Any Sciatica sufferers here?

[chuck540z3]

I just developed Sciatica about a week ago and I'm in a lot of pain 24/7. Since just about anything goes in this forum, I thought I would throw it out there to see if others here have had it and what they did for relief. For those who don't know what Sciatica is (I didn't a week ago), the Sciatic Nerves that come out of your lower spine on either side of your butt and down your leg can sometimes get pinched by a bulged spinal disc or even muscle, causing the nerve to send constant signals to your body that you are in pain. I have a nagging burning pain that starts in my right butt cheek and goes all the way down to my knee. Man I'm sick of this- and now I know where the phrase "Pain in the ***" comes from. This is no fun at all.

I've just started physiotherapy and I'm on pain medication that makes me stupid (even more than usual), but nothing seems to work- or at least not as quickly as I would like it to. Fortunately, the pain isn't too bad when I just sit in a chair, so I can still work at my desk- and Model! "Isn't that convenient!", my wife says. LOL, I have to admit it does look a little fishy that I can still play with small plastic parts but I can't weed the garden or vacuum the house, so I guess it's not ALL bad.

Any tips you can offer for relief would be appreciated, and I'd also like to know what typical recovery times are.

[K2Pete]

Yessirree!

I got my first bout with this in 1974 working in a steel plant. I tried everything, physio ( nope didn't work ), massage ( uh-uh) Robax ( helped temporarily ) and about 15 years ago tried Chiropractic ... sonovagun, it worked.

And I get the burning and throbbing down to the knee with every heartbeat ... PITA indeed. This past February my back went out on me and it was the worst one in over 20 years. Couldn't stand, couldn't sit for more than 10 minutes ( ... and the morning constitutional ... ooo-o-o, not fun!), I could only lay down on an ice pack ( frozen peas ). Even with Chiro, it took three weeks 3 times a week. And my back initially got out of alignment from shovelling snow 2 weeks before.

But even with Chiro, I stretched my lower back every couple hours waiting for that 'clunk' of vertebra to happen.

I feel your pain.

Pete

[peebeep]

I have a compressed disc in the lower spine that gives me chronic lower back pain. I can a relate to the butt pain, as I get something similar. As well as discomfort down to my knee it may also extend below the knee. My work means I'm sat down a lot, which is no great help. Sometimes I get some temporary relief by rolling up a towel and placing it under my thigh when sat at the desk. A rolled towel can also be effective in reducing the amount of compression when laying down, by placing the towel under the small of your back as a lumbar support, although it does mean sleeping on your back all the time. If you do some searching you can find properly designed cushions and stuff. If things get really uncomfortable I use Ibuprofen or Paracetamol + aspirin.

Every now and then I get a bigger problem if the bones shift a bit, because then I get a major nip up in the sciatic nerve and standing up and walking unaided are not possible. Very often this is compounded by muscle spasms that are extremely painful and on one occasion required injected Valium to make them relax. Last May I had a bit of an episode and quite by accident, I found that by carrying a weight over my shoulder on the affected side, it off-set the nip up and I was able to walk, albeit uncomfortably. I have also used a weight lifter's belt to enable me to walk unaided, but these in themselves are uncomfortable things to wear for more than a hour or two. Usually after a few days everything settles back into its normal place and I'm left with the 'normal' butt pain.

A friend of ours is a physiotherapist and I asked her about manipulation. She is in no doubt that it works but is of the opinion that it will likely weaken tissue and cartilage if repeated too frequently.

I have a simple scale for measuring the magnitude of an episode. If I can still wipe my own butt, it's not too bad. If I think I might need assistance doing this most menial of tasks, then I know it's a bad attack.

peebeep

[jim.skinner]

Hey Chuck,

I had a severe bout of sciatica about 10 years ago (when I was only 25) that kept me off work for a month. The pain was like somebody was trying to pull my hamstring out of the back of my leg. The only comfortable position was to lie on the floor with my knees bent up. Previously chiro treatment had worked for me, but with this episode it only made it worse. When I finally had a CAT scan, it turned out that I had 2 prolapsed discs and the chiro treatment was just making the inflammation worse. I ended up getting a cortisone injection into the discs which, combined with rest, got me back on my feet in about 10 days.

Since then I have focussed on keeping my stomach muscles in good condition, particularly the lower abs, which has helped a lot in preventing further issues. A fit ball is very good for this.

Hope this helps,

Jim

[Old Blind Dog]

I had an attack some years ago that was so bad, I couldn't move or stand up straight for a couple days.

Since then I have had chronic sciatica in varying degrees of intensity. I do my best to live with it, but, admittedly, it takes some getting used to. (I am a "no-pills-unless-essential-to-life" kinda guy.)

cheers

Old Blind Dog

[kg4kpg]

Stepped off a curb not paying attention once and now every time I stand for long periods the pain down my lower back and leg come back with vengeance. Pain killers from the doc now and then are all that have ever helped me. Never though a six inch step could haunt me forever.

[chuck540z3]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I've heard similar stories from friends of mine who basically said that it took forever to heal and it usually wound up to be a life long problem, but I was hoping they were the exception rather than the rule. Based on the above comments, it looks like I'll be having this for awhile. Dang!

Edited July 11, 2013 by chuck540z3

[LouC]

Hi Chuck. I feel your pain! The chiropractor helped me. VERY IMPORTANT! Don't let him touch you before you get X-rays so that he can see exactly what's wrong. He can injure you more with the wrong moves. My guy gave me electrical stimulation and hot/cold therapy as well as muscle relaxers. After the X-rays he did the manipulation.

There are exercises to stretch your back and be careful lifting and twisting your back.

Good luck.

Lou C.

[hawkwrench]

I suffer from a bulged disk in my lower back and have also been diagnosed with degenerative disk disorder from a back injury I suffered while helping my church clean the outside. For months I limped around with hard pain down my right leg and especially on the right side of my calf. I finally went to the doctor and he ordered me to undergo 3 rounds of an epidural shot in my spine at the bulged disk. Man what a relief that was and only after 1 shot. I have never had anymore hard pain in my back or right leg since. I sometimes get a mild pain but nothing that I can't deal with. Ask your doc about getting an epidural shot in your spine. It REALLY does work for most people.

By the way, the shot is not as painful as you might be thinking!

Hope this helps,

Tim

[Grant in West Oz]

I just developed Sciatica about a week ago and I'm in a lot of pain 24/7. <snip>

Any tips you can offer for relief would be appreciated, and I'd also like to know what typical recovery times are.

Massage will yield near immediate relief.

My brother gets sciatica from time to time and his remedy is to attend a physiotherapist. Failing that Thai (or any Asiatic) massage will fix his problem.

Good diet goes a long way vis a vis recovery time. If you eat take-aways and drink sugary/ alcoholic treats as a matter of course you may expect a slow recovery.

G

[Jennings]

Chiropractic and a massage therapist who specializes in medical massage. That eliminates about 98% of massage therapists, but if you can find one that's truly a medical massage specialist, they'll be able to help you immensely.

DO NOT let a physician inject anything into you!! At the very most optimistic, it will mask the symptoms for a little while. At worst it will screw you up for years. Traditional western medicine is pretty much clueless about things like sciatica (speaking as someone who works full time in traditional western medicine).

J

[Thommo]

Had very bad back problems in my 20's, including sciatic/leg pain.

Physio/massage/injections/pills......help, but do not address the core problem in many cases.....which is (ironically) your core (i.e abdominal muscles).

I started doing small amounts of regular core exercises (situps, pushups, planks, chinups, pelvic floor exercises given by physio) - just 10-15 mins 2-3x/week and over 6-12 mths got massive improvement, and fewer flare-ups.

Other things that help:

- control weight/lose weight

- walking

- some stretching (though be careful with that)

- I agree with Grant - improve diet (more fresh stuff, lerss processedc stuff

- I hired a machine that allowed me to hang upside down by ankles = traction

- I also agree with Jennings, avoid surgery, injections unless the other more conservative options fail.

Edited July 13, 2013 by Thommo

[weegie602]

Hi Chuck,

I don't have sciatica but my late wife ( cath aka biltongbabe ) was diagnosed this year as having it and had suffered it for 20 weeks before she died suddenly and totally unexpectedly ( un-connected to her sciatica ). I can totally sympathise with you as she was in absolute agony for those 20 weeks with very little relief from her pain control but it was starting to wear off at the end ( sadly she never got to see it go away ). Physio did help her a bit but due to demand wasn't always available on a regular basis and the cost of private physio was prohibitive :( . Anyway, just wanted to try give you some support in that it will ease but to take one day at a time with it.

stevie

[chuck540z3]

Hi Chuck,

I don't have sciatica but my late wife ( cath aka biltongbabe ) was diagnosed this year as having it and had suffered it for 20 weeks before she died suddenly and totally unexpectedly ( un-connected to her sciatica ). I can totally sympathise with you as she was in absolute agony for those 20 weeks with very little relief from her pain control but it was starting to wear off at the end ( sadly she never got to see it go away ). Physio did help her a bit but due to demand wasn't always available on a regular basis and the cost of private physio was prohibitive :(/> . Anyway, just wanted to try give you some support in that it will ease but to take one day at a time with it.

stevie

My condolences Stevie. Very sad to hear. I'm sure your wife was everything to you, as is mine. Good luck with the future my friend.

Update- although after the above, it's very trivial. I also thank you guys for all the feedback to give me a sense of what I'm now dealing with. From what I've learned, this is now a chronic thing and I should expect it to come back now and then- and it doesn't just go away after a few days. My back, leg, etc. finally started to not hurt so much a few days ago, so I thought I was on the good side of recovery. With new found strength, I decided to mow the lawn at my cabin, but I have a lawn tractor, so how bad could it be? Apparently not so good, so I get what I desired. No big deal I'm sure, but now the malady called sciatica joins my two bad knees and one shoulder to remind me I'm getting old. Good thing my favorite hobby is modeling! My golf game isn't very good anyway.

[Newf36]

Chuck:

Sorry to hear about your pain-it will wear you out mentally, physically, spiritually, and intellectually. I am a Physical Therapist by trade for a little more than 15 years. I specialized in outpatient and manual therapy for more than 2/3 of my career, so I have quite a cohort of data and anecdotal information to call upon. A couple of things I would ask you if you were my patient are:

Is it truly sciatica? These symptoms are caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve AFTER it has left the lower back and passed thru something called the lumbo sacral plexus (it's basically a bunch of on-off ramps for the nerves that leave your lower back and form the nerves in your leg). There are several causes for these symptoms, including irritation at a cleft in your pelvis called the sciatic notch where the nerve travels, or possibly a tight muscle in your hip called the piriformis. 7 out of 10 people have their sciatic nerve travel thru the piriformis (based on cadaver studies).

Another possibility is irritation of nerve roots coming out of your lower back, and not the sciatic nerve itself (there are several nerves that make up the sciatic nerve). These are all things that a Physical Therapist looks at during an initial evaluation, if they know what they are doing.

I know this is a lot of information, but my point in providing it to you is this: I don't know you, and I have only read what you and others have posted. Based on this information I have given you 3 completely separate diagnoses, any one of which is perfectly plausible. My concern for you is this: If you go in telling a health care professional that you have sciatica, that will likely be where they start looking: and they have a 2 out of 3 chance of being wrong based on this information. It's like telling a convenience store owner you want a Diet Coke when you really want a Twinkie (which should be back on the shelves verrry soon!)

My advice is this: find a medical professional who will LISTEN to you that you TRUST: Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, Osteopath, Orthopedic Surgeon, Neuro Surgeon, Family Doctor-it doesn't matter. Good healthcare comes about as a result of caring professionals listening to the people they treat, and directing their care in a manner that TAKES INTO ACCOUNT WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD.

I wish you well in your recovery. You are the World's leading Authority on You. Find somebody who will listen, and put this in your rear-view mirror-you have some serious models to build!

All the best,

Marc D. Cutler, PT, CEAS

[Kevan Vogler]

For what it's worth, I used to know a guy who suffered sciatica and had a devil of a time finding any treatment that would touch the problem in any meaningful long term way.

He did find that acupuncture made the pain much more bearable, not completely eliminated mind you, and allowed him to keep up a reasonable amount of his routine while he searched for other solutions to the sciatica.

I don't know how he's doing these days as we lost touch, but he was much happier while he was having regular acupuncture.

[John Wolstenholme]

I'm on pain medication that makes me stupid

He did find that acupuncture made the pain much more bearable

Hi Chuck, haven’t had experience of this myself, but Dad did some 27 years ago. They doped him up with pain killers, the only result was as you state.

I decided to drive him 200 miles back to our place of origin to see an MD who was trained in acupuncture. We had previously used him and had confidence in his ability. Result for Dad, straight off all medication and cured the problem. Cause of his sciatica, don’t know but he hasn’t had it since. He did do a lot of running and walking at the time and for years thereafter.

Worth a try if you find the right person. Good luck.

John

[ian_maw]

I had sciatica a few years ago. I was travelling overseas, and I think i pinched the nerve while slinging my barrack boxes into the back of the taxi on the way to the airport. All was fine when I got on the plane, but by the time we stopped in Trenton to pick up a few more passengers, my right leg was starting to bother me a little. By the time we arrived in Zagreb to let off the army guys, I couldn't stand unsupported without a great deal of agony. I understand the pain. And it will go away eventually. Mine lasted several months, and hurt from the hairy hole right down to the toes.

Things that helped were a good anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofin first thing in the morning and coffee. Limit your movements if possible, even if it means pulling up your socks with a coat hangar. AND STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL. Not sure why, but everytime I had a coffee the pain was bearable, but all was undone whenever i had a beer.

[chuck540z3]

Thank you everyone for your kind feedback. I'd respond to each and every one, but there's just too much info there, so I'll just say I'm open to everything and anything.

I'm in my second week of this literal "PITA" and I am finally improving, but I had a setback last night where I had to take pain meds again in order to sleep. I try to avoid all drugs when I can, but sometimes the drug is better than the pain. BTW, if you take an acetaminophen (Tylenol) based drug, avoid alcohol, because this drug is very hard on your liver to begin with, so a beer or two on top of that is not a good thing at all. To answer a few questions, I have been to a doctor and a physiotherapist, who have confirmed that I do indeed have sciatica. From everything I've read on the internet, I have all the classic symptoms, so if it "walks like a duck and talks like a duck", I'm pretty sure my back is a real quacker.

Physiotherapy has helped me quite a bit and I can now walk without too much pain, but it's still there and I walk with a limp. I can sit for hours OK, but when I stand up, it's another story. Shockingly, I tried bike riding the other day and I can do that without much pain, likely because I'm still sitting. Weird, but if your spine is pinching a nerve when you're standing vertically, I can see how it might not be when your back is curved instead.

Today I'm going to seek the help of a respected chiropractor. Normally I think that chiropractors are way overrated and oversold, but this problem is exactly the kind of thing they are trained to treat. Nobody has sought the source of the problem yet, just the treatment of it, so it's time to find out if a back professional can pin-point the exact cause and maybe treat the exact location of the problem. Of course it could still be in a butt muscle, so time will hopefully find out.

Thanks guys! I don't need any more info and your feedback has been very helpful.