Sufferers of Sciatica, any tips?

[HaffiesRock]

I have mild Sciatica, and it comes and goes. By no means is it painful or debilitating, but it does cause me some problems.

I know I should probably see a chiro or something, but I cant really afford it.

My lower back always feels like (and does) click, specially when I move my hips from side to side. Then I get the Sciatic pain down my bum and leg. I can normally walk it off in a minute or two and its worse after Ive been sitting.

I'm assuming something isn't quite aligned in my lower back. Any exercises or tips on helping it? Or anyone know a good chiro in the Nottingham area?

Thanks

 

[Asha]

How about getting referred by your GP, and seeing a chiro on the NHS ?

sometimes you can makes things worse, best to get someone professional on the case.

 

[HaffiesRock]

Never really thought of that. Ill make an appointment

 

[JellyBeanSkittle]

I suffer from fibromyalgia and get sciatica quite often. My physiotherapist told me to get a large yoga ball and to do some stretches when sitting on it. Have found this beneficial as it helps to reduce stiffness and stretches the nerve/muscles in the legs reducing flare ups of sciatica.

 

[Mizzbecx]

Hello SpottyFalula,

I've got back pain and sciatica, I went to the chiro and it's much better now but I know how expensive it is!!

I'd recommend only as it works for me - ice pack, put it in the freeze and then on your lower back and back of the hips, chiro told me to do this and it really helps as often as you can whenever you can

Also for a bit of instant relieve I got some Bio Freeze off them, fab stuff!!

They also said the worst thing to cause a flare up was the sweeping action, like when your sweeping a stable or trailer.

Hope this helps

 

[SNORKEY]

Hi, I've had bad sciatica for years now after a nasty fall. My GP refered me to a physio which is free. They will probably tell you to do some exercises to help. Keeping fit and your weight down is the best thing to do also. I find swimming also helps and when sitting up in a chair put one foot over your other knee and push down gently on the knee that's up and accross, so you feel a pull down the back of your leg into your bum, if that makes sence!
Also when laying down raise one leg up and flex your toes towards you do you feel a pull down the back if your leg. With sciatica you need to keep the muscles as well built up and flexible as you can to support the joints.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

Not sure how old you are but between 30 to 40 approx your discs can be more prone to herniating. I've has sciatica for 12 years and had 3 spinal ops. Perhaps speak to your GP who may refer you for an MRI to check what's going on. Hopefully its just muscular and physio can sort it for you.

 

[peanut]

I'm another sciatica sufferer. My back clicks when I twist and I regularly get pain down my right leg.

I confess that I haven't sought help from a medical professional because I always assume that they will tell me to rest - which with a horse is impossible - and I'm a terrible one for suffering in silence.

Forking up the dung heap and sweeping are the worst for aggravating it. I also can't muck out with a shavings fork so have to do it on my hands and knees!

ETA: I find the best way to relieve the pain is to lie flat on the floor with my toes stretched down and my arms stretched up - a bit like I'm on a torture rack!

 

[Shysmum]

never ignore sciatica, it can get very serious ! See your GP asap, and try and get an MRI scan - this will check what is happening with your discs, and if and where one is bulging out and nipping the sciatic nerve.

 

[bitlessbill]

I've had a back op and problems for 20 years. I started Pilates once a week in march and haven't had one twinge since

 

[kerilli]

a few things... i've had sciatica on and off since my teens, when a horse slipped over sideways with me.
my McTimoney Chiro tells me: never cross your legs above the knee, this twists your pelvis. cross at ankles. this is a huge deal and so simple to do.
avoid having a heavy shoulder-bag that makes you hitch 1 shoulder higher to keep it in place. miniatureise the contents, or go for a backpack or something.
there are specific gentle exercises to straighten your pelvis to alleviate sciatic pain. lying on your back on a bed, bring knees up gently 1 at a time, gently flop to the side, then straighten leg, that sort of thing.
I have a specific stretch that alleviates my sciatica by taking pressure off the nerve. this was taught to me by previous McTimoney Chiropractor. They are absolutely brilliant.
If yours will walk off then I suspect that if you make sure you are always sitting straight and evenly (ideally on a firm straight-backed chair, not slumping) and not crossing your legs above the knee, then you might be able to avoid it in future...

 

[christine48]

Getting an MRI scan is almost impossible these days as GPs have to pay for it out of their own funding. They will explore all other avenues first like physio etc.
I get sciatica and find a good chiropractor helps. A lot say to do exercises or Pilates to improve core strength.

 

[LJN]

I had Sciatica, brought on by a really bad sailing accident, and my doc told me the best possible thing I could do is make sure my core muscles are always strong - I do lots of pilates and core strength work and it really helps. As someone else said there was one movement which really aggravated my back, I was lucky as it for me it was the movement of pulling a sail down in a hurry so I gave up sailing and that helped too

 

[LittleWildOne]

Could I just say, from personal experience, please get a professional opinion on this.

Sorry this might be long, but here is my own experience with sciatica. I'm not trying to scaremonger, just explaining my own experience.
March 2007, I started to feel a bit of discomfort in my lower back. I didn't go to my GP.....as the experience I've had before with NHS and back pain is usually to carry on as normal and take paracetomol and/or anti-inflamatories (eg, ibuprofen).
Over the next few months I carried on as normal, always thinking "it will get better, it's best to stay active."
The pain got worse and I upped the amount of painkillers I was taking.
I started to get pains going down my leg, mainly on the outside of my thigh, behind my knee and down the outside of my calf.
I kept going as normal, but now I couldn't manage without a full pack of anadin extra PLUS additional paracetomol on top...daily.
By November, there was no improvement so while on a weeks leave from work, I thought I'd try a slow release ibuprofen instead of the standard ones. I stopped taking any painkillers on the Friday night to allow time for the drugs to get out of my system. I was planning on using slow release ibuprofen that works over 12 hours.
By morning, the pain was excruciating. I couldn't walk, couldn't get comfortable no matter what position I sat,stood or lay in. It was the weekend but despite the pain, I was still reluctant to phone the NHS due to back pain being dismissed in the past.
Monday morning, I was in tears with the pain as I rang a chiropracter begging for help. They didn't have any appointments until the Wednesday morning, but I was advised to use ice packs once hourly for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
By Wednesday morning, the pain was so bad that I could barely move. The chiropracter examined me, then immediately referred me for x-rays of my lumbar spine. I had the x-rays on the Thursday (£60 privately), and the results back on the Friday morning.
This was when I found out that I have arthritis of my spine and both SI joints. The report stated - "Loss of disc space at L5/S1. Secondary degenerative changes of the L5/S1 facet joints. Minor degenerative changes of the L4-L5 facet joints. Degenerative change of the SI joints is also present."
Opinion - Degenerative disc and facet joint disease of the lower lumbar spine and lumbrosacral junction. Degenerative and possibly minor inflamatory change at the SI joints.
I also had an MRI scan in March 2008 (my GP did make a referral for this on the NHS, but I never ever got an appointment. My employer paid for this to be done privately- Bupa - £495.)
The MRI showed that I had a "significant right paracentral disc protrusion at L5/S1 with secondary right S1 root compression." It also showed "minor degenerative retrolisthesis," which means that one of my vertebrae has slipped back out of alignment.
I was referred to a neurosurgeon after my MRI, and I was gobsmacked when he showed me the scan images. Basically, almost the entire disc at L5/S1 had prolapsed and was severly crushing my sciatic nerve. I had a microdiscectomy in May 2008 to remove the prolapsed disc. This stopped my sciatica immediately, although I have been left with permanent nerve damage in my right leg and foot due to the severity of my sciatic nerve having been crushed for such a long time.
I really do wish that I had seen my GP, or a chiropracter or physio when I first started to feel my back pain. Maybe something could have been done sooner and I'd have full feeling in my foot/leg now.
I have not had any sciatic pain since then, but do have to take prescribed painkillers every day now for the arthritis.
That was my own personal experience of "hoping it would get better on it's own", combined with having back pain dismissed in the past by the NHS.

 

[kerilli]

^^^ this is a very salutary warning - if the pain is chronic (lasts over a long period of time) and/or very very acute (sharp) get it checked by a medic, asap.
Also, if it turns into numbness, pins and needes, hot/cold sensations (e.g. lying in a hot bath and affected leg feels as if it is in ice water), ditto.
I have a crumbling disc and fusing vertebrae in my lower back and my long-term on-off sciatica turned into the above symptoms overnight. I was very lucky and didn't need an Op. Friends have needed a discectomy (one just last weekend) due to similar symptoms.
Please don't ever ignore it if it gets bad, you could do untold damage...

 

[Irishdan]

I can totally sympathise with your pain. I damaged my lower back about 7/8 years ago - breaking a frozen trough with a pick axe. No idea what damage I actually did but it appeared to heal in 4/5 months. Two year ago I developed the most horrendous sciatica which I could only describe as having a knife stuck deep into my thigh muscle. Went to see my GP who referred me to the back specialist. Appointment took about 8 weeks. Meantime I had to carry on. I couldnt stand for any length of time without crouching down, walking was a nightmare, driving was difficult and riding was totally out of the question. Went to a see a chiro but he wasnt able to help at all. When I did get to see specialist, well it was actually his nurse, I was assessed and told I wasnt bad enough for it to be taken any further. The pain did ease over the next few months but it has never fully gone. Only takes for me to twist the wrong way or lift something too heavy and its back again.

Anyway hope you find a solution to yours as it really is an awful thing to live with.

 

[Oberon]

I know a no nonsense police sergent who swears by regular acupuncture.

 

[0ldmare]

Obviously not the answer in all cases - I think the correct approach must be conventional medicine first

But Bowen sorted my old mums sciatica. She was so bad she was on a cocktail of gaberpentin, ibruprofen, paracetamol and 'morphine' patches all at the same time and was still in agony.

After being hospitalised, physios, MRI scans, steroid injections, pain clinics et al the Doctor said they could do no more and she should go into a home.

Bowen was the answer in her case and she's still pain free 2 years later!

 

[Archiepoo]

, i ignored back pain and sciatica for 20 yrs and it progressed to a horrific pain in my hip and calf. was sent by GP to A&E and told i had sciatica (DOH!) collapsed on the yard and right leg went numb from the knee down and i was dragging my foot went back to A&E and had MRI, was told i had almost total compression L4/5 and had emergency surgery that night, the surgeon said i was a sneeze away from being in a wheelchair and totally incontinent! (and thats the bit that freaked me out) still have horrendous sciatica from scar tissue from ignoring my back pain and that will never go away. dont wait to get to your GP and ask to be sent to a neurologist . but in the mean time get one of those bathmat type portable jacuzzi type thingies -they are brill at releasing trapped muscles and nerves

 

[Shysmum]

You absolutely HAVE to know what you are dealing with when there's back pain and sciatica. Mine was so bad I lost all feeling in my foot - cue two operations, and being pensioned out of my job (I was an RSPCA Inspector).

You have to insist on getting a referal - I was lucky, the osteopath I saw told me to get an MRI scan done urgently, and he refused to treat me without knowing exactly what was happening. Even now, I have injections into my back every year. i have degenerative disc disease.

 

[Irishcobs]

As others have said get it checked by the doctor and if needs be demand a referral.
I went to the doctor with a pain in my right hip. I was told it was sciatica and it would go in a few weeks. It didn't and I started getting shooting pains down my right leg and couldn't sit down for more than a few minutes as the pain was too much. I went back to the doctor and demanded I was referred. Luckily at the time I had health cover so could go private.
The consultant was shocked I couldn't feel the outside of my right calf and sent me for a MRI scan.
This showed the disc between L5 and the sacrum was ruptured and a piece of the gel in the disc (sorry can't remember the name) had attached itself to the nerve and was eating into it. It also showed the 2 discs above it were bulged.
It also showed I had DDD (Degenerative disc disease) I was one of the youngest in the country to be diagnosed with this, I was 19 at the time.
I was given 3 options 1) key hole surgery to scrap the disc gel away, but it had a huge risk and it only had a 40% of working. 2) an epidural into the disc to stop the pain or 3) leave it alone and wait till it sorts its self out. My time line was 6 months to 5 years before it would do that. I was told fusing was out of the question because of the bulged discs.
I went for the epidural. The first one didn't work so I was sent for a 2nd. They will only do it twice. This didn't work either so I went for option 3 and extremely strong painkillers and physio.
I had physio for 6 months before the Physio said she could no longer help me as I wasn't getting any better. I did everything I was told to, exercises etc. but it wasn't helping. The consultant said the only cure now was time.
I was on the strong painkillers for 9 months before I took myself off of them. The side effects were very unpleasant and they were very addictive.
I guess I learnt to live with the pain in the end. Even now 6 years on I still get pain in my right hip and leg. My back is always painful and I have permanent nerve damage in my right leg now.
Luckily for me the only time the pain eased up a little was riding so I was able to continue with my horses.

 

[HaffiesRock]

Thank you for all your replies.

I am almost 29, relatively fit and a good weight for my height. I'm going to try and ice pack as some of you suggested. I am off on my holidays for a week on Thursday, but I will go and see the doctor on my return.

I wonder if a week off yard duties makes any difference

 

[Magicmadge]

My husband had it for the last 3 months, he went to the doctor twice and was prescribed various painkillers. We also have a tens machine and he would sit with that on for hours. He was losing sleep and it was generally getting him down. I wear a magnetic bracelet for pain i had in my upper arm and shoulder so i bought him one online, ten days later his sciatica is gone. Worth a try, it doesn't work for everyone, but certainly did for us.

 

[humblepie]

Mine started in the January, doctor sent me to physio, I borrowed a tens machine off a friend who worked at the hospital. Physio made no difference. Found the only thing that worked was pain killers until eventually got referral to hospital in the June and had injections into back. Didn't ride for 5 months because of it. Since the injections has been fine.

 

[case895]

I have had more time off work for sciatica than for my leukaemia. I am a regular cyclist so my hamstrings are very strong and occasionally aggravate the sciatic nerve. Regular stretching, pilates and a deep massage every 6 weeks on the back and legs seems to keep things ticking over. The other "bad boy" is the illiotibial band, which is next to the sciatic nerve. Riding seems to aggravate that as my girlfriend's also gets very tight.

 

[Beckie65]

I've just had a microdisectomy 2 and a half weeks ago mine started with sciatica, pain went straight down to the ankle. Mine started after a straw delivery in dec, 2010, suffered till Aug this year, got to the point i hadn't ridden for nearly a year and had to put my boy on full loan as just getting out of bed was agony, i do feel for you its not nice, doctors weren't very helpful, they just think u got a bad back, but please get it checked, i went to an osteopath he was brilliant, he got me referred for an MRI for £250! cheap but in London, took that back to the doctor and omg they got there arse in gear quick! i had 15mm herniation L4-L5 nerve compression with disc fragment floating about, made a complaint to the doctors as i was in so much pain for so long and hospitalised twice coz the pain was so bad, thankfully i had private health insurance and got an appointment with a neurosurgeon and had my op within 4 weeks. I can not stress enough if u have any sort of herniation, bulge rupture of the disc always go for a neurosurgeon rather than an orthopaedic as they are more specialised in the nerves and that is where u are getting you referred pain from. Sciatica has completely gone i can lay down on my back for the first time in 8 months. I hope u get better soon, but if it is getting worse i.e travelling down the leg, weakness or numbness push for an mri don't leave it.

 

[Mince Pie]

It does take making an absolute nuisance of yourself but you can get referred for an MRI on the NHS. Last year when I was 25 I had really bad back pain and sciatica down my left leg, went to the Dr's who sent me to physio and I was on crutches. 4 months later I finally got my MRI to show that I had a 50% herniation of my disc at L5/S1. My osteo has been brilliant, and yes it still twinges but is a lot better than it was. I'm starting a 12 week course of Pilates next week so we'll see if that helps as well.

 

[pottamus]

You need to get to the cause of the problems and sort that before you can help it any other way. Exercises will be no good unless they are specific to your problem.
I would go to your GP and get on the list for some chiro or physio and get a course of treatment first. Once you have improved things then I would recommend pilates and swimming, cycling.
Keep your weight down and do plenty of cardio based exerise moving forward.
I struggled to do any of the basics like get out of bed, dress myself, bend down to eat, anything when my back was really bad. A long course of accupuncture and physio eventually put it right and I then moved to gentle riding at walk and built up from there. I went to pilates once per week too. I shed all excess weight and now run and cycle several times a week and it barely bothers me anymore...even when I have to do the hay stacking.

 

[KSR]

Reading with interest..

I went to my GP with back, hip, knee and ankle pain following a mounting block accident last May.. I ended up poorly and having surgery January and they said they'd sort that out first before dealing with the chronic pain issues..

So this morning, I have my first physio appointment, and first investigation into my injury in 16 months.. I'm crippled every morning, barely sleep and am on 2 codeine, 2 diclofenac and 2 tramadol at a time to get through the day and night (and that's before my other meds)..

Wish me luck, and my poor liver..

 

[Dry Rot]

I haven't read the whole thread but PLEASE go to your GP and ignore the advice to see a...erm...quack!

I "did" my back about forty years ago, ignored it until it became difficult to pee, was instantly referred to a neurosurgeon who wanted me in hospital immediately. I was put on bed rest and visited by a friend who said on no accounts to let them operate but to see an osteopath/manipulator. Passed this information to the neurosurgeon who said "Fine -- but if you do that we won't have anything to do with you!"

Anyway, I was in hospital for six weeks and had a "decompression". I've been reasonably OK for years but a long drive in a Landrover brought it on again. Two MRI scans later and a visit to the surgeon yesterday, I'm told there is nothing to be done.

So look after your back, go to your doctor NOW and arrange an appointment for as soon as possible after you get back from holiday. Oh, and make sure you are fully covered for foreign insurance though I think you may have to declare the back problem which won't help!

Meantime, keep active and pull your mattress onto the floor if you haven't got an orthopaedic bed. Keep away from the quacks! They can do permanent damage.