How did you beat sciatica? Advice needed!

[Beadlet]

I’ve read through every thread on this subject but many have loose ends where you never find out how someone did in the end.

I’ve been suffering for 6 months (history of lower back pain prior to this) and it has recently escalated and I’m in a lot of pain for much of the day. I have an MRI referral, even though I’m fairly certain a disc herniation is causing it it would be nice to rule out anything else. I’m speaking to the doctor today to ask for some new pain meds, having been mainly on naproxen it is no longer as effective so I’m going to ask for something for nerve pain.

What I would really like to know is for those people that overcame sciatica, how long did it take you, and what was it that really helped? Or did you just wake up one morning and it was gone? Am feeling really down at the prospect of more months of chronic pain. It really has sucked the joy out or life and with children and a demanding job I’m struggling.

I hate to say this but it took me 5 years to be really rid of sciatica pain., however I had two disc prolapses at the same time. This was over 22 years ago and obviously ever since I have had to be very careful as there is a permanent weakness in my back.
I really sympathise as I had a baby and a toddler when this first happened and for years it really affected the activities I could do with them. Apart from anything you cannot not pick your baby up for the next few years and obviously this will hinder recovery time. Good luck.

I had sciatica some years ago when the kids were small. One thing that really helped me on a day to day basis was ditching flat shoes/bare feet. So no flip flops or converse or ballet pumps. I got some Fit Flops, both sandals and trainers and the difference was incredible. I have a pair I use instead of slipppers/being barefoot in the house as I noticed that made a massive difference too.

@crimsonlake sorry you had to suffer for that long. What was it that finally shifted it in the end (or you can remember?!). I haven’t picked my toddler up for a while sadly.

@desperatetostaypositive I’ve been doing the same, and living in Crocs indoors (and sometimes out!) as they seem to give good support. Thanks for the tip

My dp has been suffering for the last 3 years with sciatica and disc prolapses.
Hes had 2 spinal operations and is still no better.
He has to walk with a cane and even then cant walk too far.
I really hope something works for you, it really is one of the worst things out there.

Time...a long time, the consultant decided to handle it 'conservatively'
I did end up going for an epidural type injection under general anaesthetic at some point but that actually made things worse. No idea why I was never offered an op considering how long I suffered.
I still retain some weakness in my left foot as in I find it difficult to keep a sandal without straps. For some reason I find myself having to grip my toes to keep it on?

Sorry to hear that @Iwantacookie I hope he gets some relief soon

Not a recommendation! Or even repeatable.
I had it really bad in the left hip. I fell off a horse, and remember thinking RELAX you don't want broken bones, so I sort of bounced on the hip and that did the trick. I do wonder if a bit of manipulation would have helped before then, as I suffered for about 6 years.

Just lost my post, but essentially 8 months of severe pain ended with a discectomy which gave me almost instant relief. That was 15 years ago and although I've had a couple of spells of back pain caused by the muscles spasming, I do pilates now and the sciatica has never returned.

Time...good support shoes, pain relief injection.. inversion table recommended by therapist.. google inversion therapy...i live with it daily but inversion therapy helped me greatly.. good luck

Have you been to a physiotherapist? That's what cured it for me. Instant relief after the first session, she taught me exercises to do and I did them religiously. It's never come back. I had been to two GPs and was on lots of pain killers.

Sincere sympathies to you, it was horrendous pain I'll never forget it!

Giving up high impact sports and time.

-I swim, walk and do more high impacts sports more gently now.
-I never ever lift heavy weights.
-I listen to my back if it starts whinging I take action

Physio didn't seem to do much for me.

Amitriptyline worked for me. I slept loads better too, double bonus!

Amitriptilene and a good physio. My physio figured out that I'm one of a significant minority of people whose sciatic nerve runs through the piriformus muscle rather than alongside it, which meant that I had piriformus syndrome issues that were contributing to my pain levels even though the initial herniated disc had mostly healed. Learning the right exercises and doing them pretty faithfully has helped a lot.

Thank you for the replies.

@MairzyDoats i'm glad the discectomy worked for you. I'm hoping to avoid the surgery route if at all possible but good to hear of your positive results. I was doing pilates up until the point that the pain worsened - then the pilates seemed to aggravate it even more. But hoping to start again at some point.

@cupra I have a podiatry appointment as I know I have some gait issues due to one hip being higher as well. i've previously been recommended orthotics so will probably give that a try. I'll look into inversion therapy too.

@chartreuse thank you. i haven't seen a physio since the sciatica started as they haven't been seeing patients in person. However I've had a couple of telephone exercises and been recommended some exercises which I've been doing - some have helped but others seem to make the pins and needles worse. As soon as they start seeing patients in person I'll be back though. How long did you have the pain for?

@Boohoohoohooho high impact sports are a distant dream! I used to love squash but fear that may be off the agenda. I'm seriously thinking about taking up swimming though.

@Ohthepressure amitryptiline is what I've been prescribed. I've only taken one dose so will see how it goes. Am taking it with naproxen and paracetamol. and looking forward to some good sleep! did you do any exercise or did the sciatica go away on its own with the drugs?

@NeverEnoughCake2 good to hear amitryptiline worked for you too. that's really interesting what you say about the piriformis as my buttock is especially painful, however the pain is worst in my lower outer leg and ankle, which suggests to me there may still be some disc involvement. Hopefully the MRI will clear that up.

Thanks for all of the replies, it's so helpful and gives me a bit of hope!

I'm about 9 months in and have been unable to work for five of those. MRI confirmed prolapses with nerve root involvement; physio and my GP had already diagnosed it but it was helpful to see the evidence!

Amitriptyline (alongside naproxen and paracetamol ) is starting to work for me, much better than pregabalin and cocodamol, which had some horrendous side effects. You need to give it a few weeks to work, but it helps with sleep quite quickly.

Exercises prescribed by my physio don't seem to help, but I do them anyway. I am better than I was, but it has been extremely debilitating. I'm on the waiting list for steroid injections and possibly surgery, but I'm hoping it won't come to that. I have given up hoping it will just go away, and have resigned myself to longer-term pain management. Must be so tough with a toddler!

@thecazelets so sorry to hear this! I haven't taken any time off work yet but it's getting harder to sit at my desk. I hope you are able to get the injections soon and things improve. Glad to hear the combo of meds has helped a bit in any case.

I am in the middle of it now, thought it’s quite mild compared to what I u dear stand a lot of people go through. I have invested in sessions with a private sports physio (I trust them as they did wonders for my plantar fasciitis too).

I’m still in the treatment phase (stretches and gentle strength exercises that you’re probably already doing plus interferential therapy) but they have an amazing anti gravity treadmill that helps recuperation by allowing you to exercise at a lower % of your body weight.

After trying to fix my PF for years on my own to no avail I’m a big fan of throwing money at the professionals now!

Surgery. But it wasn't optional, I was going to be paralysed if it was left

Not me but a good friend. She had it for ages, was also overweight and unfit. Lost about 3 stone and learned to exercise safely with a PT and never had any trouble again.

Thanks Beadlet. Yes, same for me - it just became impossible to do a desk job, or anything involving sitting (e.g. driving). I really feel for you with young children. Hope it improves for you.

I'm in the middle of it too. Had it for over a year now and it's got progressively worse. Waiting for an MRI but in the meantime I can't sit, bend, can't lie comfortably and can only drive short distances which is killing me as I hate not being able to drive. Living on gabapentin and cocodamol at the moment but they're not very effective anymore.

I saw a consultant after my MRI, and had a nerve root injection guided by CT scan. It has helped, combined with ultrasound at the physio. For me, it was caused by a bulging (slipped) disc.

I was lazy, the amitryptiline kicked in after a week or so I think, then I just stayed on it for 18 months. I tried dropping it occasionally but got the tingle/fizzing coming back so kept going. Then it didn't come back. Easy!

Thanks for the further replies. Utmost sympathies to anyone who has been dealing with this for a long time.

@ThursdayLastWeek hope that the sessions works for you, have never heard of an anti-gravity treadmill, will ask my physio about that

@Rockbird so sorry, that sounds awful. Hopefully you will get some answers from your MRI and a treatment plan place. Have you asked your GP about trying different meds?

@Candyflosscookie I will definitely be looking into a PT when this is over

@fairybio glad you found an effective treatment

@Ohthepressure great to hear it can just resolve by itself!

Swimming helped a lot, I went every other day for a while and avoided high impact things like running (I run now though). I'm still wary of any shoes with a flat/uncushioned sole