Riding and sciatica

[PinkvSantaboots]

I just thought I would ask if anyone else suffers with this I've had it for years and managed it fairly well but have recently had a terrible flare up where I couldn't straighten up and walk.

I'm much better now but it's been 2 weeks of rest and basically living on codeine and ibuprofen, I regularly do the right stretches to try and prevent it getting into an acute stage but omg it was excruciating pain.

I do go to a osteopath if I feel it twinge and it does help I might investigate further if it continues to get worse but am on the right path to recovery now.

I just wondered how people manage it and live with it doing riding and all the other daily chores as horse owners we have to do.

 

[AWinter]

I used to have bad sciatica to the point I could barely walk when it flared up. I have been doing a stability/mobility program called SMM/Tom Morrison on Facebook and I am completely pain free. He posts lots of free videos if you want to get the vibe but the group is full of people with chronic pain issues and injuries, it’s been really life changing for me and made me think about my body/pain differently.

 

[Old school]

I found swimming a big help. Very severe meds for a few days and then really made myself move . Moving was very important to getting mobility back, for me. It would have been easier to not move, but long term that wouldn’t have been of benefit.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I suffered with sciatica for years, I was bedridden for a few months. I took pills which eased it & I did exercises which really helped. Then a few years ago my sciatica totally went away, how did that happen you say? Well in the middle of the night I woke up, couldn't swallow, felt strange, just lay in bed quiet. In the morning I told my wife what had happened & she said I should go up to the doctors. I was examined & they booked me in at A&E. I was taken there by my wife & after having tests all day they told me I'd had a stroke & was admitted to hospital for a fortnight. I came out of hospital with no sciatica, I was getting a tingling down my leg, down the sciatic nerve & it's been like that ever since. I was fortunate, I didn't lose my speech, I wasn't paralysed, I was really lucky & I give thanks for that. As I have got older some of the symptoms are slowly coming back but I'm still thankful. But as I said, it got rid of my sciatica.

 

[phizz4]

Is it Sciatica? Get a healthcare professional to refer you for a scan on your back to rule out spinal stenosis, bony growth in the vertebrae pressing on the nerve. A lot more common than people realise.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Yeah , I do, I try to use naproxen for it if I have a flare up, better than Ibuprofen

 

[Birker2020]

I just thought I would ask if anyone else suffers with this I've had it for years and managed it fairly well but have recently had a terrible flare up where I couldn't straighten up and walk.

I'm much better now but it's been 2 weeks of rest and basically living on codeine and ibuprofen, I regularly do the right stretches to try and prevent it getting into an acute stage but omg it was excruciating pain.

I do go to a osteopath if I feel it twinge and it does help I might investigate further if it continues to get worse but am on the right path to recovery now.

I just wondered how people manage it and live with it doing riding and all the other daily chores as horse owners we have to do.

Ask your doctor about going on a short course of Gabapentin, its what I'm on and it helps a huge amount with sciatic pain.
Check your mattress isn't too soft, this can cause worsening sciatic pain.

 

[scruffyponies]

Check your mattress isn't too soft, this can cause worsening sciatic pain.

Changing to a much firmer mattress made a huge difference to me too.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I used to have bad sciatica to the point I could barely walk when it flared up. I have been doing a stability/mobility program called SMM/Tom Morrison on Facebook and I am completely pain free. He posts lots of free videos if you want to get the vibe but the group is full of people with chronic pain issues and injuries, it’s been really life changing for me and made me think about my body/pain differently.

Thank you I will have a look at that

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I suffered with sciatica for years, I was bedridden for a few months. I took pills which eased it & I did exercises which really helped. Then a few years ago my sciatica totally went away, how did that happen you say? Well in the middle of the night I woke up, couldn't swallow, felt strange, just lay in bed quiet. In the morning I told my wife what had happened & she said I should go up to the doctors. I was examined & they booked me in at A&E. I was taken there by my wife & after having tests all day they told me I'd had a stroke & was admitted to hospital for a fortnight. I came out of hospital with no sciatica, I was getting a tingling down my leg, down the sciatic nerve & it's been like that ever since. I was fortunate, I didn't lose my speech, I wasn't paralysed, I was really lucky & I give thanks for that. As I have got older some of the symptoms are slowly coming back but I'm still thankful. But as I said, it got rid of my sciatica.

Thats really strange isn't it sorry you had have a stroke for it to go though that's pretty extreme.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Is it Sciatica? Get a healthcare professional to refer you for a scan on your back to rule out spinal stenosis, bony growth in the vertebrae pressing on the nerve. A lot more common than people realise.

I think I will get it checked out properly as the osteopath said it could be a number of different things, and it seems to be getting more frequent and getting more severe each time it flares up.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Ask your doctor about going on a short course of Gabapentin, its what I'm on and it helps a huge amount with sciatic pain.
Check your mattress isn't too soft, this can cause worsening sciatic pain.

Thank you just trying to get an appointment at the moment our mattress is pretty firm.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thank you everyone I'm just feeling a bit sorry for myself last few weeks has been lovely weather and I can't ride because of it

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thank you everyone I'm just feeling a bit sorry for myself last few weeks has been lovely weather and I can't ride because of it

Happy to send you some naproxen to try

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Happy to send you some naproxen to try

Thank you for offer I've had naproxen before when I broke my ankle I will probably get some from the doctor once I get an appointment.

 

[catkin]

Interesting that you had to rest - the advice that I was given was to keep moving. Activities suggested were walking, swimming, cycling and riding - obviously not jumping 1.50m tracks but I found riding helped a lot. Twisting movements like mucking out were hard. Really heavy jobs such as stacking bales I did not do and got help.

I had lots of physio with exercises to do daily and pain relief as needed. To make sure I wasn't causing my pony any problems I kept up regular lessons and had pony checked over by horse physio.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Interesting that you had to rest - the advice that I was given was to keep moving. Activities suggested were walking, swimming, cycling and riding - obviously not jumping 1.50m tracks but I found riding helped a lot. Twisting movements like mucking out were hard. Really heavy jobs such as stacking bales I did not do and got help.

I had lots of physio with exercises to do daily and pain relief as needed. To make sure I wasn't causing my pony any problems I kept up regular lessons and had pony checked over by horse physio.

I had to rest I couldn't physically walk more than about 3 steps for about 5 days, I have been doing more since but just building it up slowly but I can't lift anything heavy, the horses are living out so I'm managing that ok as no mucking out.

 

[oldie48]

I think it depends on why you have sciatica. I have a long term problem with a spinal cyst, pilates has helped enormously as it's strengthened my core, I sit on a "back friend" when on the laptop so I have to sit properly or a "human tool saddle seat" for other sitting jobs. I try to limit the time I sit in an armchair or car seat to an hour and a half so take regular breaks when I walk round and stretch my back. When I have pain, I've got some pilates exercises which can help and take enough painkillers so I can keep moving, bedtime is often when I'm in the most pain and a firm mattress and a pillow under my legs can help. Bending jobs often set off the pain, so I try to do them in short bursts and I gave up jumping some years ago as it definitely sets it off, whereas schooling is often helpful. I hope you find a way of dealing with your pain, it's really miserable especially when it stops you sleeping. Good luck.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think it depends on why you have sciatica. I have a long term problem with a spinal cyst, pilates has helped enormously as it's strengthened my core, I sit on a "back friend" when on the laptop so I have to sit properly or a "human tool saddle seat" for other sitting jobs. I try to limit the time I sit in an armchair or car seat to an hour and a half so take regular breaks when I walk round and stretch my back. When I have pain, I've got some pilates exercises which can help and take enough painkillers so I can keep moving, bedtime is often when I'm in the most pain and a firm mattress and a pillow under my legs can help. Bending jobs often set off the pain, so I try to do them in short bursts and I gave up jumping some years ago as it definitely sets it off, whereas schooling is often helpful. I hope you find a way of dealing with your pain, it's really miserable especially when it stops you sleeping. Good luck.

Thank you sleeping was difficult for about a week was only getting about 3 hours a night, this week is much better I'm doing a lot more and sleeping through.

 

[Annagain]

I had a prolapsed disc before Christmas and associated muscle spasm. I could barely move for a week. The physio gave me exercises to do but I couldn't move enough to do them properly. The thing that made the biggest difference to me was acupuncture. It freed things up enough for me to do the exercises and then they really helped me.

 

[Xmasha]

I found that my sciatica was because of bone spurs on my hip. So its well worth getting an xray/ scan to see if anything has changed.
The game changer for me was swimming , cycling and walking. The minute i have a twinge i jump on the bike. Swimming will restart when its a bit warmer . But I'm am so much better now, i actually got back in the saddle the other day and feel ok after riding. ( i have changed to a less wide horse, which makes riding so much more enjoyable.)

Hope you get some relief soon.

 

[ArklePig]

Acupuncture really helped me too, it was carried out by my physio. I have to admit I was very skeptical but it really helped.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I had a prolapsed disc before Christmas and associated muscle spasm. I could barely move for a week. The physio gave me exercises to do but I couldn't move enough to do them properly. The thing that made the biggest difference to me was acupuncture. It freed things up enough for me to do the exercises and then they really helped me.

I've had acupuncture twice in the last 2 weeks when it was at the accute stage.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I found that my sciatica was because of bone spurs on my hip. So its well worth getting an xray/ scan to see if anything has changed.
The game changer for me was swimming , cycling and walking. The minute i have a twinge i jump on the bike. Swimming will restart when its a bit warmer . But I'm am so much better now, i actually got back in the saddle the other day and feel ok after riding. ( i have changed to a less wide horse, which makes riding so much more enjoyable.)

Hope you get some relief soon.

Thank you I think I'm gonna have to get it investigated I've got private health care.

 

[Xmasha]

Thank you I think I'm gonna have to get it investigated I've got private health care.

i originally went through the NHS, they just told me to stop riding. My GP told me to go private so I did ( as did the HHO members) what a difference. I had one appointment with a specialist. He asked for an overview, brief check up and then he sent me down the corridor had an xray, straight back and he told me what was wrong and what to do. Within 90 mins i had answers and a plan. Hope its the same for you.

 

[splashgirl45]

I was left with sciatica after my last hip operation and the only way I got control of it was to keep moving and take 20mg of amitriptyline every night. I can’t take them during the day as they make me drowsy but that’s a good thing at night . I’ve tried to cut down to 10mg but the pain comes back in a couple of days..

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I was left with sciatica after my last hip operation and the only way I got control of it was to keep moving and take 20mg of amitriptyline every night. I can’t take them during the day as they make me drowsy but that’s a good thing at night . I’ve tried to cut down to 10mg but the pain comes back in a couple of days..

Thank you I also find moving about really helps but its a fine line of overdoing it, but will definitely look into the drugs you have mentioned.

 

[AntiPuck]

I manage mine by doing rider pilates daily (Rider Pilates Club), staying as mobile as possible instead of sitting too much, and switching to a TCS saddle made a huge difference - it never gives me any pain whereas my traditional GP had me in pain 60 mins in to every ride.

 

[BBP]

Seems madness looking back now but I not only rode crazy, newly backed BBP with a herniated disc and sciatica, but did a month of trick riding too. And I was working as a pole dancer and personal trainer at the time. I had to bin off the trick riding as Guido was only teaching students who were 100% committed to performing in shows, and I just wasn’t able to do the intensive warmups well enough, let alone decent tricks, I’d drive home in tears every day as it hurt so much. I remember being in a headstand off the side of a horse one day and just letting go and dropping head first underneath it because the pain in my back was so bad I forgot about my grip.

With riding BBP it was actually one of the few things that gave me the tiniest bit of relief, everything else was agony. Sitting down in a chair/car seat was the worst but riding helped a tiny bit. Except when he would spook hard or buck.

But continuing to force myself to do stuff like that and my job is probably why it took more than 3 years to get better. I had the sciatica badly for at least 2 years of that. Absolutely miserable so I feel for you.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Seems madness looking back now but I not only rode crazy, newly backed BBP with a herniated disc and sciatica, but did a month of trick riding too. And I was working as a pole dancer and personal trainer at the time. I had to bin off the trick riding as Guido was only teaching students who were 100% committed to performing in shows, and I just wasn’t able to do the intensive warmups well enough, let alone decent tricks, I’d drive home in tears every day as it hurt so much. I remember being in a headstand off the side of a horse one day and just letting go and dropping head first underneath it because the pain in my back was so bad I forgot about my grip.

With riding BBP it was actually one of the few things that gave me the tiniest bit of relief, everything else was agony. Sitting down in a chair/car seat was the worst but riding helped a tiny bit. Except when he would spook hard or buck.

But continuing to force myself to do stuff like that and my job is probably why it took more than 3 years to get better. I had the sciatica badly for at least 2 years of that. Absolutely miserable so I feel for you.

I feel like I've totally given up now and I am so worried that if my horses do spook and be silly which they do it will trigger it, but to be fair it never really goes some days I feel it that horrible pain from your bum down your leg, and then it's suddenly gone it's just so unpredictable.

My Arabi has nerve damage in his face and his mild head shaker and can completely understand how irritating it is, its like tooth ache In you leg it's horrible and even codeine doesn't help.