Sciatica hell. What might help?

[tattoonewbie]

I saw the e chiropractor last week and he diagnosed trapped nerve in three places Pain is in my bum, spreads down my leg and currently my outer lower leg is throbbing and my foot is fizzing.
I cannot get comfy. Back at chiro on Thursday but it's worsening. I've got GP tomorrow and will ask for some pain relief as it's awful. I've done my exercises tonight and it feels even worse.
It's so horrible. Just relentless.
Has anyone any top tips ? Please. I'm so miserable and can't see me being able to drive tomorrow to work. I can WFH but even the thought of sitting is making me want to cry. Sorry to sound pathetic.

The Rob McKenzie book was recommended to us by a physio-my dh had a prolapsed disc causing agonising pain. He was doing the extension exercise once a day-the physio told him he should be doing them 8 or 9 Thames-made a dramatic difference. Also an inversion table-physio recommended it to open the spine so the disc is encouraged to revert. He loves it. Still painful, but has managed to stop the cocktail of naproxen (and ppi), co codamol and amytriptaline

I had this a few years ago. Here's what helped ...

Tens machine. Just stick it where it hurts most and turn it up to what you can bear. Keep it on as long as you can, I'd stick mine in my pocket and walk. Walking also helps

See a physiotherapist. Not an osteopath or chiropractor- a physio. I had a couple of sessions with a private one. Cost me about £140 but worth it

Lose weight if you need to - I know this isn't a short term fix! I reduced my BMI to 22 and it does help ultimately

Google specific exercises for releasing trapped nerves and do them

Hot baths with Epsom salts

Sleep with a slim pillow between your knees

I did all of the above - dome took longer than others! - and I've not - touch wood - had a flare up again

I am a bit (well 2 stone ) overweight so that won't help. I'm so miserable tonight. I don't often cry but feel really sorer for myself. It's pathetic. I'll go get the tens and try it. I'm so grateful to everyone who replied.

I'd personally ask GP for an MRI, so you can see what's going on. Don't panic I'm not thinking tumours but potential cauda equina etc.

One thing I do is lie on my stomach on the sofa lifting my feet and hanging them over the arm of the sofa. The sofa sags a bit and releases my vertebrae.

@tattoonewbie it's hell, I know. I cried too and basically threw the kitchen sink at it along with money. So I understand the desperation

But it honestly will get better. Some decent painkillers would be a good start too

The only thing I would add to the wealth of suggestions is acupuncture. I have taken or done almost everything mentioned here but at it's worst acupuncture was probably the most effective. There is research from Stamford University where they are trying to understand how it works but they are confident it does work. But beware you need someone that is experienced.

Tens machine is also great.

Different pain meds work differently for different people.

5 years ago I was almost bed ridden with sciatica. It was as bad as child birth and was a hotel douse glimpse to what it must be like to be in pain continually.

It did get better after a few months but the only thing that has properly helped is yoga. It's been pretty miraculous how much it has helped.

I also don't ever lift anything heavy and if I feel my back ping I use a hot water bottle on my lower back.

I'm hooked up to the TENS and it's really helping Could just do with a third pad for the outer skin. It's on my low back and thigh and feels marvellous

I will ask if a scan can be recommended. I'm lucky to get private healthcare so will use it if needed while feeling guilty about it

I found sitting on a bar stool was the only real comfortable seating position. It wasn't the wine I was drinking when I discovered this in a bar, as I bought one for home and found relief when not drinking. Must have been the position it forced my body into.

Mine hurt for about a year. I eventually cured it with exercises from the NHS website and used a massage ball to relax the muscles around my hip. I do 15 minutes twice a day and seem to have fixed it.

Acupuncture works for me.

The only comfortable position for me when I have a flare up is to lie on my front, with my shoulders and head higher than my body. A bit like the first pic here

I'm off to the pub forthwith

For tonight this will help.
Lie on the floor on your front.
Raise your two arms into a sphinx position and hold.
Then if you can lie there & make your hands into fists then put one on top of the other and rest your head on the top of them.
This will stretch out your back and give you some relief.
Good luck xxxx

I found that acupuncture helped mine (amongst other things). Is it definitely sciatica? The second time I thought I had sciatica and actually had a prolapsed disc.

Hope you find some relief

Yep, here too. Be very careful to protect your stomach with PPI as Naproxen can do so much damage.

Sciatica is a symptom not a diagnosis. It is usually caused by a disc issue.

I would be wary of doing exercises and stretches until you are out of the acute phase and know the cause. They can often do more harm than good.

I found a tens machine helpful and a heating pad like the one someone showed earlier. If lying on your back put a pillow under your knees and if on your side a pillow between your legs. This takes the pressure off your spine.

For me cocodamol helped with the pain. Naproxen/ibuprofen did not help with pain for me but they can be helpful to reduce any inflammation.

Try not to worry, it is very very rare that the cause is something sinister. It's usually always disc issue and it usually gets better with time, although it is increadibly painful.

Also avoid sitting and bending as much as you can. If sitting get up every 30 minutes for a walk around. Try to do what you can standing up or lying down.

I'm pretty sure sciatica can be a diagnosis in itself. As in, caused by a pinched/trapped sciatic nerve and not disc related.

Mine was just like yours OP, it was hideous. Weekly physio plus exercises at home (look up hip glides) plus a few weeks on Lyrica/Pregabalin cured it for me. Pregabalin targets nerve pain & is more effective than anything codeine based.

Nerve flossing exercise that I found in you tube

Yes i had this. Took 18 months to clear. Core exercise, yoga, pilates. Heat packs. Wonderful chiropractor too. Also loads of health supplements
Get an mri done.
Good luck , it is the worst.

In my case, a mix of pain relief, physio, and yoga-based stretching largely sorted it. 15 years on I still see the physio and do the stretches, but I've been off the painkillers since a few months in.

An exercise belt from amazon helped reduce the pain from moving. Turmeric tablets. You have my sympathy sciatica is awful. I found it helped to take paracetamol and then ibuprofen an hour later.

Get a scan if you can. DH has been told sciatica in certain places but scan didn't show anything. They scanned his head and back. The pain was in legs. He kept asking for a leg scan, eventually got one and today has found out it's something completely different in his leg!