Sciatic Nerve Help Please!

[StormRider]

Does anybody know how to cure Sciatic Nerve pain? Mine has been killing me for weeks now. Some days are better than others. Today is really bad. Maybe good back stretches? Alcohol and drugs only work temporarily. I’ve been rendered almost immobile at the time of year when I should be getting back into skiing shape.

[Vinman]

depends on what is causing the sciatic nerve pain. Pain that radiates down the butt and back of the leg from the sciatic nerve can be caused by several things.
1. protruding disk
2. compression of a spinal nerve root from the vertebrae/vertebral misalignment
3. tight piriformis muscles

just to name a few

the best advise I could give you, before you go doing a lot of stretching and rehab that may or may not help or gettting "adjusted" by a chiro, go see an ortho or a back specialist MD to realy see what the deal is. Then after they know what the problem is then ask for some physical therapy.

[EPSkis]

After seeing a chiro for 4 months, I ended up figring out the problem myself.
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Regular & constructive excercise.


Of course, you could have a REAL problem, one which isn't solved by either chiro's or excercise. If so - you're only gonna get the answers from a surgeon - and that's NOT the way you want to go.

[StormRider]

Yeah, I guess I should see what the doc has to say. The last thing I want is to see a surgeon.

Thanks guys.

[splat]

Find a practicing orthobionomist near you. Look up OrthoBionomy on the web for a directory. Problem solved. Don't waste your time elsewhere.

[yogachik]

Listen to splat. He knows of what he speaks on this subject.

[Trackhead]

Vinman is right on the money.

I had a bad case of sciatica after merely playing with my dog. Lasted for six weeks, down the right 'cheek', right leg and calf. Horrible.

I took NSAIDS (non-steroidal antiinflammatory), Motrin 800mg three times a day with food. Did stretching exercises for the piriformis muscle, and tried to rest. Avoid heavy lifting, don't sit or stand for too long at a time.

It probably lasted for six weeks because I skied 4 days a week after the initial injury. I still get it, albight much milder. But the initial durations was crippling.

You'll get over it. You probably don't need to rush out and get a multi thousand dollar MRI unless the problem is recurrent and you are getting paresthesia in your leg, can't pee or poop. That kind of thing.

Good luck.

[Zeedashbo]

mine was caused by a bulging disc and was super painful until i went and got my steroid injections. it's a surgical procedure even though all they do is stick a big needle in you back. you have to get an mri first and then talk to the injection doc. in washington you only get three a year but my nerve inflammation went down after the second one. i don't know how bad your nerve is, but mine was pretty bad though, my leg on the side of the pain was going numb at an alarming rate, and if the injections didn't work i would have had to get surgery. also do tons of stretching, your hip flexor if it isn't stretched out can bring a ton of back pain. if you have good insurance go after it and get it taken care of. get the injections, go to physical therapy and whatever else you need. don't let it get worse.

[Skidancer]

Funny you should post on sciatica as mine just started acting up today. I've had it on and off for over 10 years, been to physical therapy, physiatrists, chiropractors, exercising my back muscles more, etc. I've found that lying on a bag of ice is the best for immediate pain (maybe on a hill of snow!!!), Tylenol and/or Advil, jacuzzying and sleeping flat on my back help, but again it depends on what's causing yours (ice does help, though).

I've learned to avoid certain movements that seem to bring it on. In my case, it's twisting to the side when not standing up straight (like you're doing "The Twist"). Of course, my current condition is caused by forgetting that as I was taking a Hip Hop dance class. Now I pay......

Thank the Norse Gods, skiing never makes it worse or causes it to happen. The hard thing about sciatica is that the pain you feel is not where the nerve is being compressed (its a LONG nerve) so it's hard to track it down. My chiropractor did the best job of all, but I hate paying for three times a week adjustments!

Good luck with your back!

[splat]

Ask hardrider how his got fixed when it got to the point he could barely walk.

[slim]

Ask hardrider how his got fixed when it got to the point he could barely walk.

I'm pretty sure you hooked him up with a butt massage. Right?

[splat]

Yeah, his pain was deep, so I gave him the Punani list of SF bars where he could get hung by his wrists and worked over correctly.

[Zeedashbo]

the body bridge huh? too bad my $425 is going to skiing. looks pretty comfortable though.

[mtgoat]

Check out this link. Got some good info on back pain.

http://www.brainspinepro.com/patient.../pe_aabnp.html

[AltaPowderDaze]

stromrider,
If you're lookiing for a good stretch, try putting your legs in a figure four like sliding into a base. then pull your straight leg in to a bent position. now pull your knee across your body or back to you. you can also stretch the groin by pushing the leg out. i have had 3 epidurals and one back surgery. one more to go. i had sciatic pain so bad that when i walked across the parade grounds at my school i would fall down. my good leg would not get the signal from my brain to move. you can go to a good ortho and get diagnosed simply by the reflex actions you have from your knee, ankle and planter. it sounds to me like you have a real problem. better to get it taken care of now, when pt is still an option, than when surgery is a must.

[StormRider]

Thanks for all the tips Mags. I don’t think mine is as bad as some of your cases, but I do need to get it checked out. Of course my first call has to be to my insurance company to make sure I go through the right channels so they don’t screw me out of paying for any of it.

[KIRinPNW]

I hurt my back two years ago skiing. I didn't do anything about it, lost my insurance and now I have progressed to pins and needles in my calf and foot, with explosions of number 8-9 type pain when I get up after sitting. I was lazy because I could work around my pain but now I'm way worse. Get this shit taken care of is all I can say.

I would also be careful with starting stretching routines without consulting somebody. I think I hurt myself worse by stretching things out before getting an MRI or X-ray and have talked to tothers with the same experience.

My two cents. Best of luck.

[starity]

Hello,
i have sciatic nerve pain too. I read at http://www.sciaticnerve.net/exercises/ that i should start slow but i cant even do those very exercises. Any advice. Should i take pain meds so i can do them or back to the doctor?

[tapsee]

The causes of sciatica are many but it most commonly results from either a herniated disk or spinal stenosis. Depending on the cause, the pain of acute sciatica usually goes away on its own in four to eight weeks or so.A thorough diagnostic work-up will reveal the cause.Fortunately, sciatica typically resolves without the need for surgery in about 4-6 weeks. However, if any neurologic deficits develop, such as a foot drop or changes in normal bowel and/or bladder functions, then immediate surgery is usually performed.For acute sciatica without any neurologic deficit, the use of epidural steroid injections can be very beneficial in resolving the discomfort.

[JohnMunoz]

Try sciatica exercises. My friend had already tested and proven this one. Hopefully it will work on you also.

sciatic nerve pain relief

[biff chalupa]

bump for good info. this is the worst.

[buildakicker]

Find a practicing orthobionomist near you. Look up OrthoBionomy on the web for a directory. Problem solved. Don't waste your time elsewhere.

Orthobionomy is super great for sure. There is a great person in far-norcal if ur up here. Check out a good acupuncturist too. That helped my l5s1 nerve issue.

[brraaap802]

I'm not sure yet if disc herniated or just inflammed. It's cranking on the L5 nerve. I've had some success with IMS from my physio (similar to accupuncture but needles don't stay in; it's a weird feeling) to take some of the edge off. I hurt it last weekend so I'm sure I have a few weeks to go still before the pain is gone.

[buildakicker]

I had ims done initially. The acupuncture seemed to stay where the ims didn't. The acupuncturist also has me on a certain diet to keep the inflammation to a min. It's been working for me now 3 years. Lifestyle changes for sure. As long as I can ski pow!

[brraaap802]

Thx. Just started gabapentin - we'll see what happens.