Sciatica problem. Is there a fix for it? Or am I just screwed?, page 1

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Topic started on 5-3-2013 @ 09:43 AM by TDawgRex

I used to be a pretty active guy, but no longer due to sciatica and it does not pass the T&C smell test to tell you how I feel about that.

It’s been going on three months now. I had to quit my job (Which I loved!) and still experience daily pain. Mainly in my leg, but sometimes in my back as well.

Physical Therapy does not seem to be working and is draining my account. I’m leery of injections into my spine as well as back surgery, which thankfully has not been recommended yet.

Overall, I would say that I have been getting better but have seemed to have hit a plateau.

I have been told not to go to a chiropractor and am wondering if maybe a massage therapist would be in order.

If anyone who has had experience with this problem, I would appreciate your input. I’m getting desperate. I'm not taking any persription medications. I was on Percocet & Zanoflex for the first three weeks and did not like the side effects at all. But they did allow me to sleep at least. (Maybe to much as that was the side effect I did not like)

Thanks in advance.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 09:49 AM by JohnnyCanuck

Originally posted by TDawgRex
If anyone who has had experience with this problem, I would appreciate your input.

OK, it may sound stupid, but it has been a life-changer for some...don't carry your wallet in your back pocket. They say it's a fugly fashion crime, but hey, if carrying a slimline in the front eases the pain...who cares?

Good luck though, and Marcaine (lidocaine) shots in the trigger points could help.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 09:50 AM by butcherguy

reply to post by TDawgRex

Go to a Doctor.
Tell him that you need to get a CT scan of your lower spine because you have sciatica. The doctor needs to order the scan so the insurance will approve it.
When they find the ruptured intravertabral disc, they can do a disc-ectomy and you will have immediate relief.

My disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor (but I saw one on TV).

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 09:54 AM by TDawgRex

reply to post by butcherguy

I had both a CAT and a MRI. Three compressed discs. OUCH! (I say that lightly).

Are you talking about fusing the vertabrae?

I have a friend who had that done and he recommends it, though my Mom had it done as well, and she recommends caution as it did not work for her over time.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 09:54 AM by H1ght3chHippie

Try seeking advice from a Chinese "doctor".

Acupuncture combined with herbs and massages can work wonders.

In the end effect it depends of course, is your pain simply caused by a nerve stuck where it does not belong, or is it caused by damaged spines, for example through carrying heavy loads etc.

The paradigms of western and eastern hemisphere medicine is taking fundamentally different approaches.

Western medicine = fighting symptoms through expensive pharmacy

Eastern medicine = fighting root causes through inexpensive, mostly physical means

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 09:55 AM by dusty1

reply to post by TDawgRex

I had sciatica, it felt like Mike Tyson punched me in the butt.

In my experience the only chiropractic that works is the Gonstead Technique

They x ray your spine and adjust according to the x ray. This can help the discs.

Massage will help. I go to someone who does deep tissue. I don't remember the technique but it is a form of Asian deep tissue. It's painful but worth it.

This also works well with hot stone therapy, which reduces the pain of the massage.

Corrective exercises will help, I think highly of the Egoscue method.

Start first with deep tissue massage. Find someone strong and willing to use there elbows.

Trust me I spent over $10,000 on my back.

edit on 5-3-2013 by dusty1 because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 09:57 AM by wtbengineer

reply to post by TDawgRex

Be careful and don't go under the knife without much consideration. My youngest brother is all but crippled after several back surgeries. The last one was just to implant a device that was supposed to deaden the pain but that didn't work either.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:02 AM by TDawgRex

Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck

Originally posted by TDawgRex
If anyone who has had experience with this problem, I would appreciate your input.
OK, it may sound stupid, but it has been a life-changer for some...don't carry your wallet in your back pocket. They say it's a fugly fashion crime, but hey, if carrying a slimline in the front eases the pain...who cares?

Good luck though, and Marcaine (lidocaine) shots in the trigger points could help.

I've read that Truckers, Cops and Pregnant women often have this problem. After a car accident 15 years back, plus ten years of jumping out of airplanes, with combat gear, and wearing all that stuff for thirty years, I guess I should have seen this coming.

I’ll have to look up lidocaine. I wonder how long it lasts. I’ve heard of people getting cortisone shots in their knees and the results are everything from it didn’t work…all the way to it's a wonder drug.

edit on 5-3-2013 by TDawgRex because: Copy and paste error

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:07 AM by JohnnyCanuck

Originally posted by TDawgRex
I’ll have to look up lidocaine. I wonder how long it lasts. I’ve heard of people getting cortisone shots in their knees and the results are everything from it didn’t work…all the way to it's a wonder drug.

I had a heck of a problem with back spasms, and started getting a series of shots...like 18-20 jabs up and down the spine to numb the trigger points. Started at weekly and progressed to monthly. It did the trick. My wife had the shots for fibro, and they would give her a headache but I had relief and no side-effects at all. Nothing like cortisone, either. Might work for you...might not. Back pain is tough to nail down. Again, good luck.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:09 AM by artnut

I don't know what it is called, but there is some sort of trigger point pushing that seems to help me. It is painful enough to bring tears to my eyes, but it does help.

I find the spot that is the most painful (buttock area) and push really hard with my thumb. You will know the spot because it is the most painful area to touch. Somehow it releases the tension there. It will hurt pretty bad at first, but the pain will start to subside. You have to keep pushing through the pain until you get to that point. It works better when my husband does it, but he hates doing it because it hurts me.

I have a few ruptured discs in my back and neck as well as moderate scoliosis. The best treatment I have ever found that worked miracles was spinal decompression. It is basically a traction machine that is mechanical and stretches you at different intervals with different levels of pressure.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:09 AM by Silcone Synapse

reply to post by TDawgRex

My sympathy goes out to you-I am a fellow sufferer,no doctor,excercise or therapist has ever been able to fix me(although I won't let them operate,as they already told me I had lots of scar tissue and the op may not work).

I got it from a fall when I was 22years old,lasted for approx 8 years,then tapered off and I had about 4 years of almost pain free life,then woke up one day about 4 years ago and it was back with a vengence for no apparent reason.This bout is only in the last few months starting to slowly get better-again,for no apparent reason.

Its totally tainted my existence,and my positive outlook on life is gradually being eroded.
I have had times when I get zero sleep for days on end due to the pain,sometimes even struggling to walk across the room and I have started avoiding people as the only thing they want to know is how my bad back is doing-I know they mean well,but I feel as if this injury is what defines me to other people,and I really hate that.

All that said,most people do fully recover after a few weeks/months with gentle excersice so do not let my above rant make you think you have a life sentence-I am just one of the unlucky ones I guess.
Stay positive,and try to keep as active as you can,oh and get a chair designed for good posture-sofas kill me now...

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:10 AM by antar

Sorry to hear about your pain, this book is something I strongly urge you to order today.

www.amazon.com...=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362499691&sr=1-3&keywords=pain+free+for+l ife

Get this book and read it before you make any decisions.

Best of health to you. Things will get easier.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:11 AM by scoobyrob

Originally posted by butcherguy
reply to post by TDawgRex

you need to get a CT scan of your lower spine because you have sciatica

An MRI would be the best option, but only really needed for diagnostic purposes or to see if there is any change, CT does not show the nerves and other material, plus it is only useful in ddd (degenerative disc disease) and not so much ruptured disc or herniated/bulge.

my main concern is if you leave it too long it will cause permanent nerve damage if it goes left untreated. spine injections/operations have come on a long way sionce before and the complications are quite rare nowadays, the most popular and less invasive operation to releave a herniated disc is as mentioned above, a discectomy. there are certain medications prescribed for nerve pain like gabapenten or the newer pregabalin (Lyrica) but is quite expensive, most people find some relief from these medications but it does not fix the problem,
IMO if physio has not worked and its been more than 6 months and operation would be one to think seriously about. If I were you I would get more than one orthopedic surgeon's opinion, and if you do decide to get it done make sure he has performed this procedure many many times with a good track record. it does not work on everybody but the complications are far reduced than before.

ps I am only 23 and also a back sufferer with nerve pain for the past 5 years and I'm fortunate I have only had sciatica only a few occasions.
please take comfort in knowing it is a very common problem in today's world. i can give you a name to a good forum I find with plenty of info and people with the same condition...

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:13 AM by beezzer

reply to post by TDawgRex

As a fellow old fart, I can suggest Tai-Chi. My wife has sciatica (years of being a nurse) and it has helped her.

It has actually helped us both. Being old and crippled sucks. But this actually helps both of us.

Good luck my friend!

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:14 AM by CeltAngel

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by butcherguy

I had both a CAT and a MRI. Three compressed discs. OUCH! (I say that lightly).

For compressed discs, is there a reason you would NOT see a chiropractor? I had 4 compressed discs at the bottom of my spine that were pointing the wrong way (took a nasty spill a few years earlier). It took a couple weeks, but the adjustments, combined with time on the decompression table, fixed me up with no need to drugs, surgery, etc.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:16 AM by Libertygal

reply to post by TDawgRex

I will beg you with everything in my heart and soul, do NOT go to a chiropractor.

Sciatica is almost always caused by a bulging or already herniated disc. Manipulation of the spine WILL worsen that damage. In a lot of cases, if it is herniation, the healing can take months. The pain is not only cause by pressure on the nerve from the contents of the disc, but the disc material itself is noxious and aggrivating to the nerve tissue.

If you have not done so, research a good pain clinic in your area. By good, I mean one that does injections by flouroscope, not by feel. They have much less risk, much higher success rate. Also, having one doctor guide your pain treatment is best, and that way, you will not be accused of drug seeking. After finding a good facility, ask your primary care for a referral, most reputable pain clinics only take new patients by referral. Please do not go to a fly by night place in a strip mall.

A pain clinic will, if necessary, also sign your affidavit in the instance you become disabled or handicapped. Having all of your records in one facility will be extremely beneficial in this case.

In the meantime, you can look into getting a tens unit prescribed from the physical therapist, and also look for a neurosurgeon, not an orthopedic surgeon. You will only switch later.

That's my advice for now.

Take it or don't.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:23 AM by artnut

Originally posted by Libertygal
reply to post by TDawgRex

I will beg you with everything in my heart and soul, do NOT go to a chiropractor.

Sciatica is almost always caused by a bulging or already herniated disc. Manipulation of the spine WILL worsen that damage. In a lot of cases, if it is herniation, the healing can take months. The pain is not only cause by pressure on the nerve from the contents of the disc, but the disc material itself is noxious and aggrivating to the nerve tissue.

If you have not done so, research a good pain clinic in your area. By good, I mean one that does injections by flouroscope, not by feel. They have much less risk, much higher success rate. Also, having one doctor guide your pain treatment is best, and that way, you will not be accused of drug seeking. After finding a good facility, ask your primary care for a referral, most reputable pain clinics only take new patients by referral. Please do not go to a fly by night place in a strip mall.

A pain clinic will, if necessary, also sign your affidavit in the instance you become disabled or handicapped. Having all of your records in one facility will be extremely beneficial in this case.

In the meantime, you can look into getting a tens unit prescribed from the physical therapist, and also look for a neurosurgeon, not an orthopedic surgeon. You will only switch later.

That's my advice for now. Take it or don't.

Chiropractic is the only treatment that helped me, especially in combination with the spinal decompression machine. Chiropractors are like any other doctors, you must do your research and find a reputable doctor, there are good and bad.

There is evidence the tens unit does not work as well as advertised, you can look this up on google. The last physical therapist I went to would not even use it on me, and he was fresh out of school.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:24 AM by ObservingYou

I've a herniated L4-L5 Disk which is pressing on one of my nerve canals (whatever that is), sciatica's a bitch when it pinches, but I haven't suffered with chronic pain since I started my physio therapy and BOXING...

BUILD UP YOU CORE MUSCLES and the rest will follow

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:25 AM by ObservingYou

Originally posted by artnut
I don't know what it is called, but there is some sort of trigger point pushing that seems to help me. It is painful enough to bring tears to my eyes, but it does help.

I find the spot that is the most painful (buttock area) and push really hard with my thumb. You will know the spot because it is the most painful area to touch. Somehow it releases the tension there. It will hurt pretty bad at first, but the pain will start to subside. You have to keep pushing through the pain until you get to that point. It works better when my husband does it, but he hates doing it because it hurts me.

I have a few ruptured discs in my back and neck as well as moderate scoliosis. The best treatment I have ever found that worked miracles was spinal decompression. It is basically a traction machine that is mechanical and stretches you at different intervals with different levels of pressure.

Acupuncture - I was told by my GP to go for that, I haven't as of yet! aha.

reply posted on 5-3-2013 @ 10:25 AM by TDawgRex

Originally posted by Silcone Synapse
reply to post by TDawgRex

Stay positive,and try to keep as active as you can,oh and get a chair designed for good posture-sofas kill me now...

I do try to stay positive. And I do try to stay active as well, I just can't for the length of time I want to. As it is, I guess there is no kayaking this summer if things keep going the way they are.

Many of my friends hate to visit me as I have removed most of my furniture and replaced the with exercise balls of various sizes. I like them and they have helped a bit. It's also funny to watch a friend sit on one and tip over.