Are there any active support forums for chronic sciatica/lower back pain?

[PromisesPromises]

I know there used to be a back thread on here but haven't seen it for a while.

Any sites I've come across elsewhere seem quite quiet and after a year of this pain, GPs dragging their heeels etc was looking for somewhere to look for further information on what has worked for other people maybe have a rant the odd time

if there is one I would post on it. i am off work at the moment and hardly moving at all. its not been going on for a long time though.

I am only into the third week of Sciatica and it is driving me nuts....one bonus is that I seem to be loosing a bit of weight as I can't sit down and have to keep walking around and using the exercise bike.

Have you read any of John Sarno's books? Please do they completely cured my back pain (which I was due to have surgery on and was signed off work). Healing back pain and the Mind Body Problem (or possibly solution!).

I have read one of them qumquat and signed up to the TMS site a while back although didn't get any further than that. I should give it another shot, willing to try anything right now. How quickly did it help you if you don't mind me asking?

You have my utter sympathies queen and NK It's the not able to sit down that is driving me nuts (or being on my feet too long some days, I'm up and down like a yoyo). 'Luckily' I'm not working as a SAHM, unluckily that requires running around after a young one that doesn't understand why mum can't handle being clambered over, picking them up and bending over a million times a day. Feel a bit sad that there's days she misses out because I can't face the pain I get after taking her to the park or whatever.

I can't do very much except sit still or walk very slowly for short periods.
Im thinking I should go back to work tomorrow as Im feeling bad about being off, but i work in an SN school. My GP gave me a cream "capsaicin' made from essence of pure hellfire I think, has anyone else been given this?

I'm in the same boat also. I had a discectomy a year ago and now have ongoing increasing problems with my symptoms returning (plus back spasms). I also work in a school but I actually leave next week as it aggrivates my back so much. There is a spine health forum which I think is American but does have some UK posters and that is quite active.

Now I feel bad complaining about looking after one child when some of you work in schools amd look after many.

I haven't tried that queen although it's been saved in my Amazon basket for quite some time. I don't find heat helps me as I've tried hot water bottles. The one thing that does ease my lower back pain, not the sciatic pain though, is a TENS machine. The docs seemed very reluctant to try anything with me besides send me on my merry way with stretches. I think they were expecting it to go eventually as was I. It's taken a lot of pushing and finally getting a sympathetic gp that actually listened to me and all I have tried myself (physio, stretches, pilates etc) to get agreement for further testing done. Did you decide about work?

Thanks Meg, I'll have a google for that. So sorry the operation hasn't provided some sort of relief for you, that must be gutting Is there anything else they can do?

Dm is medically retired because of her back and I'd be lying if I didn't say that watching all she has gone through and is still coping with doesn't worry me that this is the start of the same process for me.

I"m not going in until Monday. I hope its better by then. I'm a bit scared I've got some disc problem and its not just muscular. I've also got a slight curve of the spine. I don't really know what to do next. Im waiting for the workplace insurance physio to contact me as they are meant to be much quicker than using the NHS one.

Sorry you are all struggling. The problem with bad backs and working with or having children is the bending that you have to do. Whether it's changing a nappy or slightly bending over a table looking at children's work. My own children are teenagers so I am lucky with that but I think I will need a change of career once I know what.is happening. I think my options will be do nothing/physio, steroid injections or another operation but until they give me another scan I have no idea amd as we know it's not easy getting an mri...

So I went to the GP today. she has signed me off for 2 weeks and referred me to the spine doctor and an booked an MRI. I have a "'significant curvature of the spine" and she was keen to get it looked into.

She also gave me some valium, stronger painkillers and the number of a private osteopath. Work are going to love this.

Work will have to suck it up, you only have one back! My employers have been brilliant and maybe yours will. I expect you won't be allowed to work on diazepam, they probably have a medicines policy.

I'm having lower back issues, a very hypermobile si joint and other joints.

I'm much improved after lots of Pilates and physio but it goes so very easily.

I'm still recovering from a journey down south last xmas. Sitting destroys me as does my period.

I'm very interested to hear the tens helps primrose; Ive been holding off buying one as this has been an incredibly expensive issue so far.

I've found my people! I have chronic lower back issues stemming from an injury in labour nearly 8 years ago. I have hypermobile SI joints and gluteus medius weakness.

It's been a very bad week this week, as the stretches my physio gave me caused a flare up which led to 3 days off work. I'm in a vicious circle that I know I need to strengthen certain muscles in order to improve, but the exercises always cause something else to go wrong.

I've tried Pilates, swimming and am currently seeing a private physio who is much better than my previous osteopath or chiropractor.

I'm disheartened that I spend so much time and money trying to get better, but constantly reinjure myself and go backwards. Just been out this morning to a local Xmas festival, but had to come home because the cold was making my back so painful. Now sitting with a hot water bottle feeling sorry for myself!

Sorry to hear so many of us are in this position!

Banderchang you sound like me!

I think it's a glute issue but I can't work out what.

I managed to get the TENS passed onto me for free postit. Dm purchased it for her back but it didn't help her at all so she gave me it. I've heard such mixed reports about them I would be inclined to borrow or rent one first to see if it helps before forking out.

I had the steriod injection done on a nerve on my foot and it was fabulous Meg. Dm had it done on her back the first time and it gave her a year free of pain, unfortunately it's not possible this time.

I'm glad you've got some sort of progress queen, even if it sounds serious. I agree work will just have to put up with it. They can't expect you to be much use in the pain you're in anyway. What are the waiting lists like there for MRIs? It's shocking here (as are the lists for pain clinics etc)

Interesting some of you have hypermobile joints. I have been told by physios before, I was a runner so was down about various things throughout the years, I have very flexible joints but contrasting very tight tendons. Always sounded like a recipe for disaster

I hear you Banderchang, I know I have weaknesses (glutes especially) I need to strengthen but the likes of physio run pilates brought me a new brand of pain. I'm sorry you're feeling low today and hope the hot water bottle helps. It has such an effect on my mood at the moment.

Yesterday I tried to ring my health center to see if my xray results were in and make an appointment to find they were closed for the day for some unknown reason. I took a bad fall a little while before this started and didn't think anything of it but the gp wants to cancel it out first before referring for an mri.

I had my coccyx removed this June, in hope that it would sort my Coccydynia and chronic lower back pain.
So far I'm worse than before the op which is really hard to come to terms with.
I've been back at work for 6 weeks since the op and every day is a real struggle.
So sorry you're all in pain too.

All my reading about hypermobility points towards tight hamstrings etc being a Big Issue / compounding factor.

I've been looking at a lot of the stuff by Katy bowman and just purchased all her stuff on "down there" pelvic health. Yet to properly look st but done a few bits before and found helpful. She does do a lot of gentle stuff.

If you follow her facebook she's doing an advent thing of daily stretches / moment stuff. So far it's similar to the back things. I'm screen shotting it!

Legs wide on the wall is s favourite of hers and I do think it helps.

Thanks for the tens info / good idea to borrow first.

Currently squishing my glutes with a spiky ball.

Nutritious movement is her face book.

This is it. The sacrum bit is the key not how wide.

yellow yes I think we probably have similar issues. Sucks, doesn't it! I used to find rolling a tennis ball on my gluteus was helpful, so I'm sure your spiky ball will work well.

I've tried clam stretches for my glutes, but they throw my si joint out. I now have a different stretch to do lying on my back so I can't twist my pelvis, but it's still causing soreness. Not sure whether to give up or push through. I'm seeing my physio weekly and it's so expensive, so I want to do the exercises to make the most of the adjustments.

I'm in need of a hobby I think, as I'm focusing too much on being in pain or discomfort. What kinds of stuff do you all do in your free time with bad backs? I can't currently do much in the way of proper exercise, and have recently also had shoulder surgery so can't do heavy stuff like gardening. I think if I had more going on I mig

Sorry, posted too soon! What I meant was, I need more going on than work and being in pain. I cope better at work when I'm busy, but can't work out what else to do outside of work that won't make things worse health wise. Any suggestions?

Oh Nacho that sounds awful, I hope things improve for you. Promises, I think the injections would be the first line of fire, if physio doesn't improve things and I will try anything. I'm also interested in the tens idea although my last physio didn't seem to thing it would help my disk herniation I will ask my new physio I think. I know the muscles go in to spasm as a protection thing so it might relax them?

So how is everyone doing today? I ended up seeing my physio again yesterday afternoon as my glute spasm was so bad I couldn't walk (third time this week). He tried some acupuncture which seemed to make a difference, and I go back tomorrow for another session. Anyone else tried acupuncture?

Scared at the fact it will be minus 2 here tomorrow morning because cold is a real trigger for my hip pain. The rest of the week is much warmer but tomorrow first thing is bitterly cold (north east). At least I have physio at the end of the day to sort out problems.

Hope everyone is managing ok today and able to enjoy their weekend. We put up some snowflake window stickers earlier, and it's taking all my willpower not to rearrange the ones that DS (7) put up that aren't laid out to my liking. Still, they look Christmassy, if asymmetrical, and we have a festive reed diffuser which is adding to the ambience.

I am doing an OU degree in childhood studies which is my hobby although as I said upthread I've given in my notice in for my job as work (and everything else I do) is buggering up my back and i need to walk away to give myself the best shot as I don't think I will get many chances having already had an op.

Sorry to hear you're giving up work, Meg. The OU degree sounds interesting and must be good at distracting you from pain. I did an online MOOC a few years ago and enjoyed the structure of that.