Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

I've another sleepless night to look forward to thanks to sciatica.
The pain down my leg into my foot is intense, pain killers dont work, and this has been going on for about 3 weeks. Just cant find a comfortable position to sleep in. Totally fed up with this.
Can anyone offer advice who has or is going through this?
Thank you, apologies for the moan.

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

Steve, have you tried a physio or a chiropractor?

I would rather do that than take ongoing meds - no point if they are not even working.

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

Steve I had terrible sciatica for about four months
( sorry to tell you that) at the beginning of the year.
It was agony couldnt sleep couldn't walk properly I began to think is this it is this this how it ends?


..and then suddenly it went .
Take painkillers especially at night .
Keep moving whatever happens moving will not hurt you .
I went on a horse riding holiday .( it was already booked )
I could barely get on the horse !
And it was a fast galloping riding holiday .
Nevertheless I did it and after that it got better .
It will go eventually .

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

Painful, so don't worry about moaning.
Sciatica can be a lingering thing. Stubborn to shift.
Painkillers didn't do it for me either.

A physio might be able to show you some gentle exercises to stretch the leg or 'work out the knot'.
You haven't said what it's like for walking, or even standing or sitting. Simply standing on the spot wrecked mine and seemed to allow it to seize up.
I found massage helped , but very very carefully, particularly in my thigh and lower back along with those muscle relaxant creams you can buy from the chemists.
And in winter, any damp weather or sitting in a draft could seize it up again so I invested in a little heat pad to keep my lower back warm.
A bit of pampering and exercise seems to keep mine at bay.

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

The only thing that gave me some relief when I had sciatica was to lie on my back on the floor close to a doorway, then prop the affected leg up the door post - keeping the leg straight. Then I would inch my bum closer to the door ie my leg would become closer and closer to a right angle in front of my body. You can feel the ham string stretching as you do it - depending on how flexible you are.

I suspect that this pulled the trapped nerve down the spine and relieved the pressure point - or perhaps moved it? My physio put me onto this.

This worked with varying degrees of success until I eventually had to have a back operation to relieve pressure - Micro endoscopic discectomy - I have had three such operations over the last 20 years.

The other thing is to try different types of pain killers, some work some don't. I have settled on Oxy Norm or Oxy Contin which are quite effective for me but for other people with back pain they don't work. Get your doctor to experiment with different painkillers.

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

Just spotted this thread.
I was prescribed Naproxen, it did help. I put a pillow between my legs at night, that did help. I was told to exercise by my GP. Rest worked better for me. Physio was good.

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

This also. I needed to find it.

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

I hope you have been to see your GP? If its down to your foot you really do need expert help

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

You don't need to apologise, sciatica is extremely painful so you have every right to 'moan' but I'm not sure that's the right word. My sister suffered dreadfully with it.

I found this link, hope it helps
https://www.spine-health.com/blog/3-...eping-sciatica

I hope you feel better soon.

Re: Sciatica.....any helpful tips on sleeping with the pain.

Really helpful advice thank you all very much.