Sciatica - nothing works?

[NeedForSpeed]

DH has sciatica. He's had 30/500 co-codamol and 500mg naproxen for days and it's not touching the sides. I dosed him up with my 20mg amitryptiline last night which knocked him out at least, but he's in agony again now.

He's refusing my TENS machine now although it helped 2 days ago. Heat and cold application makes no difference to him.

No position is comfortable - lie on side, back, front, sit, stand, squat - so he's throwing himself around all the time trying to find a way to be out of pain.

He's also an appalling patient, and even the mildest cold turns him into an absolute wailing arsehole so this level of pain means he is currently the most cantankerous thankless groaning and moaning prick you can imagine which is making nursing him even harder.

Any actual tips? Or does nothing work?

TENS machine is the only thing that works for me but it sounds like he is being annoyingly dramatic tbh

Has he tried osteopathy? I would get him to an osteopath to sort out the cause rather than treat the symptoms.

Has he had it properly diagnosed? I was told I had sciatica. Turns out it was something very different, which caused the same sensation, diagnosed when I saw a consultant for MRI and further CT.

He's an adult. Why are you dealing with his drama. Also don't self medicate he needs to see his GP.

Get a physio referral. I found exercises and acupuncture helped.

Seeing her tomorrow, only time she had availabile.

Only by phone by 111 GP. Pain is mostly buttock, testicle and leg down to the knee. Tight lower back on same side. No other issues ie numbness or pins and needles, so seems fairly likely.

There is no real substitute for doing the exercises to stretch the piriformis muscle and doing it daily. At a pinch, a massage will help alleviate the symptoms for a couple of days, but you have to do the exercises to stop the problem recurring. Pain relief medication is not a long or even particularly short term solution.

Has spoken to GP, who prescribed the naproxen and co-codamol.

Physio is a 3 month wait around here but he's seeing an osteopath tomorrow morning.

He is a highly dramatic person at the best of times tbh... Prone to over reacting to minor things. It's a deeply unattractive quality.

I’d be careful if he hasn’t had proper investigation. An osteopath actually made my issue worse. It wasn’t thier fault, it was mine, I should have just gone to see a consultant but I was waiting for my excess period to reset.

Osteo and private physio were sure it was sciatica but scans showed otherwise.

He is unable to do any stretches tbh - no way he could lie flat let alone bring a knee up to chest or similar.

What did they show?

NHS say they won't see you for six weeks as it is self resolving 99% of the time. A consultant referral will be years around here - 18mths for neurosurgery for example.

If its really unbearable, A&E for a morphine shot which will get him through the next day or so

Something pretty horrific, which is thankfully not common. I’m still in shock, this has all happened within 6 weeks of calling my insurance to see someone, so my head is still spinning.

I know, nhs times are horrific. I’m just lucky that I’ve been paying a private healthcare policy all my adult life, I thank my lucky stars for it.

I’m just very cautious as I’ve had something before that was horrible that most people are fobbed off for, and now this. When I first saw my consultant, I said that a physiotherapist and an Ostopath were both sure it was sciatica and his words were, “unless you have x ray vison, you can never be sure of anything.”

I’m sure it’s sciatica for the majority of people, but you can never be 100% sure of anything.

I suspect he won't take you up on this, but during my sciatica flareups the only thing that allowed me enough mobility to start healing was Tai Chi. I know its impossible to stretch when everything is tensed up with the pain. Doing a youtube tai chi video was the first step in being able to move again. Using a heat pack before trying to move was also helpful.

I've had sciatica twice - years apart - and they osteopath was my saviour.

You mention pain in his testicle area. Any numbness in between his bits or buttocks? Any change to his bladder or bowel function since the back and leg pain started?

How does that work when it's at its worst though? He can't stand for more than about ten seconds, has to sit to pee, has to sit on the stairs when moving between the bedroom and the bathroom which is about 8 metres...

No - no signs for cauda equina. Am watching like a hawk just in case.

Sounds like you are clued up! Bladder and bowel changed can be subtle, like change on flow, not being to empty fully. Testicle pain is less common with sciatica. Does he have any history of cancer or family history of prostate problems?

Physio and once pain reduced doing pilates regularly. Even just some stretches when brushing my teeth etc...

I take strong pain relief to get the pain under control and get moving (physio exercises).

It's a condition that never fully goes so needs constant care to reduce attacks.

This is my go to as soon as I get the twinge!
He doesn't have to do them all but should be able to do 1/2 with acute pain.

And tell him to grow up and get on with it!!!!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=2eA2Koq6pTI

@NeedForSpeed I didn’t notice the part about testicular pain. I really wouldn’t fuck about with that. My tumour is in a totally unrelated place but pressing onnerves and causing sciatic like pain.

My friends call me the voice of doom, but I’m never too careful after what I’ve been/am going through.

Assuming that it is sciatica, I’ll be honest and say nothing really works until the initial inflammation has died down a bit. It’s usually at least a month to recover.

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend seeing an osteopath, chiropractor or having any type of manipulation on his spine at the moment, because you don’t know what’s causing the problem. I would pay to see a physiotherapist or an actual doctor.

He needs to visit a nursery and lie on the floor and let the toddlers jump all over him.