Newly diagnosed sciatica ... what to expect ?

daska

If it's still this bad after 4 weeks then badger your GP for an urgent referral. Most back problems will ease within a couple of weeks given rest and anti-inflammatories.

This isn't intended to worry you but, as per previous posters, you need to ensure that you get treatment before treatment will no longer be of benefit.

chelleybelley

hi i have degenerative disc disease in my back with severe sciatica and have had 2 ops (im currently awaiting my 3rd) when my back "went" 5 years ago all i done was turn over in bed i was 28 at the time,i couldnt move and the pain was intolerable,after numerous gps visits,physio sessions,traction,prolatherapy,epiduals etc i finally got an MRI scan after 25 months which showed my disc problems. i have been unable to work for 2 years as i had a physically demanding job. work could not take any reasonable steps for me to return to my job, so i ended up getting medically dismissed.i think with regards to work that they should refer you in the near future (if your condition has not improved) to see an occupational therapist,then they will be guided by what the ot and your condition by then is. they have to try and make reasonable adjusts for you to return to work.if your condition has still not improved AT ALL and you are still unable to walk,move etc, then they can (i think its after 6 months, someone correct me if im wrong)dismiss you.my best advice AT THE MOMENT is rest! most people with bad backs/sciatica will find that after 8 weeks it will settle on its own thats why gps are reluctant to do much at the moment.if you are still in a lot of pain etc after this time period then ask your gp for further referall (and keep on at them). good luck and dont think this will not ease as it does in a lot of people in time!if you can get your hands on a tens machine then you may find it a welcome relief for the time being.

tenacioust123

chelleybelley wrote: »

hi i have degenerative disc disease in my back with severe sciatica and have had 2 ops (im currently awaiting my 3rd) when my back "went" 5 years ago all i done was turn over in bed i was 28 at the time,i couldnt move and the pain was intolerable,after numerous gps visits,physio sessions,traction,prolatherapy,epiduals etc i finally got an MRI scan after 25 months which showed my disc problems. i have been unable to work for 2 years as i had a physically demanding job. work could not take any reasonable steps for me to return to my job, so i ended up getting medically dismissed.i think with regards to work that they should refer you in the near future (if your condition has not improved) to see an occupational therapist,then they will be guided by what the ot and your condition by then is. they have to try and make reasonable adjusts for you to return to work.if your condition has still not improved AT ALL and you are still unable to walk,move etc, then they can (i think its after 6 months, someone correct me if im wrong)dismiss you.my best advice at the moment is rest! most people with bad backs/sciatica will find that after 8 weeks it will settle on its own thats why gps are reluctant to do much at the moment.if you are still in a lot of pain etc after this time period then ask your gp for further referall (and keep on at them). good luck and dont think this will not ease as it does in a lot of people in time!if you can get your hands on a tens machine then you may find it a welcome relief for the time being.

Rest is one of he worst things you can do for back pain, as long as you do not have any of the red flags. The stronger you back and stomach muscles are the better.

Poppy9

tenacioust123 wrote: »

Rest is one of he worst things you can do for back pain, as long as you do not have any of the red flags. The stronger you back and stomach muscles are the better.

When people say to rest when referring to a bad back they don't usually mean to take to your bed and lie down but to take it easy.

Sometimes it's absolutely impossible to carry on moving about with a bad back so you have to take it easy. It's absolutely knackering trying to just get out of bed/chair/car etc.

You cannot carry on as normal. The pain is your bodies way of telling you something is wrong so whatever exercise you should do you should not do it so it increases the pain.

A book I found really helpful was "treat your own back" by McKensie.

chelleybelley

when i said rest i mean do little and if so often, if you are in that much pain you have no choice but to rest, but to suggest gentle stretches etc can also aggrevate your back if they are not the correct way of doing them as advised by a physio or medical practitioner. when your back normally after a few weeks starts to ease then you must start to do stretches etc to start to strengthen the back again.but without gaining advice from a physio or other medical practitioner on how to do these exercises it can also set you back and as the op stated he has to wait 3 months at least to see the physio.

tenacioust123

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/back_pain/

Try the above web site, there is some really good advice. As it says 4 in 5 adults will experience back pain, which is hell of a lot but if dealt with correctly you can recover.

I know what its like I've had back surgery waiting for my second, I'm mostly in a wheelchair now, with bowel and bladder problems and nerve damage.

baccyman

i also suffer with a bad back and at the moment i am having problems with muscle spasms, this is due to wear and tear on the discs i have had physio therapy, hydro therapy, an epidural injection, and none of these have helped me i am taking two tramadol four times a day and i am still in pain,
before my back got to the state that it is now i used to go to an ostiopath to have manipulation done to my back and that used to help a lot,
i have also seen cyropractors aswell and they can help you by telling you exercises that will help with your posture as a lot of problems are caused by poor posture,
i used to work on the buildings as a carpenter so i was always doing heavy lifting or a lot of bending down to do floorboards or skirtingboards which made my back worse,
after a while the sciatica will wear off but you will have a weakness there and you will have to be carefull on how you lift things and how you do things in general,
it is not the end of the world and most people only have problems occasionally as long as you are carefull with your back once the pain has gone you should be ok,
i know with my back i have these spasms that last for around two weeks then it settles down for a while, hopefully you will not have the pain for too much longer.

pipkin71

Another sciatica sufferer here :wave:

I have several problems with my spine and a sciatic flare up really knocks me for 6. When I have a flare up, I can't sit for long nor stand for long so can appreciate how difficult it has been for you and feel your pain.

I've recently been using an infra-red heat massager along with a TENs - they don't get rid of the pain but do help. You can also buy a cushion that relieves the pressure on your lower back by suspending the coccyx over a cut out section in the cushion. That may be useful if you spend quite a bit of time sitting down and something to consider when you are ready to go back to work.

zappster1966

Aww listen, cheers folks. Thanks for helping me out with some useful information, appreciated. I'm going to investigate this tens machine, I'm sure our local Lloyds chemist sells them.

I'd heard of sciatica before, didn't even know it was a back problem ! I thought it was a skin condition haha. Am such an ignoramus.

How do you find coping with it mentally ?

Even though I've only recently just got over the acute pain, I find I'm instinctively thinking twice before I go anywhere ... in case it goes "bang" when I'm away from home and I'm left stranded somewhere in absolute agony. That's actually my greatest fear, it's not the pain, it's being stuck somewhere or having it happen at work. Dunno what the heck I'd do ... call an ambulance I guess & rely on their charity to get me home, I wouldn't even be able to sit in the passenger seat of a colleagues car.

So hope it clears up soon, it's driving me nuts. Your advice is invaluable, cheers :-)

Apols if this is me, me, me. Don't mean it that way. I'm trying to find out how real people cope with it & the medical jargon on the internet sites either confuse me or put the fear of God in me !

tanith

I too suffered Sciatica for several years that came and went, I found specific excercises given to me to do by a physio really worked in alleviating the pain. Eventually I had a minimally invasive spinal op that relieved the pressure on the sciatic nerve that worked to a degree but eventually ended up with a total hip replacement and I have not had a bout of sciatica since.. what I am really saying is there can be many reasons causing sciatica and its not that simple to diagnose exactly whats causing it. I always found that keeping moving even when it was at its worst would mean it improved quicker.. most GP's will work their way through tried and tested ways of improving the sciatica for some it will go away but others need further treatments till the source is found and treated.. I hope yours is well on its way to being healed.. it quite simply is one of the worst pains in the world..