Cannot move with Sciatica: help

“I am in my late 40s.”

Your ankles and ears can no longer be paired while you’re getting those poundings.

OP I have sciatica occasionally, but I know why. When I was younger I took a really bad fall down a long flight of stone steps and landed flat on my ass. The pain was unbelievable. Some time after that, I started experiencing a burning pain down the side of my right leg at intervals. A sane person would have seen a doctor immediately after the fall, but of course I didn't. When I finally did, he ordered x-rays and tests and finally told me that a disc in my lower back had been displaced and was pressing on the sciatic nerve. No doubt it was a result of that fall.

I suppose that there can be other causes, and it sounds highly likely that there is another reason for your sciatica. I suppose it's possible that a person can get a chill in a nerve. If you can manage it, it's definitely worth a visit to a doctor.

I am dying. Everybody please list every back pain meds you have ever heard of.

Can’t go to doc. Can’t move and he is at home.

600 mg ibuprofen. 500 mg acetaminophen.

[QUOTE] What can I do?

Hmm. See a doctor ?

Call a friend.

Let them get you to the floor, on your back, push your knee to your chest and you grasp it and then let them pull your upper body to the outside of your clasped leg. Get them to push yon your knee and pull on your shoulder in opposite directions. You need to stretch so as to release the pinched nerve.

Sleep on the floor tonight.

Use a walker to take the pressure off until the storm passes.

See a chiropractor and get some oxy.

Second the 600mg of ibuprofen - that made my sciatica bearable for a few hours. You can feel it start to wear off - at that point take another dose. After the first few days of unbearable pain I found that having my trainer hold my legs up in the air as I lay on the floor helped - he would gently stretch and shake them fir a half hour Waking was less painful than just standing - I would go down into a deep squat position when waiting for the light to change to lessen the pain. I lived on 600 mg of ibuprofen every 4 hours or so for around 3 months. Saw a physiatrist and had an MRI - I had a slightly ruptured disc & the extruded disc goop was pressing on the sciatic nerve. The Ibuprofen would lessen the swelling just enough to relieve the pressing. Was considering back surgery when it went away as suddenly as it came and really has not reoccurred in over 10 years. The doc said she had been at this long enough to not be surprised, but she had no real explanation. I lift weights / squat regularly both before and after that incident - my muscle strength definitely helped

Demerol

Demerol

Oh God he's gonna take demerol

Hee-hee-hee

Demerol

Demerol

Oh my Oh God it's Demerol

Hee Hee

Oooh

Stretch and use a foam roller if you have one. High dose ibuprofen. Alternate heat and cold.

R9 - continued. I did see a chiropractor but frankly the kinds of stretching my trainer did 3x a week - similar to what R6 outlined helped much more.

These guys are great, check out their videos.

Other than targeted exercises, take a bath, alternate heat/cold applications, and take Ibuprofen.

OP I was confined to bed for one month because of sciatica. I could not walk. I experienced the worst pain in my life and I know pain from kidney stones...this was even worse. It took me 3 months to be able to walk normally again.

Stretches did nothing.

An epidural injection helped.

Muscle relaxers (with a prescription). They will knock you out but always helps me after a day or two.

^^Let me add that the cause of the sciatica was a herniated disc.

Call the oncall Doctor and get them to prescribe something from a pharmacy that delivers. If you font have a heating pad microwave a wet hand towel.

Don’t take a bath, it’s unlikely you would be able to get in the tub, and if you did probably wouldn’t be able to get out.

OP, I can’t adequately express my empathy for you. I was totally incapacitated for two months last year. My whole leg and foot numb but my butt and back area on fire with pain. No sleep, didn’t eat, miserable.

Outcome of ER visit.....hydrocodone/acetaminophen every 4 hours finally allowed me to sleep and move enough to see a spine Doctor. MRI showed rupture disk (?) whatever that is. Naproxen every 12 hours allowed me to have physical therapy and on the off chance, I went to a chiropractor 6 times. It takes effort. Painful effort.

Don’t give up. Long haul but it will resolve itself. I know how you feel.....physical pain and mental anguish. I so wish I could help you and encourage your healing. I wish you a speedy recovery.

I took extra strength vicodin (hydrocodone) and it didn't do anything for me. Prednisone is the only thing that helps me

I've had sciatica on and off for the past 3 months. It's because I sit in a chair 12 hours a day. I bought a new office chair, but the seams on the chair inflame the nerves even more

Sometimes ice helps more than heat.

I second r13 - Besides having a catchy theme song, they actually really know what they're doing.

Warning on acetaminophen - your liver cannot take it for long period of time.

Sciatica is usually caused when a herniated disk or bone spur in the spine presses on the nerve. I have found that movement and light exercise helps un-stick the pressure on the nerve. Lying immobile makes it worse as everything stiffens up - and not in the good way.

OP, if you have bilateral sciatica you need to attend A&E immediately. There are a couple of things that can cause bilateral sciatica which are serious conditions. Hopefully it isn’t either but it is extremely important you get it checked very, very soon.

I am very grateful for everyone’s suggestions, which I am writing down. I took Aspirin, Robaxecet, and put Voltaren on my back. It worked for about two hrs and then the pain came back, so I took them all again, I wonder how often I can do that before destroying my liver?

Did you get to the doctor yet OP?

You are on the right track. Also pick up a tens unit at your drugstore. CVS and Walgreens carry them. I’ve had three spinal fusions and numerous injections and ablations. I find it is best to take pain meds, muscle relaxer, tens unit, lidocaine roll on or Voltaren. I also lay on my side with a small pillow in the small of my back and another one between my knees. No heat for nerve pain. Only ice.

Long term, you need to see a Neurosurgeon and after a diagnosis, get into a Pain Management practice where they can dole out your muscle relaxers, opiates and others (I take cymbalta).

Make sure your neck is supported when you’re laying down, too. It makes a huge difference. I had two spine surgeries and one was a stabilization and one invaluable piece of advice was try always to have your spine aligned from the neck down, even when reclining, and don’t twist anything.

You might need a hip replacement.

Tramadol and Vicoden.

I know this may sound crazy.....but if you can put finger pressure on your leg right at your knee or a bit below and the pain is less......get one of these Be Active Knee Braces.

I thought it was crazy - but it really took my pain away and I could get through the day and night.

TENS meter can do wonders for sciatica, ask a therapist.

I'm so sorry, OP. My mom had sciatica and it became so bad that she couldn't sit down at all. She eventually had a spinal fusion surgery that helped it but it caused many more problems from which she never recovered.

I have an older (68) friend at work who had terrible sciatica a decade or so ago and she said it was cured with acupuncture. I told my mother and she had it done, and her pain went away almost totally for about a day one time but it didn't work in the long run; the acupuncturist said she had too much physical damage in her spine from spinal stenosis.

TENS sounds very promising from what I have read about it. If you must take narcotic pain medications, do yourself the biggest favor you can and balance the pain and the drugs. Opioids are highly addictive and they are devastating to your body and mind over the long term--I regard them as a chronic disease in pharmaceutical form.

I had it once, and I was boiling pasta at the stove. I figured I'd just lay down on my back in front of the stove to stretch things out a bit. Big mistake. I couldn't get back up without experienc ing excruciating pain. I tried and tried meanwhile my pasta is still boiling. Finally I went all he man and screamed my head off while forcing myself up to a stand. It was almost as awful as the time I accidentally flicked the corner of my towel while drying off and it flicked the head of my penis! Think locker room towel stinging. YES! THAT! I dropped to the floor and rolled aroung for five minutes. YIKES!

Get a TENS (electronic nerve stimulator) it's pretty intuitive. Just put the pads on the spots you think the pain is coming from and slowly turn up the dial while trying the different settings. Your body will tell you when you've hit the right spot.

I had to take mine into work one day as I had a 6am start and my lower back went into spasm at 5am, so no chance to call in sick. The TENS machine did its magic and then made the rounds of the staffroom. By the end of the day the local pharmacy had sold out of them. My co-workers were buying them for themselves plus friends and family.

You should also visit a podiatrist and see if you need orthotics to correct your gait. That can make a big difference, but takes time.

Once you get moving again try pool walking (just make sure it's a warm pool). It really helps to build muscle without the weight bearing.

Finally if you have a regular physio get them to advise on what kind of mattress would suit you.

Good luck OP. Hope things improve soon.