In excruciating pain with sciatica, any advice please?

[ChittyChittyBoomBoom]

I’ve suffered for years but I’m having a massive flare and I just don’t know what to do with myself. Dr has prescribed 500mg naproxen plus paracetamol but it’s not touching it. I have a TENS machine on constantly.

I’m in absolute agony to the point of screaming and squealing 😢. I’ve rung GP again so just waiting for them to ring back.

I’m scared and desperate.

My other half had to have liquid morphine for his, it’s a dreadful pain.

Emergency appointment with good osteopath

How do you know it’s sciatica? Have you been examined by your GP?

I’m just concerned it might be a slipped disk

Do you have someone at home to massage your back? I had a terrible attack that had me screaming and I couldn't do anything but pace and cry and rant, so DH got me to lay down on my front and he massaged my back pretty hard on the spot where I assume the sciatic nerve met my spine. It eased it from hurting just long enough for me to fall asleep on my front and let the Naproxen and Codeine to work. Diazepam is a godsend too as a muscle relaxant. DH tells me it was like when you finally get a screaming baby to sleep and you're too scared to move in case you wake them. He had to leave the room like a ninja 😂.

Just that small rest mid-attack was enough to help relax it so when I woke it was half as bad. I alternated heat and ice packs on my back for the next few days and DH roughly massaged my thigh, calf and toes. I even got the kids in on it. It's surprising how much it helps.

Ask your doctor for co-codamol (30mg) and if you can, some diazepam.

Also, if you can, try to go for a good long walk. I was walking a good 3 miles every time I couldn't sleep. You must however take very small steps. Don't step heel to toe. Try to step landing mid foot/heel and then rolling to toe. Stretching your foot out in front of you won't do your sciatica any favours and can make it worse. Stand as straight backed as you can when you walk and tuck your tummy in.

Curl up rather than laying flat. Try and stretch you back round .

Thank for all the tips.

I’ve suffered with sciatica for years I suppose and this just feels like a more intense version. The pain starts in my right lower back and goes down to my calf.

I can barely walk to the toilet at the moment so I think they key is getting on top of the pain so I can mobilise a bit more.

These are the steps I took to sort mine out:

1. Insist on an MRI to work out what's going on;
2. Assuming MRI shows slipped disc or similar then insist on referral to consultant;
3. In the meantime get strong painkillers (I had naproxen, tramadol, cocodamol and amitryptaline) and see a chiropractor who may be able to help;
4. Don't take no for an answer. I had to be super pushy to get to finally see the consultant - once I'd seen him I had a date for surgery pretty quickly and it got sorted out.

Is there any chance you can go private?

You might have femoral impingement. You may need to see a Physio who specialises in hip problems. (Preferably one who has diagnostic equipment like ultrasounds)

Look for sciatica excercises on youtube. I was in utter agony but doing the hip stretches gave almost instant relief, I did around half an hour of different flexes/stretches 2x a day for a week or so and I haven’t had a flare up since August.
If you have a firm bed, lie on your front and bring your affected leg up to beside your waist with your foot touching your calf, lie there for at least 2 minutes, it’s wonderful for freeing up your hips.

Ok
Thermacare lower back and hip wraps
All the drugs. Naproxen, paracetamol, codeine, diazepam and morphine I was on at one point
Try not to sit. Stand or lie down and if you lie on your side have a pillow between knees, think of keeping your spine straight. Walk around gently but don't be doing yoga or anything when it's this severe
Physio can help, mine sent me for an MRI after a few sessions and refused to do any more physio until the results. Results came back and I was sent to a neurosurgeon

If you have ANY saddle numbness, foot drop, urine or bowel issues, straight to a&e

I had years of sciatica from a herniated disc and developed cauda equina

Thanks again 😊. Dr has given me some codeine too. Hoping these will allow me to move a bit more.

I got to the point this morning of feeling like I’ll never heal and be able to walk or stand pain-free again. It’s so scary to be in so much pain.

Hot water bottle under your arse, or on wherever the worst pain is. I was working 12hr shifts in a 999 call centre when I had my first bout, and I only got through those first two weeks because of that bottle!

All these people walking 3 miles a night - fuck knows how, I could barely move between the car and my desk!

www.chesterbodymechanic.com/

I don't know where you are in the country but this guy sorted mine out in 3 sessions. It was due to an old injury that I would never have guessed would be the cause. Magical.

@SoddingWeddings I had to walk. (And I'm a lazy, fat arse who couldn't walk the length of myself )
But I just couldn't stand or sit. I've never had a pain like it. Walking round the house was no good so I went outside and using a YouTube video on how to walk so it would free up the nipped nerve, I just set off. Once I got into a rhythm the pain lessened and I just.... walked.

Nerve impingement is always going to be a problem for me due to skeletal deformities, but Pilates has helped my sciatica a lot. My program was set by my hip specialist. I have to remember to keep my feet and knees wider than my hips when on machines, going up and down stairs, etc. Very lady-like, I know. It helps to use a pillow to wedge between knees if on side or under thigh if on back or seated. Never cross legs. Keep knees apart,

I had sciatica almost daily for 6 years and found out eventually it was caused by a type of autoimmune arthritis, i was only in my early 20’s. I’d tried everything to get rid of it but made sense after the diagnosis why my attempts were in vain.

If you have ongoing issues it’s time to see a healthcare professional.... if you’ve seen one and it’s not been resolved go back to your GP and push for more investigations.