| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica 09:38 - Oct 5 with 1337 views | hype313 |
This is one painful MF, and debilitating.
Any advice welcome! |  |
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| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 13:52 - Oct 5 with 271 views | Harwich_Blue |
Feel your pain - the worse period of my life
Lots of good advice on here , but one thing I would say is LIMIT the alcohol , it dehydrates the body and slows the healing process - I used to try and drink the pain away each night but it just prolongs the agony.
Move as much as you can , try Naproxin bit stronger than Ibuprofin - it will subside and all that praying to god will pay off ! |  | | |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 13:53 - Oct 5 with 269 views | tonybied |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 09:50 - Oct 5 by hype313 |
Cheers Tony, Been to physio which will be ongoing, how long did yours last? |
I suffered for about 10 months. For 8 months it did not improve, not until I had an appointment with an NHS physio who recommended I ask my GP for Gabapentin. A month or so into taking that, it numbed the pain enough to do the exercises that my physios (I had a private one through work and an NHS one) were telling me to do properly. Pain was restricting me from doing them right, once that was overcome the exercises started to do the job!
As Bankster points out though, Gabapentin can be a nasty drug, it has some serious bad side effects. You have to slowly ramp up your intake, and then slowly wean off it again when your course concludes. It can cause MASSIVE migraines, and there are some that report suicidal feelings if you don't wean of it correctly. I recommend you read up on it, and speak with your GP about using it before just asking. I had no issues, but there are plenty of people who report they have. |  | | |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 13:54 - Oct 5 with 266 views | leitrimblue |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 13:40 - Oct 5 by Dubtractor |
I'm another long term sufferer of back pain, with sciatica being a particular problem in the last 2 years. Serious pins and needles and numbness through my hip and right down my leg.
Have had loads of physio, chiropractor visits, and also a recent mri scan.
I'd advise against wasting money on chiropractor if I'm honest. 2 separate ones I've seen that, on reflection, were doing nothing to help but offer promises of a fix.
I'm unable to sit for more than 10 minutes without it being uncomfortable, which isn't much fun seeing as I'm a desk worker. My sciatica is worst on a soft chair, and the conclusion from all my various visits and tests is that whilst I have a weak lower back, the sciatica (or those symptoms) are more likely due to piriformis issues.
If my bum and lower back need to work when I'm sitting i have problems, whereas sitting on a hard seat, like a wooden bench, is fine.
I do lots of stretches and Strengthening exercises, which help, but don't seem to really fix the underlying issue. The more active I am the better though, cycling and playing football (when I'm not injured) definitely help ease the sciatica. A few 'nerve flossing' stretches a good for relief too.
It's really noticeable how many people of around my age are suffering with back issues though, where 30 years of sitting at a desk has had cumulative impacts that are really tough to unpick.
Sorry, to answer the actual question posed, no not really got any tips, other than to really work hard on the exercises that you get from the physio, and don't soend money on a chiropractor! [Post edited 5 Oct 13:48]
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I've had it on and off for about 15 years. A few times its been quite severe and lasted for 2-3 weeks at a time, but for the last few years its not been too bad. I still often get a pain in the legs when I get up from the chair in the evening, but its usually almost over by the time I reach the bathroom.
What is really noticeable, is the difference between when im working on site compared to working at a desk from home. On site I usually get 10-15,000 steps a day and rarely have back issues. When im working from home, I now take regular breaks, walk the dog for an hour etc. If not I soon suffer with Sciatica again
Also, bit like Dan in the post above, I find smoking copious amounts of weed of a evening helps  . If only to take yer mind off it.. |  | | |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 14:00 - Oct 5 with 242 views | Dubtractor |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 13:52 - Oct 5 by Harwich_Blue |
Feel your pain - the worse period of my life
Lots of good advice on here , but one thing I would say is LIMIT the alcohol , it dehydrates the body and slows the healing process - I used to try and drink the pain away each night but it just prolongs the agony.
Move as much as you can , try Naproxin bit stronger than Ibuprofin - it will subside and all that praying to god will pay off ! |
Move as much as you can.
100% this. Leitrim also makes the point below, if working at home or in the office, fi d the time to stretch your legs a few times each day. |  |
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| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 14:01 - Oct 5 with 238 views | Ryorry |
55 years of spinal issues & sciatica, unfortunately.
Key here is that all spines & problems arising are different.
Get scanned & properly diagnosed, don't do any specific exercises that aren't medically advised, what works for one person may make you worse.
Sitting, esp in soft chairs, certainly makes most back sufferers worse, as Dubtractor has described.
Standing desks are now widely available, albeit pricey. However, I believe there may be an obligation on employers to provide this kind of equipment if employees need? This was the case for a friend of mine 5 years ago. And I saw a really neat "desktop" version of one (just a metal framework with 3 expanding levels, placed on top of an ordinary desk) on Saturday.
What has helped relieve sciatica for me over decades, & is at worst harmless, is in the shower playing 30 seconds of very hot (not burning hot!) water over the lumbar area of your spine that the pain originates from; then very cold; then repeat 2 or 3 x more, finish off with lukewarm. It boosts circulation, which helps promote healing. Can also be done with hot & cold towels, or heat/cold packs. Edit - the reason that hasn't "cured" me is that my condition is congenital stenosis - unusually narrow spinal canal. [Post edited 5 Oct 14:04]
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| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 14:02 - Oct 5 with 233 views | tonybied |
One other tip, and this was a big one for me. Don't take any painkillers with Codine in. One of the after-effects of Codine is that it bungs you up. There's nothing worse when you have sciatica than trying to strain something out that is the size of the moon when you struggle to find a comfortable position, to relax, on the bog! Also, the pressure from the muscles required for birthing said moon does not help with the pain at all!!! | | | |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 14:13 - Oct 5 with 208 views | MedwayTractor |
I take gabapentin for nerve pain in my upper back, you have to be careful with it because it can be addictive and, therefore, prescriptions are limited in dosage and for no longer than 4 weeks at a time.
I have had severe sciatica after I had a slipped disc. I found that physio didn't do much in the long term, because physiotherapists (in my experience) tend to treat the symptoms, not the cause. I get on much better with chiropractic, because chiropractors are trained to seek out and treat the cause of the pain. |  |
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| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 14:22 - Oct 5 with 192 views | hype313 |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 13:40 - Oct 5 by Dubtractor |
I'm another long term sufferer of back pain, with sciatica being a particular problem in the last 2 years. Serious pins and needles and numbness through my hip and right down my leg.
Have had loads of physio, chiropractor visits, and also a recent mri scan.
I'd advise against wasting money on chiropractor if I'm honest. 2 separate ones I've seen that, on reflection, were doing nothing to help but offer promises of a fix.
I'm unable to sit for more than 10 minutes without it being uncomfortable, which isn't much fun seeing as I'm a desk worker. My sciatica is worst on a soft chair, and the conclusion from all my various visits and tests is that whilst I have a weak lower back, the sciatica (or those symptoms) are more likely due to piriformis issues.
If my bum and lower back need to work when I'm sitting i have problems, whereas sitting on a hard seat, like a wooden bench, is fine.
I do lots of stretches and Strengthening exercises, which help, but don't seem to really fix the underlying issue. The more active I am the better though, cycling and playing football (when I'm not injured) definitely help ease the sciatica. A few 'nerve flossing' stretches a good for relief too.
It's really noticeable how many people of around my age are suffering with back issues though, where 30 years of sitting at a desk has had cumulative impacts that are really tough to unpick.
Sorry, to answer the actual question posed, no not really got any tips, other than to really work hard on the exercises that you get from the physio, and don't soend money on a chiropractor! [Post edited 5 Oct 13:48]
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Cheers Dubbers, I actually think it's my piriformas, as it started out with a dull ache in my buttcheek when standing for periods watching my sons play football, and it's just got progressively worse.
The Chiropractor I saw at Gilmore Piper said it was a nerve in my lower back causing the referred pain in my Piriformas, but I can't help to think it started there so must be linked.
I also haven't helped myself with my chair at home for working, so I've invested in a decent chair with full lumber support.
Loads of decent exercises on Youtube to follow, but from what I've cleaned on here, everyone's is different, so guess I just need to find what works for me.
And as everyone else has said, walk, keep moving, as this will help blood supply to the area, so I'm trying to go for 10 minute walks every hour. | |
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| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 14:57 - Oct 5 with 156 views | Steve_M |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 10:31 - Oct 5 by hype313 |
Cheers Steve, I'm able to walk, albeit it's painful, but from what I gather, regular short 10 minute walks throughout the day is key, along with stretching.
I initially thought it was my Piriformas as I had a dull ache in there for a while, but Physio said it stems from my lower back which is then referred pain.
I did ask if they could refer it onto someone else. |
"I initially thought it was my Piriformas as I had a dull ache in there for a while, but Physio said it stems from my lower back which is then referred pain."
On this, everything is interconnected in the spine so trying to avoid one issue may exacerbate, or have exacerbated, something else. As a general rule of thumb though, the higher up the pain is the better - lower back is better than thigh, which is better than calf or ankle or foot.
And, as this thread shows, even once this episode settles down - and it will however sh1t it feels at time - then you still need to keep managing your back to prevent any recurrence. I'm very aware of any minor issues now and just go to a physio semi-regularly to help with that, but things like foam rollers are definitely good investments and I use mine most days. |  |
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| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 14:57 - Oct 5 with 157 views | brazil1982 |
On a basic level I was getting symptoms while driving and have since purchased a special "cushion" - it has worked wonders. |  | | |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 15:38 - Oct 5 with 121 views | hype313 |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 14:57 - Oct 5 by Steve_M |
"I initially thought it was my Piriformas as I had a dull ache in there for a while, but Physio said it stems from my lower back which is then referred pain."
On this, everything is interconnected in the spine so trying to avoid one issue may exacerbate, or have exacerbated, something else. As a general rule of thumb though, the higher up the pain is the better - lower back is better than thigh, which is better than calf or ankle or foot.
And, as this thread shows, even once this episode settles down - and it will however sh1t it feels at time - then you still need to keep managing your back to prevent any recurrence. I'm very aware of any minor issues now and just go to a physio semi-regularly to help with that, but things like foam rollers are definitely good investments and I use mine most days. |
I've just purchased a foam roller, Also, as much as I know it's going to be uncomfortable, I'll start regular deep massages.
Get the impression, once susceptible, it can then easily comeback, so managing it going forward will be paramount, because this pain is off the charts, and I've broken many things over the years playing Football and Rugby and this hits different, almost like a constant abscess on the tooth. | |
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| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 15:40 - Oct 5 with 114 views | hype313 |
Just to add, thanks everyone who has commented, so much good advice, whilst sad to hear many of you are or have gone through this very nasty pain.
One thing to cling onto is that it does eventually go, bit like Christmas, just got to get through it. | |
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| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 15:46 - Oct 5 with 95 views | BloomBlue |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 10:06 - Oct 5 by hype313 |
Cheers, my Physio gave me exercises, which I've been doing religiously for a week, so just hoping they start working soon. |
I should also add someone I know had it on/off for nearly 3 years, had physio, but that didn't fix it. Tried various things including acupuncture, even some horrible concoction that involved apple cider vinegar. He was giving up and then someone recommended pilates, thought nothing to lose and within 3 weeks huge improvement. So he signed up for 1:1 classes and within 8 weeks no pain, nothing, completely gone.
He's not had it since, although does still attend weekly pilates classes. |  | | |
| Anyone got any good tips to help Sciatica on 16:39 - Oct 5 with 48 views | Ryorry |
I should also add - avoid bending down to ground as much as poss - buy a grabstick or three.
If you do need to bend right down, either hold on to something and stand only on one leg while lifting the other behind you (light items): or use your knees to bend whilst keeping your back straight (heavy items). | |
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