Re: Sciatica

Hi Les, anti-inflammatories have less side effects than painkillers.
It's the posture that needs review unless you have a primary condition. So stand up against a wall (so you don't fall down) or you can lay down, now pull your affected leg up to you chest using your arms to hold your knee against your chest; just for a few seconds. Do this a few times a day.
Or/and/ on all fours, slide your arms together, forward then back, arching your back like a cat, hold for a few seconds and do a few of these. Don't do if it hurts.
Referral to a physio will give you these exercises and more.
Oh and a good massage helps too!
Happy Day

Re: Sciatica

I have suffered for years with this , at first I stopped doing any thing physical to stop it coming on leading to weight gain and it got a lot worse.
My job also made it worse as it involed a lot of bending and twisting.
A blunt doctor once said to me lose weight and get more exercise if you want to help your self. I took him at his word , now I find walking a good 10 miles aday on the flat and swimming when I can plus losing some weight has helped loads , going from having an attack once a week to now not having a bad one for months , the other thing I did although for other reasons was to give up my job. Now I try to bend and move properly, I walk everyday and swim when I can and eat well. I know everyone tries to tell you this but it does work ...you just have to stick at it not just try it for one day and say well that didnt work !!!

Re: Sciatica

PS the other thing I found helped when at its worse is to hang by the arms and relax just let your body pull it self down and stretch.

Re: Sciatica

I'm just curious Nobagge what would your doctor have told patients with sciatica that didn't have a weight problem.

My poor sister has had back pain for a year now but won't see a doctor because "lose weight" is his stock response - despite the fact that people of all sizes get bad backs.

Well done for choosing to lose weight and doing more exercise. I personally can't help thinking doctors are getting a little bit lazy and unimaginative as there isn't a single medical complaint out there that is suffered ONLY by the overweight!

Re: Sciatica

You are so right about the same time I had another complaint which he said the same thing to me lose weight and exercise I was so taken back and embrassed by remarks he made I carried on suffering for another year before I went back and asked for a woman doctor, who sent me straight to hospital where within a week I was operated on for a full hysterectomy as by then I had no other choice .which I would of had the year before.
I did make a complaint agaisnt him and found out others had too . He disappeared from our surgery but nothing ever came of my complaint...
But saying that he was right I was over weight and lacked exercise at the time and by losing it it has helped me to manage my back pain as if I slip back my pains start again.

Re: Sciatica

New member here! Thank you all those lovely people who have contributed to this thread, I found it very useful and reassuring.
Having had 2 or 3 bouts of sciatica before, this summer the pain suddenly got much worse and I could hardly get out of bed. I was eventually diagnosed with a prolapsed disc, and have been taking Tramodol to relieve the pain. The specialist recommended a steroid injection into the spine, so I'm on the waiting list.
However, it seems that it's impossible to tell whether this would be effective in stopping the pain, or even how long the effects will last.
He's recommended walking every day, also swimming backstroke (but they'll have to teach me to swim first!)

Re: Sciatica

Hello Trixie
I have to agree with the walking bit since I gave up work a year and half ago I have walked 2 to 3 hours min each day and not had real back pain since but I know if I dont go out for a day or two it fast comes back and siszes up. I have never been fitter nor have the dogs ......
I can certainly do lots more now than I ever could before ..

Re: Sciatica

Only had sciatica once, so painful and lasted a number of weeks. It followed me having a back massage (special offer) don't know if it happened to be a coincidence, but it has certainly put me off having another massage.

Re: Sciatica

I have had sciatica,ended up having surgery,that was 1991,the surgery fixed it,i spent 2 plus years letting them stick needles,burn nerves and God only knows what else they did,but had a left sided rhizolysis and disc trim,it was a hassle for a few years but settled down,but have recently had a nerve transsected in my right groin and have a dead and totally numb thigh now,but the terrible pain went away after surgery,the pay off was a numb thigh.I take all manner of painkillers for other cervical spine pain,but sciatica is a very hard thing to treat,and everyone is different,there is no cut and dried solution,each one is different,just do what is best for you mate,but you dont have to put up with it,just depends on how badly it bothers you.
I had steroid injections in my lumbar spine 4 times,it did not work on me,i was put asleep and they manipulated my spine,that was worse,have had maybe 25-30 steroid injections in my neck,some worked others did not,for me the surgery worked,but i have had 5 spinal surgeries,neck and back,all of them gave me instant relief!
I also went to 4 different hospitals doing their pain management courses,all treated me differently,4 different solutions,but the end result from all 4 was morphine based painkillers! that was it,Oxycontin,wether i liked it or not,nothing else worked,but i take the smallest dose i can,just enough to take the "pointy bits" off the pain,just reduce the sharpness.Good luck!

Billy

Re: Sciatica

Just an add on,i have had/tried physio,full fibreglass body cast (hips to armpits) for 3 months,acupuncture (worked for 12 hours) TENS machine did not help at all,core muscle exercises with ultrasound,physical manipulation,meditation etc etc,now i take morphine based pain relief,but i have had a very hard working life,so mechanical problems are to be expected after 45 years of bending and lifting.

Billy

PS. Is your pain a sharp shooting pain? or is it more like a burn? or both!