit of steroid will calm things down. For chronic pain or worsening pain, you do want a lumbar MRI just to make sure nothing else is going on, but most insurance companies want to see that you've done at least 3 months of consevative therapy before they will pay. Good luck!

I have, and the very similar femoral neuralgia. Sometimes it's just triggered for no particular reason and just goes away by itself, but if it persists....I'm writing from the UK and realise that the costs in the US may make this impossible, but finding out if there's a link with eg vertebrae problems via an MRI scan would be very helpful. Physiotherapy may well help. But if it's pretty long term thing, you need to find out the cause first.

Pilates

Putting on any excess weight causes mine to flare up, as does sitting too long. I feel it right in the left ass area, or thereabouts. Awful.

r5 =diesel?

Doing a daily variety of of core stretching and core strengthening exercises will help you. This is Supine Piriformis Stretch, which is learned in physical therapy.

Also do Supine Trunk Rotations

I had a bout if it around 15 years ago, too. Could barely walk or sleep. Took around 30 days until it finally cleared up, no therapy but it was like learning to walk all over again.

Lastly the Half Knee Hip Flexor Stretches. Do both legs three times each.

R9, femoral neuralgia occurs predominantly in fat people.

My husband has it. He had 2 epidural injections before he saw some relief. He was also given Gabapentin for the pain. It's a bitch. He had to crawl to go to the bathroom from the pain

The McKenzie method cured our sciatica!

I had sciatica several times from stress. Excruciating pain not budged by drugs. What I found helped me was the cat stretch, done gently and slowly twice a day.

I had two flare ups over the past 20 years that went away within a couple of weeks. Recently however I had the mother of all sciatica and 6 months later I'm still experiencing numbness in my leg and foot which really puts my balance off. The pain was so bad I swear I now have PTSD. Just waiting for it to flare up again is frightening.

Ice packs, stretching, heat, muscle relaxers all help but did not dull the pain. It just takes time.

Saw my doctor today. He put me on a week's regiment of Prednisone and gave me Methocarbamol (Robaxin) for the pain.

When I was leaving work tonight I stepped off the curb with my left leg (the one affected) and it buckled on me and I nearly fell in the parking lot.

I don't wish this on anyone.

I am so sorry, OP! I had it a few years ago, so I know the pain. I hope you feel better soon!

I've had it mildly. As other commenters have said, stretching helps. Something I haven't seen mentioned (because I'm guessing it's mostly men here) is footwear.

I figured out that mine was made worse by certain shoes. Wearing heeled boots that squish my feet correlated with sciatica in my hip and knee pain. All summer I wear sandals that free my feet, it's like being barefoot, and no problems. I'm not a dyke, but... comfortable shoes.

And chiropractic is ridiculed here, but I had a bad case when I was pregnant and one trip to the chiro cured it. Couldn't take anything for the pain and it was hobbling. Rolled the dice on a local chiro and it worked. No, I don't believe chiropractic cures allergies or whatever, but for a structural issue, it was perfect. I floated out of that office.

Hope you can fix it, OP.

Damn, it actually hurts worse today.

I'm seriously thinking about going to a chiropractor. Does insurance cover it?

The phlebotomist at LabCorp yesterday recommended CBD Oil (Hemp). She said it helps her a lot and contains no THC so drug tests never show it. I work for an employer who pops drug tests at random.

go to the Dr. and ask for a prescrip for physical therapy

Take 800 mg of ibuprofen or 2 Aleve tablets with food.

If you have high blood pressure, check with doc about 800 ibu.

Unfortunately relief from sciatica is mostly time and rest. Be careful about becoming depending on strong pain killers. Perhaps carry a cane with you to avoid having your leg buckle. Once the pain is better and you can sleep relatively pain free try to above shown stretching exercises. If your insurance covers it, have your doctor recommend physical therapy to strengthen your core muscles, as this will help from a recurring sciatica bout.

You got it.^^^^

Have you seen a PT? They can tell if one leg is shorter than the other. That can contribute to sciatica. Orthotics can help.

Someone mentioned footwear. I have a bad back, bad shoulder, flat feet, one shorter leg, scoliosis, bulging discs, a bunion -- you name it. One of the greatest things was when a PT told me to get a pair of NB cross trainers and take them to a shoemaker and get something called a rollbar put on the sole of the shoe. It's just an extra piece of rubber that makes it so that your toes do not bear weight when you walk. It was like a miracle.

NB used to make a sneaker with a built in rollbar. I don't know if they still do. Clarks makes some shoes with a built in rollbar. They can be ugly. Luckily, I bought a bunch of flip flops from Clarks a few years back that have a built in rollbar. I wear them all summer.

Can a pt work on kneading a muscle by your piriformis to try and loosen it up? Mine kneaded into a tight spot I had there and I almost passed out. Anyone else ever had that done?

R32 I had that done along with my physical therapy. The first time it hurt, but each time after that it helped to loosen the muscle.

R32, me too. That was part of the pt, along with stretching and core strengthening. As I mentioned, it took 9 months, and when I told the therapist I felt better, she admitted that she had started to wonder if I'd see results. She was pretty and built like Sophia Loren, so I enjoyed, platonically, getting my butt massaged by her .

About 6 months into the pt, I consulted with an anesthesiologist about getting an epidural. When she mentioned that there is a slight chance of complications from the shot, I decided to pass and just keep working.

Day 6

It seems to have settled in my lower back and left knee.

Almost done with the Prednisone and still taking the Robaxin. Going to pick up a prescription for Mobic now.

Good thing I don't own firearms...

R32 Sofia Loren or Jayne Mansfield?

Had a severe bout at 29 and once more a decade later. I had L 4-5 discectomy, but that surgery ages poorly and after ten years I was in excruciating pain again. I did everything mentioned here all at once I was in so much pain. It took months to go away that time. I often wonder had I done nothing would the result have been the same?

Rest and resist the urge to stretch if there is ANY swelling at all!

OP The pain will travel. It's hard to believe right now but the pain and will start to subside in time and you will slowly regain more normal mobility. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

This is probably not that helpful but my older brother manages his occasional sciatica by sitting on a tennis ball. Wish I could be more helpful. Sorry for the pain :(

I had an attack a few years ago and was relieved to find out it WASN'T my back. I've been able to control it by exercising regularly, keeping my weight down and not wearing tight pants.

After the pain finally subsides, it is important to do core strengthening exercises. It will greatly minimize the chance of recurrence. My neurologist gave me the option of pain killers or physical therapy. I chose physical therapy and I am so glad I did. He told me most people are not too motivated or lazy and prefer to take the pain killers because it's less of a hassle. But physical therapy and strengthening your core and give you back a normal life.

DAY 8

I'm seeing a chiropractor on Wednesday.

Yes. Stretches, core strengthening, not carrying any weight unevenly all hellped. Big thing, though, was fixing my sleep position. Putting a pillow to hold up one leg (I sleep on my side) and keeping my spine stretched.

First, all of you Sciaticians, lose some of that weight. That black-and-brown fat you're lugging in your gunts and asses and massive thighs are crushing your sciatic nerves like boulders squeezing a violet stem. You're all too fat.

Then, try walking. Not waddling, scoot-dragging-your-smashed-flip-flops or rolling like the rock in Indiana Jones. Move your fat asses. Walk like a bi-ped.

Then SHUT UP. No one cares about your crying and your detailed recounting of how it hurts and burns and sizzles and torques. Deal with it. No one cares. We have problems of our own, Misses. You brought all this on yourselves and you're not victims. You're fat-ass loser do-nothings. Tortured nerves are paying you back. Deal!

Please let me know if I can be of any other assistance.

One time. That was enough to make me follow the PT's instructions like a religion.

Here's Miss Emma talking about her sciatica.

My PT , with the Sophia Loren bod, told me that it is important to be aware of one's stomach muscles when walking, and to keep them contracted.

If conservative treatment fails, ask your doc for a piriformis/sciatic nerve block.

If that's also called an epidural, there are risks.

Different from an epidural as steroid and lidocane are placed into the piriformis muscle via the buttock using ultrasound as a guide. In an epidural, steroid and numbing agents are placed using fluoroscopy into the epidural space surrounding the offending disc in an effort to calm inflammation.

You're right, all procedures have risk so it's always a matter of risk versus benefit.

Thanks. With epidural, isn't there risk of paralysis, which would not be the case for the sciatic nerve block?

I suffer from it off and on due to a pinched nerve. Alternate heat and ice, pain meds but only until I can get in to see my acupuncturist. I was the world's biggest skeptic about acupuncture but I was in so much pain I would have tried anything. Imagine my surprise and eternal gratitude when I found a practitioner who brought me relief after two sessions. Now when it flares up I'm make an appointment with her ASAP.

The stretches shown above are good for a basic tight piriformis muscle that may be compressing the nerve. However, it's important to know what the cause of your pain is before starting any stretching and/or rotations. Since similar symptoms can be caused by a herniated disc (and in some people the nerve passing directly through the piriformis instead of being under it), find out what's really going on before laying down on the floor to do some of these recommendations. Bending and rotating may exacerbate a herniated disc.

Also, this may sound silly, but if you keep your wallet in your back pocket, stop. Sitting on a wallet throws off your alignment and can cause issues. This is a simple fix that has resolved issues for a couple of my clients.

A good therapeutic massage practitioner can help relieve your symptoms and assist in figuring out what's causing your tight piriformis.

I had it about 12 years ago. That is one hurting son of a bitch. I walked very little for a week as the pain was so overwhelming. I never did get feeling back in my left leg. I forced myself to start walking a little each day with a walker until I could get around again though it still hurt like hell for about 6 months. We're told they're bad for you, but the desk chair was the only place I could sit and not have blinding pain. I'd wheel myself around in it. Pain killers make you forget about the pain for a while, but they're not a long term solution. I suspect that you moved the wrong way or something along those lines to get it flared up again. Force yourself to get moving a little at a time. The meloxicam and (if the doc will do it) painkillers can help with that. It's just going to take time. And, don't overdue the painkillers if you get some. Too many horror stories of people get hooked on the things.

The PT I listened to and followed his advice was pretty clear. He was a little more eloquent than R44 but the message was the same. "Do these exercises and lose 30 lbs." "If you don't do both, get use to back hurting until you die."

Then he and a dietitian worked with me for six months. Now I'm thirty pounds lighter and no back problems, I have too be honest. The PT and the dietitian were my age. It made a difference.

Moral of the story get your primary care physician to refer you to another medical professional that you can work with.

Perhaps related: I think that sitting for hours, as many people do, is terrible for the back. And if you,think about how the blood pools in the legs. Until a few thousand years ago, all humans sat on the ground. At the least, one should have one's feet elevated, not so easy to,arrange. New research shows that hours of uninterrupted sitting can actually negate the benefits gained from exercise, in terms of life span. Again, nobody sat for hours at a time until quite recently. Stand up once an hour or more, and walk around.

DAY 10

I'm seeing an orthopedic doctor at 8:30am tomorrow. It feels like a knife is being twisted in my kneecap and hip.

I can only sleep an hour or two at a time before I wake up in pain.

The muscle relaxer and NSAID don't offer any relief.

I'm hoping tomorrow I find it.

R57 Good luck. Muscle relaxes only helps the first couple of days. Remember that time is the best healer regarding sciatic pain. My sciatic pain had me walking with a cane for about 6 weeks before I could walk to work without pain. The pain would keep traveling, although the knee and the inside of the calf was the primary pain spots, and sometimes reaching the big toe. Everybody responds differently. After the pain lessens do try physical therapy.

Well had X-rays taken of my back and knee.

Absolutely nothing wrong with my knee. My back still has the two deteriorating disks and a nice little touch of arthritis.

I have to go back on the 13th of October for an MRI. In the meantime he has put me on 300mg of Gabapentin since he believes this pain is nerve based.

Apparently I will be "drunk" the firt time I take this medication. So happy times.

Sounds like you have what I have/had. Herniated disc causing pain to travel down to your sciatic nerve to you knee area. In the meantime rest if you can between now and the MRI. You will probably have some improvement of the pain by then.

Here are the results of my X-rays. Can someone explain this in English to me?

[quote]90% loss of disc height at L4-5, 100% loss of disc at L5-S1

Regular yoga and strength training.

R61 It has to do with osteoporosis. There are different treatments from physical therapy to massages to vitamin supplements. Probably all three are your best action plan.

Looks like I might want to start taking a Vitamin D supplement. Thanks for posting that, R63.

I have found some relief with a tens unit. You can buy them on Amazon or ebay. The new Aspercreme lidocaine roll on works for me & is good for trying to knock the pain down before bed. I've had two spinal fusions and need anothet & a cervical fusion.

How about calcium, which I think is most effective with magnesium?

Is traction ever used anymore?

I'm having a second bout of sciatica. The first one was four years ago when they found some herniated discs; I also have arthritis in my hip (this one is due to running). The pain is a little less today. Hot Epsom salt baths help. If the pain doesn't fully go away on its own I may have to do physical therapy again.

Physical therapy really helped me 15 years ago. Core strengthening, stretching, butt massage to loosen tight muscles. It had gotten so bad that after walking for a few blocks, I'd realize that I was crying from pain. Took about 9 months. I've read that cortisone shots, which I didn't have, are often not effective.

I had it bad some months ago, I have degenerative discs in L5/S1 and L5/4. Chiropractor really helped. He did some deep tissue work as well and really got in there, my radiating pain down leg went away after 3 treatments. Make sure you get someone good that will take time with you to break up those muscle knots and explain things well to you, once the pain subsided I got into an exercise regime and it has kept the pain away.

Also watch where you sleep, my bed was way too firm and sleeping on one side would cause a flare, I bought a mattress topper and it made a big difference. Use a pillow between the legs to keep hips square. Look into an anti-inflammatory diet high in fruits and veggies and lean proteins to calm the nerves down.

Surprised to see this thread pop up.

I'm normal again. I went to the chiropractor for about a month, 3 times a week.

He said my pelvis was twisted and one leg was about an inch longer than the other. After a few weeks of treatment, I'm pretty much back to normal.

Congrats!

Glad to hear you're doing well, OP.

I've never been to a chiropractor, ever. I've done two courses of PT, one for my hip, one for lower back (sciatica). Both times I got better. If I need therapy again I will look into getting a good chiropractor.