I have mild sciatica. I have been seeing a physiotherapist. The physio tests me at each session. I am asked to bend and touch toes then lay down on the bed and lift legs up and then down again and then the physio takes each leg and asks me to swiel from side to side whilst laying down. When i do these things I am asked if any of these things are painful to do and I say no Then I am asked to walk up and down whih I do like anyone else without sciatica does. Then I am asked to stand on one leg an then the other which again I do with no pain.
The conclusion is that I am in a very goo way because all these things cause me no pain. However I do get a flare up every now an again. The physiotherapist does not see me when I get a flare up. For example when I firsyt get out of bed, I have a flare up and am limping an then after waloing for some time the pain goes away. when I attnd the physiothereapy sessions I walk there and the walk eases any pain I may hae had beorehan so when I get there I am fine. Also too much walking in inottry footwear can cause a flare up so although I can wear heels, it can only be for a short period. If I need to do a lot of walking I have to wear either trainers or flat shoes and then its ok.
I hae exercises to do at home and I was told that they have to be perormed every two hours. The reason is to stop getting flare ups. I told my physiotherapist that I do not think my scatica will ever completely go because I have bulging discis and the discs bulge and hit the sciatic nere and the only way to shift the iscs abck into proper alighnment and stop them hitting the nerve is with surgery.
My physiotherapist disagrees an says with regular exercise the discs can go backwards which means no more nerve pain. I honestly think this is a dangerous thing to say. The reaity of the situation is that once discs bulge they stay that way and from reading other peoples posts on here who have sciatica, they have had it for years so how dare any physiotherapist tell a patient that it will go away with exercise. I am a realist not a fantacist and the reality of the situation is that my sciatica can be managed ie learning what causes a flare up and knowing what to do to avoicd such a flare up ie no extensive walking in anything other than flat shoes.
I would absolutely love my physioterapist to see me struggling to walk first thing in the morning or at any time when I hae been laying in bed. they only see me for a short half hour session every so often and are fooled into thinking I am doing very well so much so that they have now said they do not think I need to go to any more sessions for a few weeks. I have got this for the rest of my life and try as I may, I cannot get the physiotherapist to think the same way.
Its a good job I have my head screwed on and am not gulible enough to believe whatever rubbish is fed to me. . I know some people might say why am I questioning a trained physio but the fact is it is very dangrous to generalise and some people who maybe have mental health issues who are told oh your sciatica will get better and eventually completely go away can send theri mental health spiriling out of control if what they are told does not happen and it could be a very dangrous outcome