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

reply to post by JohnnyCanuck


I have to agree with this simple and small step. When I have to sit for long periods of time, sitting on my wallet causes me pain in my hip and back.

I know it sounds stupid but just moving my wallet out of my back pocket has improved my life.

I'd also check into the chiropractor. They are like a physical therapist that specializes in your back. I used one and he improved my life.

Originally posted 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.

Acupuncture worked wonders for a while for a neck issue, and then it stopped working for some reason. I would recommend acupuncture for sure. I think the pressure point technique I am using may be a type of accupressure, but I am not sure.

Originally posted by scoobyrob
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...

23? Holy Crap! I feel for ya. I'm 50 and cannot imagine having to go through life with this. I hope that something is found to allievate your pain.

Thanks for the advice.

Yoga. Get the muscles stretched and strengthened. It'll help every thing. Do a you tube search on your particular problem "yoga for sciatica.," and you'll find several videos.

Here's one.

reply to post by CeltAngel


Compressed, bulging or pinched all sound the same to me. But then again, I'm no doctor.

Is there actually a difference?

reply to post by beezzer


I've thought about yoga, until I read a bit more. I'll have to look into Tai-Chi.

But to the best of my knowledge, there are no Tai-Chi classes near by where I live. It's all martial arts.

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by beezzer

 

I've thought about yoga, until I read a bit more. I'll have to look into Tai-Chi.

But to the best of my knowledge, there are no Tai-Chi classes near by where I live. It's all martial arts.

We actually got a dvd on Amazon.

I hurt my back recently from being stupid (poor lifting form) and the relief came from a combination of what lots have already mentioned: keeping active (nothing too intense or heavy lifting, of course; just to keep lubricated; even as simple as going for a 30-minute walk); keeping your core strong; keeping good posture; heat (but maybe check about this first for your specific case); tennis ball against a wall (works wonders for massaging out kinks); and YOGA.

And you know, all of those work in their way, but I've found that yoga has been the best for me. It takes time and practice, but it works wonders and feels amazing. Best of luck!

reply to post by Libertygal


Thanks for the advice, maybe I'm just being impatient. I have been to a pain management clinic and they did talk about a floroscope (I think that was what the doc called it) but they wanted to see where Physical therapy went first.

I gotta admit. This makes me nervous. The spine is not nothing to mess with casually.

Nervous is the polite way of saying that I am scared Snipless.

My sympathy, for what you are going through. I had a spinal fusion, in 2008, L5-S1. I had a very degenerated disc, so surgery was about the only option.

I had no sciatica pain prior to the surgery, only low back pain. 3 months after the surgery, after going back to work, and lifting some heavy items I should not have, I have had non-ending pain in my left buttock. It is like a knife is being jabbed into my buttock.

The only thing that has helped me, and I have tried everthing, except hypnosis, is a medication called Lyrica.
I do not like the side effects, and it is very exspensive, but without it, I could not function at all.

If you have compressed discs, you may consider some form of traction, as some others have stated. The device you see advertised on TV, the ------ hang-up, may help you. Also, keeping your hamstring muscles streched, will help.

I have a spinal-cord stimulator, and it helps somewhat. If you can avoid surgery, please do so. Some people develop a lot of scar tissue, after being operated on, and this can cause more problems than you started with.

I know, I am one of them, and my life has been changed forever, and not in a good way.

Good luck to you

reply to post by TDawgRex

I haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if this has been said.

Do some research on Benfotiamine. It's a very stong form of vitamin B1, and I have read testimonials of it helping with sciatica, and other problems that may have been caused by an undiagnosed vitamin B1 deficiency. Check it out, it could be an eye opener.


I just read the rest of the thread. This will not help a bulged disc. Sorry for your discomfort.

reply to post by Hushabye


Thanks

I was leery of yoga, but may give it a try.

reply to post by zeta55


Thanks Debbie Downer!

What you describe as your symptoms are exactly mine. Everytime I cough or sneeze, it feels like someone has stuck a K-Bar in my thigh.

I know I'm being lazy, but what is a spinal cord stimulator? It's not surgically implanted is it?

Thanks for the advice.

20 years of landscaping have absolutely ruined my back. I used to go for hikes for fun. Imagine that. Walk 12 miles for fun. Now 12 feet is painful. It hurts to sit, it hurts to stand, it hurts to walk, running is impossible. Bending is not recommended. I feel like a complete cripple at 44 years old. Everything was fine until about 5 years ago I was aerating a lawn and the machine jerked me and I felt lightning go down my leg from my back. It has all been downhill since then. I let yards go and did not replace them because of the intense pain. Then I got to the point I did not have enough lawns to maintain my equipment. 20 years of self employment ended.

Now my back is ruined and I can't do anything but a sit down type job. Except no one will hire me since I have mowed lawns for 20 years. Every step is excruciating. It just keeps getting worse. I do not see any hope at all that anything can fix it and I foresee a wheelchair in my future. So hang in there. It could be worse.

reply to post by artnut


Well, I will look for the study from last year or the year before, but one was done following something like 157 people, and a chiropractor worsened almost every one that already had nerve pain and disc problems. It's a personal decision, that's why I said my free advice, take it or don't.

And as for the tens, he can try one out before he buys one, to see if it works. Same as with any purchase. A physical therapist would recommend it. They work wonders for some people. Not so much for others, but I would sure not discount any type of pain relief.

I had an accident in 1993, I have had a cervical fusion, two level thoracic fusion, and a lumbar decompression lami. I have bilateral sacroillitis with bilateral sciatica and quada equina syndrome. I have had 6 epidural steroid shots a year for 4 years now.

I feel his pain.

I also work in a Spine and Brain Center in a large hospital.

I must thank everybody for their advice.

You all have pointed me in different directions a hell of a lot better than google. I had a feeling that the members of ATS would pull through. Nothing like personal experiance.

I know that it's my decision as to what route I take. But I still thank you from the bottom off my heart.

Good luck to all and me.

reply to post by TDawgRex

I have sciatica and I manage it now, mostly pain free. I was so bad off I could not stand and had to drag myself to the restroom. Initially I went to an acupuncturist for the pain. Chemical medications were almost useless and will kill your liver.

Several other comments here have been good but don't go under the knife except as a last resort. Avoid the chemical pain killers for acupuncture, massage, and other methods but take what you need to make it bearable.

There are several exercises you should do to get relief. The first is:
1. Lay flat on the floor, face down, arms at your sides. Hold for 1 minute.
2. Support yourself on your elbows in the book reading position so your back is arched backward (opposite of bending forward). Hold for 1 minute.
3. The third position requires you to push your hands against the floor so your back is arched backward more. Don't extend to cause pain but get a good backward stretch and hold it for a minute.
4. Roll over on your back and bring your knees up to your chest or as much as possible without over extending. Put your hands on your knees but do not pull so you don't hyper extend. Hold for one minute.
This should help condition your muscles and give you relief. You could do this several times and may get more relief.

There is a back exercise I do (in conjunction with my abs exercise) where I lay in the face down position and arch my back (like the Roman chair exercise but from the floor) backwards up to 60 times to build the lower back muscles.
Both of the above should give some eventual relief.

Also doing stretches such as hamstring stretches (always do them slow) may help some.
To stretch your buttocks when you have the problem with the knot and tight muscles there, stand in a slightly squatting position, place your lower right leg over your left knee and continue to squat to get a full stretch. It may sound funny, but it works. Otherwise stretching it on a stairway by taking a long step sometimes helps.

None of this cures the cause. I saw a picture on the internet where a person was hunched over. It illustrated to me how sitting in a chair all day, especially if you are in a hunched position can throw the padding between your bones out of alignment. Work on your posture.

Arrange things so when you are sitting, you are not hunched over. If in a vehicle, put a towel back there but do what you need to so your back is arched above your tailbone properly. For office work, I have what I call a sciatica chair. It is an inexpensive chair for about $50-100 which puts you in a semi kneeling position. It helps you keep your back arched instead of hunched but you still need to be aware of your back position and practice good posture.

If you are overweight, lose the weight. Losing weight is actually easy if you eat the right foods (non processed) and avoid the wrong foods including soda, and most sweets and artificial sweeteners. Avoid partially hydrogenated oils, canola oil, high fructose, alcohol and even cakes, pizza, and breads in excess. If you have the willpower to eat right and exercise you will lose the weight and your sciatica will be easier to manage. I don't have the time to give more details and I don't have the inclination to debate it. I have lived it and it works.

reply to post by Robonakka


I am much like you. I love the outdoors and physical activity. It pains me to think that I will not be able to hike or kayak again.

I am truly sorry for your loss. I had hoped to start a landscaping/plowing business when I moved to Wisconsin. Looks like that plan is on indefinate hold.

On a humorous note; do you think that we could get a job in space?

reply to post by zbrain75


All good advice which I currently do...with the exception of alcohol. I do like the occasional wine or Weizen. They have all worked to a degree. Sometimes I think I am being impatient. After all, within three hours time I went from working to an ambulance call. It has been three months now since afflicted.

However, since this has happened, I have gained ten pounds. I lost thirty pounds the previous year. Staying active is one thing, doing aerobic is another.

I'm an acupuncturist, I see around four to six cases every week regarding your issue.

The success rate I got around 90% improvement (Less pain) and 65% complete recovery and full mobility.
depending of your diagnosis, Kidney Qi or Yang Deficiency, or liver deficiency your local acupuncturist could prepare a treatment plan.

Keep in mind that in average it will take 2 treatments a week for every month you have had the issue to start seeing results.

Although some form of relieve will be felt after just the first treatment.

One clear indication of a kidney deficiency is: Tinitus, Lack of sexual activity, Knee pain, Losing hair more often.
If the liver is the issue: Irritability, Mood swings.

Again look for your local Acupuncturist.