Sciatica pain

[rhendrix]

I get this crap about once a year, it'll take one to two weeks to resolve then I'll be fine for another year. I've been reading all I can to try to figure out what is causing it but I can't narrow it down. Anyways, has anyone hear ever dealt with this before and do you have and rehab stuff I could do to help myself out. I've tried stretching, foam rolling, neural flossing. The only thing that's really effective is walking and ibuprofen.

 

[jls]

I'm no doctor, but I've had it along with a host of other back and neck pain. This kind of thing is usually caused by herniated disks. I always used ice pack therapy along with large doses of anti inflammitory meds and plenty of gentle stretching, I have found naproxen sodium (Aleve) to work best for me. Physical therapy may help too.

Be careful with doctors wasting your time and money, if you aren't getting relief you should see a specialist and get a more precise diagnosis. I really only starting making good progress with my neck injury when I finally got tired of my doctor sending me back to physical therapy over and over and demanded to see a neurosurgeon. One visit to the neurosurgeon and a totally different physical therapy regimen, and I was getting relief in just a few days.

Good luck to you friend.

 

[JG358]

I have Chronic Sciatica. My doctor never did anything to remedy it other than offer spinal injections, vitamin I and pain killers so I ended up going to see a Chiro friend of mine. Got me straightened out in no time.

 

[Curtis C]

Yep got it bad. I just had surgery for a herniated disc in July. Still on house duty while I heal up. If you only get it once a year and it goes away in a couple of weeks I would think you are doing something that is causing a strain and then the inflammation that follows is what is causing the pain. I would take a real close look at what activities you have done a week or two prior the onset of the pain. It could be something like extra lifting or an odd twist/turn that you had recently done.

Walking does floss the nerve some so maybe try to double up on the seated flossing see if that helps. You might also try to balance on your foam roll along your spine from neck to butt, arms across chest, lift one leg and hold, then the other. After you get good balance try flossing each nerve while in that position.

C

 

[Shrek]

I've had back problems for the last 20 years. A chiropractor worked for the first 10 years then two lamenectomys at L5-S1. The pain is from the nerves being squeezed as your diskks loose their fluid and start to bulge. In the end they blow out and come apart. When that happens the only thing left is the knife. All doctors are not equal , so look around and find one who is good. I would only let a neuro surgeon work on me. I'm pain free but my toes tingle if I jump down more than about a foot and a half. Best advice I got but didn't take until my second surgury was to quit anything that bothered my back. Get help or find another way when you lift things.

 

[rhendrix]

I had to jump over an 8 ft fence at work fighting a fire with full bunker gear on. Guessing that impact is what caused it to act up. What a pain in the butt, literally.

 

[Shrek]

I had to jump over an 8 ft fence at work fighting a fire with full bunker gear on. Guessing that impact is what caused it to act up. What a pain in the butt, literally.

I hope someones life was on the line , not just propery.

 

[Curtis C]

Start carrying cutters

Seriously though that is demanding work and is likely the reason for your pain. As long as it continues to be a short term issue, no reason to consider invasive procedures.

 

[Shrek]

I'm not joking , It's time to be an engineer and run the pumps or move into management. Fire safety inspector or something but out of front line duty. If you get past this without going under the knife you will still be very vulnerable to another injury. Time to work with your mind not your body.

 

[jls]

I'm not joking , It's time to be an engineer and run the pumps or move into management. Fire safety inspector or something but out of front line duty. If you get past this without going under the knife you will still be very vulnerable to another injury. Time to work with your mind not your body.

^^^This is good advice rhendrix

My doc basically told me that anti-inflammatories and daily PT on the neck is the best option for now, but that surgery would almost be certain at some point in the future. My range of motion is much more limited now, but virtually pain free for nearly 16 months. I can live with that for now...

Stay out of the OR as long as you can. Good luck with the injury.

 

[trevore]

I've dealt with it in the past. I have a herniation at L5. It's not really bad but if my back is out of alignment by even the smallest amount it causes pain. I would take it easy and go to the doc to get an oral steroid. That will knock out the inflammation. Then line up a reputable chiropractor/physical therapist to make sure everything is lined up and if not they can get it back to where it should be. After that it's gonna be up to you to strengthen your abdominals and keep the back stretched and relaxed.

But like JLS stated stay away from the knife as long as possible. Once you have a fusion you will be back for another.

 

[Shrek]

They are glueing disks back together these days and there are replacement disks. Fortunately fusions are going away. AVOID A FUSION ! If rhe doc you are seeing talks fusion you need anorher doctor ! Avoiding the knife in the first place is the goal. Then , minimaly invasive . No matter what they do when they cut they create scar tissue. My second surgery was mostly to remove scar tissue and a little more disk. The scar tissue will always grow , and if it squeezes your nerves they will have to go back in. I have a friend who lives with terrible pain from the scaring and after a half dozen surgeries to clear the scaring they can't clear it anymore. It is so wrapped around the nerves and so hard it can't be cut away. Now his liver is failing from the pain killers and aleve. When I say quit anything that hurts your back I mean it. Your life could become a living hell !

 

[whitingja]

Have had issues for years. Recently got injections done in facets and several epidurals. Much better now. Doesn't work for everyone

 

[SDHNTR]

I too have fought it for years, ever since a high school wrestling injury. L5 S1 dual herniation. I lost 90% control of my left leg for 2+ months. The key for me is stretching and keeping a strong core. It's pretty predictable for me too. If I slack off on stretching for a week or two, I have a flare up and I'm out for 8-10 days. Yet if i stay on it with the excercises, its almost never an issue anymore. What is important is to realize that the stretching and ab work is not a quick fix to address the problem. You have to do it most every day. It requires a lifestyle change to break the cycle. The excercises must become part of your daily routine if you expect them to work.

 

[rhendrix]

We were in rescue mode, if that tells you anything. Had to go to the back of the house (charlie side) and they had crap between the side of there house and the fence so we couldn't go over it, the C side had a dumpster on the side of it so I climbed up the dumpster then over the fence, then we forced the door. Crappy part was we found no one.

Never thought about having a herniated disc, I don't think that's what it is though since I have no loss of feeling just a pain in my butt and a sore lower back only on the left side.

 

[Shrek]

Most likely the disk is bulging to that side combined with misaliangment and inflamation. A chiropracror should be able to get you strait and and aleve get the swelling down. What you have is what the chiropractor kept a lid on for me for 10years. What I didn't get through my head was be that I needed to be super safe. I kept jogging and lifting weights and working for ups. I assumed the backkracker would always fix me up. The day came he could do nothing for me. Its time for low impact and always lift correctly. Find a place in the department where you work your mind.

 

[jls]

Never thought about having a herniated disc, I don't think that's what it is though since I have no loss of feeling just a pain in my butt and a sore lower back only on the left side.

Pain is experienced differently for everyone. When my neck was jacked up it rendered my right arm (I'm right handed) nearly useless. I experienced hot prickly pain, cold prickly pain, dull aching, throbbing, stabbing, tingling etc. For about a week I lost all sensation in my thumb, index, and middle finger. It seemed as if it was different every day, it all depends how the inflammation is pressing on the nerve roots. Between the neurosurgeon and my chiropractor we got it worked out pretty good, now it's up to me to take extra good care of the neck so it doesn't flare up again.

Good luck