Sciatica advice/help

[Mrs G]

Years of horse ownership (especially falling off and mucking out!) have taken their toll on my back and I’m currently in agony! I can barely walk and the otc painkillers I have aren’t touching it. Ive always resisted going to the doctors about previous bouts of back pain as I know there’s not much they can do but I now live alone and have my horse on diy so I need to be able to manage. Of course there’s the added complication of being in lockdown (which has meant I haven’t been getting the massages/physio which i would usually do), and which makes me more reluctant to go to my GP with this in the current pandemic but what else can I do? Have you lovely lot got any home remedies or best over-the-counter-medicine combinations or other advice?

 

[Tiddlypom]

My osteo is still open and working during the current lockdown, though I haven’t been treated in person since before lockdown #1. Do weekly zoom Pilates with her, though

Physios can also work if they want to.

Get a good back person of whichever flavour. For me, osteos are waay more effective than physios.

 

[Floofball]

Hi, just wanted to empathise with you. I had a really bad (for me) bout a few weeks ago.
Luckily my lad is on full livery at the moment so didn’t have that stress. I called doctors on a Thursday and got a telephone appt for the following Monday ? luckily I have many crocked friends so managed to borrow some naproxen until then and took with otc cocodomol. I would’ve have to have be taken to walk In or A&E for some decent pain relief if it wasn’t for the naproxen I think (I’ve had it before so knew I could take it) GP prescribed Naproxen and diazepam, I was already more mobile by then but it cleared up within 3 days.
Hope it settles, its horrible.......

 

[J&S]

I have had phone calls and a visit with a physio attached to my surgery during lock down. I was given specific exercises which came via email. My partner has been trying to get an MRI scan via his physio but all he gets is exercises he can't do! There are some definite stretches that help sciatica, as another poster has said, should ease off in a few days although feels a bit "unsafe" for a while.

 

[fankino04]

I love diazapan andake sure I'm never without some just in case. My dad had a bad bought of sciatica last month (struggling to get up and move), he called the doctor and explained how bad he was and doctor prescribed him naproxen, I said to call him back and ask for diazapan which he did and doctor sent a prescription for that without any fuss...

 

[Follysmum]

Definitely try and get to see an osteopath if you can. I also use a photizo red light machine, mine is the vet care one but you can now buy human one. It is absolutely fantastic especially for inflammation, I wouldn’t be without it now.

 

[Winters100]

Poor you, back pain is miserable You have my sympathy.

I also suffer, and what works for me is:
Fitness - exercise every day and build muscle
Posture - always make yourself walk and sit as straight as you can
Stretching - several times a day, for me it helps especially before getting up
Weight - if you have a few extra pounds lose them. My back is only really good when I am at the very lowest end of a healthy BMI.

I hope you see some improvement soon x

 

[humblepie]

it was only an injection in the back that sorted mine. Hope you get something sorted for it b

 

[Britestar]

Second osteopath. They are working.
I went just a couple of weeks ago, and not a twinge since.

 

[VioletStripe]

I've started seeing and osteo and my life has been changed! They provide you with stretches and exercises to do afterwards which are very important to do.


In the meantime though, a good way to get some relief and release the nerve is to :
- Sit on a chair/end of the bed/bench etc.
- Then, straighten one knee slightly to pick that foot off the floor (not totally, just enough to lift it off the floor and get some 'pull')
- Then flex your heel and toe alternately - heel/toe/heel/toe and flex the foot side to side a bit as well
- To get more of a release (if you can), start to straighten your knee more/less as well. Don't just waggle your foot around - gently and carefully/deliberately flex around and feel where you're tight and where the nerve is sore

My osteo taught me this as a little quick release trick. Be gentle, be slow, and only do it for 30secs on each leg or so. It's not magic but it can help if your feeling in a right pinch! I do it at my desk while thinking of what to respond to my emails....

 

[southerncomfort]

All the physios at the clinic I go to have been vaccinated.

If you feel quite worried about it you could always double mask. I was reading last week that it makes it almost impossible for any droplets to get through.

But honestly, get some physio. Sciatica/back pain is just miserable.

 

[Fransurrey]

Physios are allowed to work, so do see one. I used to struggle with sciatica for years. What sorted it was cross training. Yoga, swimming (I know you can't do that at the moment!) and running.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I am told that NHS physios are handing out lists of exercises to their patients, private physios are still hands on.

 

[Mrs G]

Thanks for all the replies, I’ll look into seeing an osteopath ASAP. I (rather embarrassingly) fainted at the yard this morning due to the pain so can’t ignore it now! My sister kindly did a mercy dash to the pharmacist and got me a painkilling cocktail of tablets and as soon as I can safely drive about I’ll get it sorted then I can put all your other hints and advice into practice.

 

[splashgirl45]

if it is sciatica, this is nerve pain and most painkillers dont work in my experience. i eventually went to the docs and was prescribed amitriptylene ( not sure of spelling) and it works for me. i take 20mg at night which also helps me to sleep as sleeping was so difficult before as the pain was 24/7....it works or me and i have tried to cut it down with a view to stopping completely but as soon as i go down the pain starts up again, so its working for me..

 

[Birker2020]

Years of horse ownership (especially falling off and mucking out!) have taken their toll on my back and I’m currently in agony! I can barely walk and the otc painkillers I have aren’t touching it. Ive always resisted going to the doctors about previous bouts of back pain as I know there’s not much they can do but I now live alone and have my horse on diy so I need to be able to manage. Of course there’s the added complication of being in lockdown (which has meant I haven’t been getting the massages/physio which i would usually do), and which makes me more reluctant to go to my GP with this in the current pandemic but what else can I do? Have you lovely lot got any home remedies or best over-the-counter-medicine combinations or other advice?

I was offered a back operation about 12 years ago which I didn't take them up on, opting for pain meds instead. roll on 12 years my sciatica is getting worse so I contacted my doctors and exactly a week later I had a letter to confirm that they have put me in touch with a spinal neuro consultant and I have a wait of up to 24 weeks to see him.

 

[Birker2020]

I did a post about this a few weeks ago. I have already contacted the doctors and got a phone consultation for later that week. I spoke to the doctor and she said she'd get the ball rolling. Exactly a week later I received a letter to say they'd put me in touch with a spinal neuro surgeon. The wait is up to 24 weeks which suits me as I want to get Covid out of the way first before I would feel safe enough to have an operation.

This was my post

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...-post-op-stories-please.800643/#post-14531541

 

[AUB]

McKenzie exercises! I’ve had a bulging/slipped disc fixed only with McKenzie exercises and if/when I feel sore in the lower back I do my exercises again for a few days and then I’m good as new.

I do them standing up with my underarms against a wall instead of lying down per my chiropractor’s instruction.

I also workout with focus on strengthening my back/core, but for that particular kind of nerve pain that I recognise from the bulging disc, McKenzie is my cure.

 

[Birker2020]

You should also check your mattress Mrs G. Too soft a mattress can cause additional problems with sciatica due to the way you lie. We went to Bensons for Beds and went on their special computerised bed (called a comfort station) where they have software on a computer screen that determines which type of mattress you should be using by use of thermal imaging. So you lie on the bed and it starts with a really soft mattress and they continue till you get to super firm. We had the one before that, which was number 4 out of 5 firmness rating. They said that was best for my back, we came away with two mattresses, one for the spare bed and our bed, and it actually really helped me.

here is info about the technology https://www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk/sleeppro/