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

Long term, possibly life, but l don't care. I'm a new person. Also it helps sleep at higher doses.

Promises when I had my xray the guy doing it made me so upset by saying "even if it is Coccydynia they can't do anything"
I made an official complaint about him. And it was bullshit, which it now know as I don't have a coccyx anymore!

Hello everyone, I hope you are ok today? i went to the doctors yesterday and they have referred me for an urgemt Mri and back to my consultant. My sciatic pain has increased but im also getting on and off pins and needles sensation at the top of my thigh and on and off between my legs and on my bum. No numbness but I think it definitely needs looking at. Banderchang Why are you having to pay for physio? In my surgery you can self refer to nhs physio now. You shouldn have to pay, that's awful.

I hope everyones Christmas preparations are coming along ok?!

Hope you don't need to wait too long for your MRI Meg, and that it identifies what's going on. And yes, my surgery does allow self referral for physio too. I started going privately because I was in so much pain and off work that I wanted to be seen that day,so just rang the physio and got an appointment. My GP said I could self refer but that it was a long wait and I wouldn't get many sessions, so I've just carried on paying because I would be in too much pain to work otherwise. Perhaps I should self refer as well, then at least I would get a few free sessions eventually.

On the plus side, my physio has been doing acupuncture with me and that's made a big difference over the last two weeks. I'm in a lot less pain and managing on fewer pills which is good. I also have a tens machine for pain management which is proving effective.

Hope everyone else is ok and looking forward to Christmas. I'm on holiday for two and a half weeks now, which is a good feeling.

hello everyone. I've been away from the thread for some time. Its good to hear some people are getting results with pain relief. I had a breakthrough with a self hypnosis for pain relief session on you tube! Im usually quite cynical about those but it really worked for me on Wednesday and Thursday I felt the best I had for about 2 weeks.

I've been bit down with it all as work are now referring me to occupational health as I told them I wasn't going back until my sick note was expired as I was still in pain. As I'm depressive (long term Anti depressants) that immediately tips me into doom and gloom and worrying I am going to lose my job. Anyway back to work on Monday so we'll see how it goes. I have my MRI on Wednesday so that came through quite quickly.

I'm joining in. Has sciatica for years and years and a bad bout which resulted in paramedics to get me off the floor with gas and air
It's been playing up again so I'm seeing a physio... Loads of stuff tried and now on Mckenzie? exercises as a last ditch attempt before I go for MRI
V v positive so far, the main thing is that I don't sit at all. I can lie down or I can stand but sitting is v restricted, I only really sit when eating! And I do the Mckenzie stretch she gave me probably 50 times a day if not more

Welcome hollinhurst. I've heard good things about McKenzie, though not sitting must prove very tricky at holiday times with movies to watch etc. Hope everyone else is doing well - this thread has been very quiet recently which bodes well for Xmas! I'm doing well with my acupuncture, but just had two physio appointments in two days due to a pulled muscle in my back and a flare up of piriformis. It's all feeling more under control now, though, so I'm ready to look forward to Christmas!

Just wanted to pop in and say hi.

I'm in the same boat as some of you, severe lower back pain, it radiates out to my right hip and i also get sciatica down my right leg.

I managed (After a year of nagging) to bag a referral to the Musculoskeletal Physio who referred me for an MRI.

I got the results back 2 months ago just a brief letter and asking my GP to prescribe me some Amitriptyline.

This last week i got to see the consultant who went over it in more depth., apparently my L5/s1 disc is prolapsed and showing signs of degradation, he also said that i have an 'elderly' lower spine/sacrum, the kind of thing they expect to see in women in their 60s!

The prolapse is whats causing the sciatica, so i've been told to basically lose some weight (to reduce the load, my weight isn't the cause, but now we're into trying to ease the symptoms) and to work on my core strength, apparently if i can support myself with my core, it will help the pressure on the dodgy disk.

I'm having one last hurrah with all things unhealthy over christmas/new year, then i need to get off my ass and try to shift some weight. :( to improve my quality of life.

I have two degenerated disks, osteoporosis and last year fell badly and suffered a wedge fracture to my L1 with more than 50% wedge/collapse.

I'd already been doing Pilates which I think helped my recovery (with a,private, specialist physio). GP was very prscription and sign off happy saying at the first visit that if I was still in pain after ten weeks they'd consider a referral then. When I went back a week later for a sick note which I insisted was for one week only I sat and very politely said I required a referral and when she started the ten week spiel again I just put up my hand and shook my head and said "actually, I work full time, am a net contributor to the NHS and expect to work until I am 67. It is far better fir the NHS balance sheet to ensure I continue working for as long as possible, therefore I would like an MRI and a specialist referral. She wrote the referral there and then, admittedly with an arsy "it's not personal" comment. I was called the following Friday and saw a neurologist within 2.5 weeks and had the MRI 10 days later. It was the MRI that confirmed the degenerative disks and the fact that the fractured vertebrae was just touching the spinal canal. The latter contraindicated kyphoplasty that would have realigned the spine. GP also referred for four sessions f NHS physio which was okay but not as good as my private one.

A year on I have been lucky. The continued Pilates has helped my disks no end and although occasionally my back feels "tired" and a bit achy around the break I got away with it. Pilates and posture have helped enormously.

I had 9 days off work and was off painkillers after six weeks. I know I will always have to take the greatest of care.

Oh, and the neurologist made sure I was referred to the,best osteoporosis unit and I started zolendronate infusions in May. One a year for three years.

I did my research, the MRI results give peace of mind in relation to what the problems are and help the physio. I was very polite but firm with the GP. It was a shocking, scary time x

This has gone quiet: hopefully that means everyone has had a pain-free festive season! I am cross today because I had just got my piriformis muscle settled down (after 5 weeks of physio and acupuncture) and the very next day the left one starts hurting. Not as badly, but still, I feel annoyed that I haven't had a break from this for so long. And today the pavements are too icy for a walk, so I am pacing the hall/kitchen trying not to sit for too long. Happy last day of holiday to me! Hope others are faring better!

Well Mckenzie has been bloody fantastic so far! It's shifted all the pain out of my leg and the majority out my back. I sit at work but stand up probably 70% of the time and try not to sit down at home. If I start feeling twinges then I do the stretch ten times and I can feel it helping

Hello, I hope everyone had a good Christmas without too much pain. I have my Mri on the 18th and follow up on the 27th. I'm trying to be active, walking a couple.of miles a day and powering around which helps and.i think the amyltriptaline seems.to be working although it makes me feel drugged the next day. My dad is in hospital with end stage Alzheimers so things have been really crappy and we are basically waiting for him to go. It will be a blessing as he is a shadow of himself but it is so hard.

I also suffer sciatica too it must be the more painful than child birth plus it last longer! I know exactly how you feel with this one. No exercises can really work the nerve has been trapped causing pain & the more swelling the more pain, the more exercise/walking etc the more pain, There are many prescription pain killers I have tried but none worked, I would sit with a heat pad just to try to help. I have tried many things but I have found once you have it, we have just got to deal with it till they actually do think of something for us.Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve or related nerve roots in the low back are compressed.
My old car use to set it off a lot, I need lumbar support on my lower back even when sitting on a chair/sofa etc, if I dont use it (towel rolled up anything really) it comes on with avengance.
Has your GP done a x-ray? they can do surgery but I did not want to do that. Your doctor may prescribe medications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics help reduce swelling while relieving pain. NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, and prescription-strength drugs. You may also be prescribed muscle relaxants or other stronger pain medications. Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) place corticosteroid medicine near spinal nerve roots. Corticosteroid injections can reduce nerve inflammation and pain for months or longer, but ESIs are not effective for all patients.

If needed, your doctor will refer you to a physical therapist. I went to one but it just made it worse.

i have read many resources telling that you can follow simple Natural steps to get rid of sciatica and the better that it was approved by Doctor Here i find you a detailed report about that Sciatica: allaboutspine.blogspot.com

Sorry, no expert here, but my dm had sciatica and found that lying on the floor with her calves on a dining room chair for twenty minutes a day did marvels for her.

God I'm glad I found this thread!
Lower back and sciatica pain for two years, it started a few weeks after I gave birth
Was put down to weak stomach muscles and new demands of a baby
It got so bad at one point I couldn't leave the house
Started Pilates and it's helped a lot but I've sort of platoed (spelling) and it's not improving anymore
Take tramadol twice a day! Slow release

I just want it to go away :( so hard!

Place marking to read later.

hello, story of my life, constant pain on the lower back and mild sciatica, id love to know if there's anything out there that could help