Sciatica anyone have it ?? need advice

[melsybells]

I posted last week about a strange feeling in my leg , it seems to have got increasingly worse the last couple of days, to the point were no one can touch it. Its really burning from the back of my buttock down to my toes. It feels numb like after being injected with novacaine. I havent yet been to gp , but several people have said it sounds like sciatica. Anyone know what sciatica is like ? What can I do to relieve it ?? Nurofen or paracetomal do nothing to take this odd feeling away. Hot baths seem to help vey marginally , (seems more to relax me than relieve it alot). I will be going to Gp as soon as they are open again on Tues, I also going to see an osteopath for some help.

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I just cant think what would have brought it on, carrying my dd for prolonged peroids may be, or sitting against my kitchen counter here at my laptop?

What can the Gp do ?? Im not sure if I can get osteopath on bupa ?? my dh has me on his thorugh work. Not used it much , as normally do alternative therapies.

thanx yorkiegirl , I find champagne has helped , in fact any alcohol !!!!

Is ithe kind of thing that once you get it u always get it ??

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yes i have it, it started when a disc prolapsed but i had to wait a year to get mri for them to find out about the disc the damage had been done then to my nerve and althou i had disc removed another disc came out so had that one removed, i now have constant pain and limited mobility, get it checked out if it is left and it is due to a disc crushing the nerve then it needs sorting Asap.

aahh crappy crap craps, Im getting worried now !!! already been to physio for couple of months for deqourvain tendonitis in thumb and wrist. Im a right mess!! think Ive fallen apart since dd's birth!!

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Ive finally phoned out of hours surgery at hospital as cant take the pain much more, phoned at 10 ish and just now been called back to come and see doctor . I hope I dont have to sit there for hours on end now. Ive not known what to do with myself or were to put my leg, its doesnt feel comfortable in any position. I feel a bit sick with nerves as dont know what they will suggest. Im hoping not steroid injections . Im upset as all weve done is be stuck indoors, its been a bit of a tearful Xmas.

Brave u yorkiegirl for having epidural injections. Thankyou again for checking in on me. Im feeling very sorry for myself, I know I have to get passed this bit if Im to rid myself of ailments.

how did the doctors go ?

Hi there - I highly recommend you try reflexology. I am a reflexologist and have treated people with sciatica, also have had it very mildly myself. I recommend you go to www.aor.org.uk/index.asp?page=find_reflex to find a fully qualified and insured reflexologist in your area (unfortunately some people do a weekend taster course and then call themselves a reflexologist - via AOR which stands for Association of Reflexologists - you will only get fully qualified people). Acupuncture could also possibly help I imagine, but it is a little less pleasant than reflexology!

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hi pinkmamma,

not wishing to cause a stir, but i am also a qualified and insured reflexologist... but no, the AoR are not the B all and end all!

i just think to be fair, if one is recommending therapies and therapists, one should mention all the governing bodies... ITEC, IIR, IFR, BRA etc etc...

and then there is someone like me, who chose NOT to join the association until such time as they offer us struggling therapists a little more support for our pennies!

so, for anyone looking for a therapists, do also refer to YP, Thomson, referrals from friends... ask the therapist... who did they qualify with, are they insured, have they treated anyone for such and such... look online, so many therapy directories now and many want to have seen certificates.

excellent source of info for ailments if you check out the forums. many qualified therpists there contribute.

melsey - I had pain, numbness and tingling in my leg after ds2 was born - I saw an osteopath who diagnosed that I'd twisted my pelvis (all those loose ligaments after childbirth) which was pressing on a nerve, probably by carrying him (and my toddler ds1) and by sitting with my leg twisted over the arm of the chair when breastfeeding him (used leg to support ds2)

After a few sessions of treatment I was fine and have not had a recurrence of the problem - ds2 is 3 now. Good luck, hope you get it sorted.

This is sooo weird that this thread has started today!! I have suffered sciatica for about 11 years since the birth of my first daughter and it has got progressively worse after each subsequent pregnancy (4 in all). I've tried loads of things - anti-inflammatories, acupuncture, physiotherapy, pilates (made it a hundred times worse prob due to my doing it incorrectly), hot water bottles (which relieve it at the time but somehow cause it to be doubly painful after). 2 nights ago I was up all night with terrible pains in my back and down my legs - I had to keep changing position which was agony in itself. Last night I decided I had to try something else when I remembered that I had a tube of Aloe Vera deep-heat lotion in my cupboard (not the normal deepheat lotion - it is damaging to the skin apparently). The pain reduced within minutes (no kidding) and did not return all night! This morning I jumped out of bed without thinking about it - and as anyone with sciatica knows, getting out of bed is a laborious and painful action. I have no pain this morning and am absolutely amazed and delighted. I know it may not work for everyone (depending on how bad the sciatica is) but I would urge you to at least try it. I got the heatlotion from Forever Living Products - I think you should be able to find them on the internet for your nearest distributer. It is definately worth a go. (This sounds like an advert - it is not, honestly!!!) xx

I had searing pain down my right leg two or three times a day during pregnancy, it was apparently caused by the femeral nerve becoming trapped? had to get on all fours and wave leg in big circles until it released, have to say the birth felt relativly pain free after that!

hi rosies

i agree with you re: AOR - i am not even registered with them myself - I am with FHT as I also do other therapies, how-ever being that i do not know where melsybells lives and rather than suggest that she phone up different people from YP and then have to ask them their qualifications (where she may not understand which are the more hmmm solid shall we say, qualifications). I know that if somebody is registere with AOR they should be of a good standard and I only want to recommend reflexology if done by a suitably qualified practioner. I know someone who lives near me who offers "reflexology" which she explains as a relaxing foot massage, she has never even done a course!!

I think it is rather ridiculous to suggest that if I recommend a therapy i should mention all the governing bodies - some of which i am not familiar with. I am just trying to give some friendly advice.

By the way, you call yourself a "struggling therapist" why not register with an organisation of your choice - you may well be suprised how many people will call you as they have found you via their web pages

"By the way, you call yourself a "struggling therapist" why not register with an organisation of your choice - you may well be suprised how many people will call you as they have found you via their web pages"

ooouch, pinkmamma... yes, choice and certainly this is not a place to discuss it... catch me on healthy pages for what i think of the organisations and their "merits". ;)

It seems I have sciaitica as now diagnosed ish by out of hours gp. she sugested I get reffered for physio and may be rhueamotology for xrays by my own gp , so still have to go back to my doctors as will . errrrrrrr thanx everyone for your info. I actually do have a spriritualy connected holistic therapist I see every now and then, she works from Barnet and has ITEC & IIHHT, whatever those mean I dont know. Ive not really paid attention, as she seems very proffessional and always gives me the time need.I just feel very comfortable with her and feel very relaxed when I leave. I know she does reflexology , but havent done that with her yet.

This has been a really interesting thread as i suffered from crippling sciatica when I was 10 days overdue with my 1st baby, it took me ages to feel better, or be able to walk at a reasonable speed. I still don't feel like myself and get attacks every now and then.

I really sympathise for you Melsy, sorry I can't be very helpful to you. Mine got so bad I couldn't hold DS so GP gave me some tablets(Diclofenac sp?) which i was not too happy with but they were amazing and I am awaiting some kind of Physio, I did have a couple of oesteopathy sessions which were fab but I just cannot afford to go regularly, I didn't know about refexology.

aha rosie!! just realised who you are now on hp, rosie g? funny to meet up on here too - small world hey
happy new year! hugs, pinkmamma

hi pinkmamma,

sorry but no! i am ro§ie over there ;)... are you the same nick?

melsy,

what treatments do you have, if you dont mind me asking? is the lady a spiritual healer? ITEC is one of the larger governing bodies for therapies (i am ITEC qualified in masage and reflexology). IIHHT is, i think, an off shoot of VTCT, which is another large organisation. the important thing is, you enjoy the treatments, you benefit, you feel comfortable with her... and that is also very important.

when speaking to a therapist on the phone, as a first point of contact, i think you know if the person is right for you... and that actually cuts both ways.

bongo,

are you sure it wasnt SPD? certainly there are reflexology techniques to help that.

Once things calm down a bit, you might try some gentle yoga stretches on a regular basis to keep from having another/as frequent bouts of it.

I have had Hopi ear candles ,which unfortuntaely didnt work at all, but subsequently found out that I had such an acute problem it would have never worked,but it was VERY relaxing none the less and it gave me ME time which was very much needed and I enjoy the energy of this lady very much. She always makes time to do some small reading on me at the eend of sessions , which is always great. Ive also had indian head massage , which was AMAZING and released alot of tension after acute neck and head trauma.

Rosies it was def sciatica. had the pain in shooting/aching form from buttock down to knee and also would get a very achey arm too, don't know if that is normal.