Sciatica - help!

[Fuuuuuckit]

I'm in the throes of sciatica (an attack?) at the moment and it's unbearable. Literally breathtakingly painful. It's been about a month so far. I've been prescribed the super-strength co-codamol (yay constipation) and naproxin but it's not touching the sides.

I've had back problems on and off for 20 years so really do take care of it, mindful lifting, generally sensible, but still get flare-ups about every 12-18 months, usually for no apparent reason.

I am going to ask to wfh today as I was in agony at work yesterday. I can't find a way to sit that's not painful and am barely sleeping. I ended up sobbing in the car last night as I was feeling so sorry for myself. Its so debilitating, I'm literally afraid to move, but once up and walking it eases slightly after maybe 5 minutes.

Any suggestions please? I'm so so tired of being in pain, can't see an end to it at the moment

Oh, I've had some blood tests which all seem OK, have had a MSK referral which could be months to get to the top of the making an appointment list.

My house is becoming a tip and I'm sinking into a pit of depression. I don't really have money for private treatment but am eyeing up my firstborn who as an annoying teen wouldn't make much if I could sell him

I was you four years ago. You have my utmost sympathy it is appallingly painful and inescapable. I ended up on morphine before going private and having a spinal surgeon inject cortisone in to my spine. It doesn’t work for everyone I know but it totally fixed it for me and I haven’t had a problem since.

I found TENS machine helped a lot. You. An get one from Boots for about £50.

Have you been referred to physio. There are exercises that help. I found anything that stretched the periformis helped.

Are you doing the recommended exercises? You can download from NHS website or others. They really help. Swimming also very good.

@Jewel1968 I've been using a tens machine, even at reasonably high settings it was more of a distraction than relief. I've got the referral to MSK but not sure when that'll be, and right now the thought of getting down on the floor to exercise (never mind back up again) is beyond me. I'm usually quite fit and active and run up to 3 times a week.

TENS machine.
McKenzie technique exercises
valium - to get muscle out of spasm

If you can afford it, get a referral for an MRI scan and go private. Prices are generally a few hundred.

If it has got significantly worse it na be that the root cause has deteriorated. I needed surgery when my bulging/slipped disc, became perforated. Surgery fixed my problem after years of crippling pain.Good luck.

Go private. NHS are useless for stuff like this.
And stop the coedine the straining exacerbates the issue. Amytripteline can help.

Pilates when you've got through this episode.

Go back for better drugs for starters - because if you can get the pain under control you’ll at least have a chance of doing back exercises.

I'm back with my chiropractor, he sorts me out. The NHS just offers pills and a long waiting list for physio. I had an MRI during lockdown for something else the consultant clocked my spine scoliosis it was nice to finally have a diagnosis

This. I was so lucky I had private healthcare when I was in this situation but I think I'd have remortgaged to pay for it if not, I was so desperate. I had a herniated disc and was quite literally crippled for months. Surgery sorted me out and I have my life back but if I'd had to wait for NHS treatment I'd still be waiting now.

In the meantime tell the GP you want amitriptyline and you'll have to get the dosage right. If it doesn't help they might try gabapentin. No amount of naproxin will help neural pain and cocodamol won't help enough.

OP, I do stretching exercises on my bed, as I have the same fear of being on the floor and not being able to get up again safely.

As pp says, you can download them from various websites and the McKenzie ones are very good. I do (my interpretation of) the bridge and the cat, after some gentle leg rolls and pelvic tilts.

You need the Motivationaldoc! DR Alan Mandell has excellent videos

https://youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=motivationaldoc+sciatica

I think op said finances don't allow for private.

Can you take any time off work? I think sitting is the worst thing for sciatica. Can you ask for OH referral at work?

Do you find alcohol helps at all because if it does it suggests valium might help relax the muscles.

I have prolapsed discs but also the pirifomis gets very tight which I think puts pressure on sciatic nerve which is why stretching of that helps. The pigeon pose helps.

I find the strong painkillers don't tend to have any impact. And I agree with poster who says the constipation only agrivates.

I have a friend with a chronic pain condition (not back) and she swears by CBD oil. She gets the 'proper' stuff. She isn't in UK.

Last time I had it the gp prescribed diazepam which I don't think helped much so I've not got it this time. Have been worried to drink after taking all the pills (not a big drinker anyway) so not really sure about the relaxing, but I was longing to slump on the sofa yesterday after being at work all day. Which is most likely the worst thing I can do to my back!

Chiropractor worked for me. Had to pay privately but NHS was no use. The best they offered was physio which didn't help. After quite a few sessions with chiropractor I no longer have problems with the area that I had sciatica in.

I have also found acupuncture helpful.

The thing is what works for one won't work for another. A chiropractor made me worse. A good physio was a lifesaver. I have had good NHS and private physio.

I ended up paying for my own Lumbar MRI - currently £419 at Spire Hospitals. You'll need a referral from a doctor (GP or consultant) and then you have to wrangle the report off them.

Diazepam and naproxen helped me. You have my sympathies- it's awful.

Get a silicone pack or 2 ideally, that can be frozen and heated in microwave and alternate every hour for 10 minutes. Deep tissue massage will help too you can buy massage machine or book a session for lower back or buttocks. Or get a tennis ball and put on chair behind you on buttock areas to massage. If you can lie over the edge of your bed on your back and put your head and neck over the edge to stretch your back buy gently. Get someone to help you if you can. Frequent sufferer, ice packs really help to bring inflammation down and heat brings more blood to help healing. Get well soon

This absolutely, i didnt want to be pumped full of drugs that made me feel worse. I would add that i now visit the chiropractor regularly 6/8 weekly, and it keeps me in check. I was able to get to work and resume working for myself in a pretty physical job after two wks. If i had gone the NHS route I wouldn’t be better now.

I’ve had recurrent sciatica. I was ok upright or lying flat, but the in between could cause a spasm.

I got a few sessions of acupuncture from my Gp. I was offered the steroid injection but didn’t fancy it. I was told that there had probably been some inflammation that irritated the nerve, and although the inflammation had gone the nerve was still firing. They thought the pain would go away eventually, I think this was around the six month mark. I finished the acupuncture course, but don’t feel it made much difference.

About this time I read about Trigger Point Therapy and agree with what @ImtheRealfatshady says.

I used to lie in bed at night and press my thumb quite hard into the muscle in my bum where it seemed most tender. At first it’s really painful, but as you hold the pressure it goes away. Please make sure you check that your condition won’t be made worse by this. It shouldnt cause injury, but obviously I’m not a professional.

All I can say is that after doing this for a few weeks the sciatica went away. It may be that as I was told, the irritated nerve just stopped firing.

My chiropractor starts at the top my neck seizes up office work etc. Then works down realigning bone by bone. It's like straightening a necklace. He does spend a lot of time on my tail bone and right buttock. He also suggests I walk for a bit rather than getting straight back in the car. I can now jump out of bed instead being a version of Quasimodo. My posture is so bad so shoulders back, back straight is son I consciously try to do. I'm going once a week which will morph into monthly. I don't take drugs unless I've a day out. Lots of walking then it's ibuprofen. I had cocodamol after eye surgery. Makes me comatose