Bloody sciatica

[winkywinkola]

I've had it for months now.

GP first advised nurofen. Three months later, I was still in agony. So she referred me for physio.

The physiotherapist said my piriformis (sp?) is irritating my sciatic nerve. She has been massaging various points and I'm doing stretching exercises too.

Nothing has helped. She tried acupuncture this week and will try an acupuncture with bigger needles next week. After that she's going to refer me to a specialist. Not sure which type of specialist.

Has anyone had this? Anyone found anything in particular help?

I have chronic sciatica. Naproxen is the only thing that helps me and heat.

Yes I'd recommend naproxen too. Find it takes time to work though.

Have you had a mri scan? My physio said my sciatica was caused my piriformis syndrome but a scan revealed a herniated disc trapping the nerve. I'm currently waiting for an operation to hopefully solve this. Meds such as gabapentin or amitriptyline can help, hot and cold therapies and trying to keep active. It's hard, you have my sympathies.

Along with painkiller (Tramadol), a 5 day course of Diazepam (Valium) was enough for my pinched nerve to come out of spasm and start to settle.
Sciatica is really nasty, I understand your pain.
Hope you're sorted soon

Naproxen is a painkiller? It doesn't get rid of the sciatica?

I think an MRI scan is the next thing.

Naproxen is an anti inflammatory, your sciatic nerve is irritated so it should help the inflamation and calm the nerve down so it hurts less although it tends not to make a big difference for me

Mine is due to bulging disc and trapped nerve confirmed by MRI.

My physios were useless. Said I had nothing wrong with the discs but I knew they were wrong. They had me doing exercises for the wrong thing.

TENS machine improved my sciatica enough to go camping for a fortnight at 31 weeks!!
Loaned one from my mw at about 24 weeks for free.

I've had two surgeries on my spine.

One was a microdiscetomy (where they cut away part of the disc) and the second was meant to be a spinal fusion (inserting metal work) but they ended up just chiselling away some bone which was trapping the nerve.

I have had this for 10 years. It's manageable with drugs, rest and heat. I take pregablin which is actually an epilepsy drug but which helps with the nerve issue and I have hot baths to help relieve the pain and rest up with pillows under my knees or between my knees if lying on my side.

They won't operate on me anymore despite having more damage on another disc. I'm waiting to go to the pain clinic to tweak my meds and start on hydrotherapy.

See your GP and get booked in for an MRI.

I had this for over 10 years (turned out due to a herniated disk) the only thing that touched the pain was a tens machine

I've had it since pregnancy. I'm on Zapain and have been referred for an MRI scan.

So if your sciatica is due to bulging discs or other back issues, is that it? Are you stuck with sciatica forever? Is it a case of pain management?

I had this due to two herniated discs. Ended up having a nerve block and (touch wood) have been fine since. That was 7yrs ago.

Sciatica usually solves itself but if it carrys on long term you can get injections in your back to block the pain or surgery. Theres a page on the nhs website about sciatica and treatments if you want to read more about them

Thanks. Will look.

I find the day after physio absolutely excruciating.

Running helps me.

I had terrible sciatica and back pain a number of years ago due to a prolapsed disc and was in agony. Mine was so bad an area of my leg went numb and I lost about 50% strength in the ankle on that side. The good news is that after extensive physiotherapythese days it's mostly back to normal apart from a numb patch on my leg and occasional cramps.