Sciatica - Anyone had/have it? How do you cope?

Mojisola

Katiehound said:

At the risk of being shot down! Perhaps think about consulting an osteopath.

I second this - but mine was fixed by a cranial osteopath - no manipulation, very gentle treatment but worked for me.

JGB1955

DebsFran said:

Thanks JGB1955 - gooing to ask a daft question now, where did you apply the ice packs? My pain is all down my leg, but from what I understand it starts at the sciatic nerve which is in the back

I apply the icepack to my lower back.  At one time I had pain and numbness all the way down my leg, to the sole of my right foot.  I have a set of exercises that I do that stretch my lower back, reducing pressure on the nerve.  The ice pack reduces swelling and irritation of the nerve.  Exercise (gentle walking) is essential to recovery.  At one point I couldn't even walk the 5 metres to our garage but after six months or so I was back to 10 mile + walks.  It still flares up from time-to-time so I have six-monthly chiropractic appointments to keep it under review.  Years ago I visited my doctor for a similar problem.  All she could offer was a physiotherapy appointment..... the date of the appointment came through 4 months later.  I would have been suicidal if I had to wait that long.  Thank goodness for chiropractors!

McKneff

I used a yantra mat, please Google it. It works on pressure points. I had terrible 
Pain from a facet joint. Nothing helped till a friend lent me hers and it gave me so much relief.
Worth a try for around a tenner. 

teddysmum

Unless you have some kind of scan, it is not certain that sciatica pain is caused by a disc movement and recovery seems to depend on age (I'm 72).

My first instance was over 20 years ago and my GP prescribed paracetamol and sent me for physiotherapy. At first they used a tens machine to loosen things up and it was fantastic, but the pharmacy sold model doesn't compare. Then I was given exercises to do at home, but they were so painful that I gave up and felt I had to comment when a practitioner told a fellow patient that I was a good patient who did their homework.

It turned out that she was treating me for pain on both sides, but mine was right only. A simple exercise of standing slightly away from a wall and pressing on a hip , cured me in two days.
The GP referred me again when I had left sided sciatica,  after tripping going upstairs, which felt different as the pain was to knee only and more ripping than sharp nerve pain. This was within the last two years and when I commented that any demo exercise hurt, the physio said that there was very little hope of it working, because of my age and the fact that I had known herniations but , thoracic. It eventually went right after about 6 weeks on tramadol, duloxetine and using my heat pad.

This time it started as a painful left thigh sensation , while using my laptop on my lap, which forced me to put the machine aside and stand, whereupon the pain went. Soon this became a tearing off of muscle sensation, all down my leg and after the month's trial on GP prescribed drugs, within a couple of minutes, one morning, turned my whole le into an untouchable mass of all over tearing pain, which really made me scream and refuse to let the paramedics touch the leg (They gave me a secret morphine jab to get me to the ambulance.)

This time's physio was only meant to get me mobile, once my pain was hugely reduced, but even on good days my legs forget where to go.

The person joking about being paralysed. must not realise how serious this is for people so afflicted. While in hospital I was sitting on my bed and thought I would complete a section of a puzzle, before nipping to the toilet, which was only at the bottom of my bed. Then it suddenly hit me with force when I realised that I could not just stand up and go. Mine was not paralysis and hopefully will improve, but certainly gave me more empathy with those who are permanently deprived of movement.

DebsFran

Thanks Mojisola

Thanks JGB1955  I totally agree with you regarding the length wait for referrals via the GP.  I have been given quite a few suggestions in this thread and will definitely will be trying them.

Thanks McKneff definitely worth a try will look into this.

Geeze teddysmum you really have been through the wars, so sorry to hear this. Mine seems nothing to what you have been through. As for the person with the insensitive & idiotic comment, I just totally ignored them

pickledonionspaceraider

@DebsFran Did you get your scan result yet x

DebsFran

Hi pickledonionspaceraider, no not yet as I only had the scan on 28/2/21 and was told it takes 2-3 weeks, so looking at 21/3/21, id not had it by then will be chasing

willow_loulou

I had it chronically for years. I get a twinge now and then but nothing like it did. 

What I changed was:
walking - I walk round my house and up and down the stairs as much as possible. Doing the stairs was agony but it got better. It seemed to free things up. 

Heat pad - electric heat pad on me in bed and when sat. It’s more effective than a water bottle. 

Magnesium spray- it’s amazing on my legs and back. It’s a subtle thing at first but the radiating pain eases with it 

Don’t use a walking stick alone. If you feel you need support use two or a Walker, 

new shoes, with good cushioning inners and support on the sides. 

Good luck 

teddysmum

DebsFran said:

Hi pickledonionspaceraider, no not yet as I only had the scan on 28/2/21 and was told it takes 2-3 weeks, so looking at 21/3/21, id not had it by then will be chasing

I had another, as the surgeon thinks more than one disc is involved and I'm on the surgery list (daren't ask how long the queue is as the media say there are millions waiting for urgent surgery).

I would have had the results on Monday, but making a call to surgery secretaries, last week, caused her to notice that I was booked for the wrong clinic, so Monday's was cancelled and there is no new appointment as the surgeon is on leave.,,,,,and so we wait.