I burst in to tears at the pool because swimming with sciatica is so painful

[Mxflamingnoravera]

I have had sciatica for three weeks now. No pain in my back but the back of my knee and calf are agonisingly painful despite tramadol/co-codamol/naproxen (not all at once but I'm tempted). My foot is numb and feels like I'm walking on marbles.

I need to keep moving and I'm a swimmer. Swimming is listed as one of the best therapies for sciatica according to all the websites.
Last week I swam twice and my numb foot became agony to move, I battle through 40 lengths of crawl, but I couldn't put any weight on it in the pool.
Today I went feeling determined that my foot was not going to hurt. And weirdly it didn't. But my calf hurt so much I was crying as I was swimming and at 600 metres I had to stop and have a quiet weep, the pain was excruciating, my body was loving the water but my calf was agony, every single stroke was painful. I stood at the shallow end and cried into my goggles, nobody saw me (at least I don't think they did) but I was in so much pain I had to give in and weep. After 5 or so minutes I regained my composure and pushed on (not using my leg to push off the wall) I got to my usual 40 lengths and thank god there were proper stairs style steps otherwise I could not have got out. I had my sliders by the steps and as soon as they were on the pain subsided.

I grabbed my stuff and sat in a cubicle bawling, when will this pain go away? When will I be able to do the one sport I love without being in agony? Should I stop swimming (dr said no, but was when it was my foot was hurting). I'm crying again now with the memory of the session I had been looking forward to and baca use my leg still hurts. I've had 2x30mg codomol it's made no difference.

I'm at the end of my tether with this, I start a new job next week but I can walk properly, I'm on strong painkillers and there is no sign of any improvement.

For info, I am having two chiro sessions a week, I walk at least 20 mins a day (as a deliberate walk). I have enough painkillers to start a pharmacy.

Do I stop swimming? Do I swim through the pain?

Careful with the ice pack … obviously as others recommend them, they work for some, but the one and only time I tried one with my back, it set off awful, painful spasms!

IF ice works then only do ten mins at a time .

Also, never put an ice pack onto bare skin. Wrap it in a cloth 👍

So pleased you have a plan. Sending love.

I've just discovered Dean Volk on you tube and Facebook- thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to pay for a consultation with him after I get my mri results next week.
What I learned from him today was how much impact stress can have on recovery and pain and how much of an mri can come back with "normal age related stuff". Also to stretch the good side not the bad, I'm going to find out more about this today.

I've not been back to the pool despite my body aching to get into the water for that feeling of rebirth, I'd go if I could trust myself not to swim but I can't.

Got my MRI back today, I don't reallly understand it but dr Google says it's serious :(

What type of serious?

In what way?

It said that if the nerve was not treated I could use the use of the muscles and nerves. No more detail than that and the rest was very technical. I'm in a total mess of fear and stress right now. I started new job yesterday and the drive home was agony because of traffic build up, my mum is in. Care home getting them to call me all day because she thinks I've been kidnapped (I face time her every evening) my BF is comparing his own pain from an old accident with mine and telling me to get on with stuff like he does, my house has not been cleaned since I hurt my back, I'm losing weight and living on a diet of narcotics which the dr said was ok to drive on as long as I don't feel drowsy.

I can't go sick on my second day of work, I can do the work but it takes my foot nearly an hour to wake up enough to walk on it in the morning and sliders are the only comfortable footwear I have.

It's all one big horrid mess.

• lose not use the muscles.

I think the important thing to note is it says IF it's not treated. You will have treatment. See your GP asap. Try not to panic just yet.

Yes, good point. Thanks @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

@MaxOverTheMoon I've signed up with Dean Volks. My acupuncturist approves, says left right balance is a good approach rather than stretching sore,stretched nerves. So far I'm finding his approach works, slowly, but I can feel my bad side get stronger using his exercises, I'll still keep seeing my needles man and in the meantime I'm using morphine patches for pain relief while I wait for an nhs prescribing physio appt (8weeks possibly).
I'm considering giving up work for 6 months, I can't afford it, but I can't keep taking time off and not being able to do stuff due to my pain. It's only a thought at the moment but work is so painful and exhausting that I'm not doing it to my full capability. HR meeting this week...

I would see a sports physio before giving up work.

I got a referral to nhs muscular skeletal team through today. Next Thursday morning. I'm going to lose the Job let alone leave it at this rate. my foot, ankle and calf are so painful in all positions I've been off sick 2 days out of the 9 I've worked since starting the new job.

the only pain free position is lying on my good side with a pillow between my legs to keep my hips level.

@Mxflamingnoravera

Just read your thread and wondering how you are and what happened next?

@Summerslimtime I lost my job. I paid for an MRI and it showed a herniated disc. I paid for a private back surgeon who put a steroid injection into my back and then later in November last year he carried out a microdiscectomy (on the NHS in a private hospital).

My foot is still numb and painful (at the same time), and I had another MRI on Thursday this week because the disc may have reherniated.

I got a new job in January and so my six months on the sofa ended, but I'm still taking gabapentin for my foot pain and I cannot see any end to it, the nerve may be permanently damaged. But I am swimming four times a week again and I can mostly live a normal life.

How do you think it reherniated OP?

I also ended up having a MD but I'm much better. I'm so sorry your surgery didn't go well. Did you do all the PT stuff after to build core?

Sounds like you are still in middle of this battle, OP. Thanks for sharing your story, anyway. I often wonder if "something" could be done about my back issues, I'm afraid (not your fault) your story convinces me that it's only worthwhile to get something done if you're too desperate to continue otherwise.

All these amazing things modern medicine can do but solve back problems: no. That is a shocker, really.

I had this, I ended up in a wheelchair. My dr had forgotten to send my referral so by the time I had an MRI (I was in agony for a year and couldn't take any meds due to sensitivities) my two options were injection or surgery. I tried the injection and it has worked but I have to move a lot every day otherwise I get really stiff in the lumbar part of my spine.

I wouldn't wish sciatica on my worst enemy. It played a huge part in the deterioration of my mental health and also the Drs were useless (until I was actually seen in a hospital) if you can afford the private MRI get one and sod what your GP said.