sciatica

[essexgirl58]

I have today been diagnosed with sciatica. I have heard it can be very painful but mine is not that bad. I can walk fine but when I sit down I get painful twinges and then as I go to stand up it is quite painful but once I am up an on my feet and walking again it is fine and the pain has gone.

The hospital doctor said no two people are the same and whilst one person has it very badly, another has it mildly. I was given naproxen but it has not helped at all. I wass also given co codamol but am reluctant to take it because the side effects are drowsy and dizzy and I do not wnt either of those.

I do have some Anadin Ultra which I got from the chemist over the counter and I am wondering if that would be better at easing the pain. I am sat up in bed at the moment and if I try not to move too much its ok but if I suddenly move I get painful twinges.

Any advice. ? On a scale of 1 to 10 , my pain is about number 4 which is not tht bad compared to some who say theirs is horrendus. Mine is more annoying than anything

[mushforbrain]

Sorry nothing helpful but following in the hope of some good advice!

[Sparklfairy]

Hot water bottle!

[paisley256]

Deep freeze spray or gel
The only and best medication that's worked for me is Pregabalin.
Best of luck

[Cherrytart23]

I've had it few years ago it was horrendous I could barely walk no painkillers helped. Best and only thing I could do was rest as much as possible resulting in a month of work. It eventually started to ease off after about 4 weeks but took much longer before completely went.

[zebrarobot]

My dh had it bad after a gym injury a couple years ago. The gp wasnt bothered about finding out what was causing it and instead prescribed cocodamol, naproxen and gabapentin (this basically switches off nerve pain receptors in the brain or something) - he was like a zombie and still in so much pain! He couldnt sit down and basically spent almost 6 weeks signed off work lying on his front on the living room floor as it was the least painful position for him.

Eventually he went to an osteopath who found the sciatica was coming from a knee injury. He adjusted his back and hips there and then, suggested 2 more follow up appointments and dh has been perfect ever since! Dh basically crawled into the first appointment with a hot water bottle on his hip but walked out and the car journey home was alot easier. It was £40 each appointment but so worth it to have dh back and not a drugged up zombie. Gp just seemed to want to treat the symptoms and not the cause.

Have a look at osteopath/chiropractor who specialise in sciatica. For us it was well worth the cash.

[essexgirl58]

a few years ago I had a pubic rami fracture. That was horrendously painful and I was in so much pain I was prescribed morphene for 3 days wich was the only thing that worked.

[TacCat49]

I had sciatica before my spinal surgery. It was horrific. To get some relief I would lie over the back of the lounge chair so my head was on one side and my feet on the other. In effect I was pulling the spinal discs apart and releasing trapped nerves. The chair and i had quite a relationship. Although it relieved the sciatica marginally the spinal fusion surgery cured the sciatica. I wouldn't wish the sciatica pain on my worst enemy.

[GuyFawkesDay]

I thought I had it. Turned out to be a different back issue which the chiropractor sorted for me. I went from walking 10-15km to barely able to walk down the road in a few weeks but all sorted now

[Schoolchoicesucks]

Another recommending you see an osteopath - I couldn't sit down for a week without being in agony (which was terribly inconvenient that it started when I was a 4 hour drive away from home).

It had started to ease by the time I saw an osteopath, but 1 appointment and I could walk without hobbling and hunching like a 90 year old and even put my own socks on again. It took another 6 to feel completely normal again, but well worth it.

Yoga helps now and if I start to feel twinges I go straight back to the osteopath.

[bigbluebus]

When I had it (brought on by moving and handling as a carer) I was similar to you - fine to walk but couldn't sit without going into spasm which was only relieved by lying face down on the floor. Mine actually went fairly quickly once I was able to get back into the gym and walk on the treadmill. Wasn't allowed to do any weights for a good couple of months though. My GP only prescribed low dose cocodamol alongside naproxen.

[MrsDThomas]

Ive had problems with my SI joint (so the physio said) but now the pain radiates down my butt cheek to my calf. I hate sitting down, hurts when i drive, and the only time its ok its when i walk or run. To me, running is great as it releases the tension.

Can anyone recommend something i can sit on? I feel i need some that will release the tension in the butt, something that will kind ma hurt it IYKWIM? Like a bed of nails?!

[Dillidalli]

I have had it on and off for years, this year it’s been mostly on and has been horrific. The doctors just prescribe prescribe prescribe. I have been to an osteopath but that didn’t work too well at all, then I went to a physio and he was amazing and helped me to understand why I was having the pain.
Some days I can’t put my socks on I’m in so much pain, other days I’m pain free but have numbness and tingling all down my leg. It never goes away.
Do yourself a favour and find a good physio who can help with posture and exercises now, before it gets any worse.

[Dillidalli]

@MrsDThomas try putting a rolled up towel in your lower back when you sit down, for Lumbar support. Also, upward facing dog pose is good. You may feel the pain in your bum but it’s probably due to pressure on the nerve further up. Sit up straight, don’t slouch or round your back.

[essexgirl58]

@MrsDThomas

Ive had problems with my SI joint (so the physio said) but now the pain radiates down my butt cheek to my calf. I hate sitting down, hurts when i drive, and the only time its ok its when i walk or run. To me, running is great as it releases the tension.

Can anyone recommend something i can sit on? I feel i need some that will release the tension in the butt, something that will kind ma hurt it IYKWIM? Like a bed of nails?!

cool

[Jouleigh]

@TacCat49

I had sciatica before my spinal surgery. It was horrific. To get some relief I would lie over the back of the lounge chair so my head was on one side and my feet on the other. In effect I was pulling the spinal discs apart and releasing trapped nerves. The chair and i had quite a relationship. Although it relieved the sciatica marginally the spinal fusion surgery cured the sciatica. I wouldn't wish the sciatica pain on my worst enemy.

Omg! That sounds
Amazing, I'm actually waiting for everyone else to go to bed so I can start the relationship with my sofa.
I don't have sciatica, but have trapped nerves which creates pain in a slightly different way.
I've tried many things, waiting for an MRI and physio. Hopefully the sofa will be quicker!

[BleuJay]

This guy is brilliant -

[BleuJay]

And this one -

[3beesinmybonnet]

I've had mild sciatica in the past and I found the exercises specifically for relieving sciatica on the NHS website very helpful. Sorry I don't have a link.

[Mossstitch]

@mrsDThomas Google Don Tygny, he has exercises for this which really help, mine kept slipping out of place, pain excruciating but this taught me how to realign it. Work related, I'm a therapist in acute hospital.
I also regularly get sciatic pain and numb area on one thigh from what I presume is bulging disc, I find ibruphren is best, may take a while and you think its not working but about 3 hours later I realise pain subsiding due to anti inflammatory action of the medication, so it's not an instant pain killer. Instant relief gained from arching back or bridging but that only gives temporary relief whilst doing it.

[essexgirl58]

@3beesinmybonnet

I've had mild sciatica in the past and I found the exercises specifically for relieving sciatica on the NHS website very helpful. Sorry I don't have a link.

Mine is also mild. I was given naproxen which was of no use at all and co codamol which I refuse to take because I read that it gives nasty side effects such as sleepy and dizzyness.

I have some over the counter painkillers called Anain Ultra which I have just taken and they seem to do the triick. I am no longer in the same discomfort but obviously I still have the sciatica. I will discuss this with my GP and I am sure she will say take whatever works for you.

I do a des job and I am wondering if I can now do the job which requires a lot of sitting in one position. Yesteray at the hospital etc sitting was near impossible because I was sitting on the sciatic nerve thus causing a lot of painful twinges but these Anadins take the edge off and whilst I get the odd twinge, it is nowhere near as bad as it was. However wen the Anadin Ultra wear off, then I am back to square one

[essexgirl58]

I am curious to know why we get prescribed naproxen as an anti inflamatory when we can just get over the counter ones? What I am trying to ask is naproxen by itself did me no good but i was told i could take co codamol with it. I did not take co codamol but instead switched to Anadin Ultra which is a painiller and anti inlamatory all in one. Anadin Ultra is known to work in 5 minutes which i true becaue as soon as I took it it worked. I guess if your symproms are not that bad you can cope with over the counter tablets

[Hydrate]

Try cold packs on the sciatic area on butt cheeks, you may be able to feel the most tender spot. Then if your leg is aching, wrap a heating pad around it. Sitting can aggitate it. Good luck with the meds, I used to take Tramacet, tramadol (was too strong for me)er or codeine and antinflamatories for it, but can manage with cold and heat now.
Oh, I had nerve block injections, that helped a lot!

[Hydrate]

PS. I wore cycle shorts to prevent the cold pack from falling off, so I was free to hobble around the house.

[Yusanaim]

a few years ago I had a pubic rami fracture. That was horrendously painful and I was in so much pain I was prescribed morphene for 3 days wich was the only thing that worked.

I happened to mention to a chirpractor (he was fixing my upper back) that my right leg, when I'm lying on the floor knees bent, won't drop out to the side. He did something to my pubic rami and it was so much better - must have subluxed it at some time. Could old injury be related to your injury?

[IckyPop]

Get yourself to a physio who will treat the current pain and give you ongoing exercises to prevent flare ups.