Sciatica - Driving me crazy

[james t kirk]

Ii am cursed with a bad back. It has been flaring up from time to time since I was 20 something (and seriously fucked it up by doing pushups with my then GF standing on the small of my back)

Anyway, sciatica. It's a pain in the ass quite literally.

On the left side only.

Feels like I need a new left hip. Pain goes right down the back of my leg, I feel it in the back of my knee and my foot feels slightly asleep. All on the left side only.

Been bothering me for a week and bit now Hard to get comfortable and sleep even. One time, it bothered me for a year before it finally went away (without a trace) Don't want to go through that again.

Anyone else and what did you do to rid yourself of this?

 

[JanHammer]

Have you tried hot yoga?

I've had a few aches and pains in my knees, ankles, hips and shoulders go away for months after a session or two.

 

[Serpent]

Ii am cursed with a bad back. It has been flaring up from time to time since I was 20 something (and seriously fucked it up by doing pushups with my then GF standing on the small of my back)

Anyway, sciatica. It's a pain in the ass quite literally.

On the left side only.

Feels like I need a new left hip. Pain goes right down the back of my leg, I feel it in the back of my knee and my foot feels slightly asleep. All on the left side only.

Been bothering me for a week and bit now Hard to get comfortable and sleep even. One time, it bothered me for a year before it finally went away (without a trace) Don't want to go through that again.

Anyone else and what did you do to rid yourself of this?

First of all - did you get a MRI to check if you have a ruptured or herniated disc where the disc is bulging and touching the nerve to trigger the pain and numbness?

1. I had this when I ruptured a disc in my early 20s. Physio fixed it. I have degenerative disc disease and a weak lower back so the old injury inflames it every time. But I never had blood in stools or numbness in my foot - your shit is even more serious (and I had it pretty bad!!)

2. There's a guy who works magic with his physio - he worked on my back but he's out in Vancouver now. Next best is a chiro I see in Yorkville. He's worked with the US women's olympic team so he's super good. Let me know if you need his contact information.

 

[oil&gas]

When I had Sciatica several years ago the
pain was so excruciating I almost screamed once
while I was commuting in a fully-loaded Go bus. My
chiropracter has more or less fixed my problem.
But I will still sign up for preventative treatment
with him every once in a while.

 

[thumper18474]

Ii am cursed with a bad back. It has been flaring up from time to time since I was 20 something (and seriously fucked it up by doing pushups with my then GF standing on the small of my back)

Anyway, sciatica. It's a pain in the ass quite literally.

On the left side only.

Feels like I need a new left hip. Pain goes right down the back of my leg, I feel it in the back of my knee and my foot feels slightly asleep. All on the left side only.

Been bothering me for a week and bit now Hard to get comfortable and sleep even. One time, it bothered me for a year before it finally went away (without a trace) Don't want to go through that again.

Anyone else and what did you do to rid yourself of this?

I had all the same symptoms..it turned out I had a heriated disc..Lost feeling in my left leg..muscles atrophied until I was dragging my leg..and lost over an inch of circumference .
I had the surgery when I was 18...and Its been an issue ever since, it usually goes out once or twice a year and I'm laid up for 5-7 days,

Igot into power lifting years ago and strengthening the core helped
I could squat 500+
Dead lift 400+...for reps and no issues
then i could be putting on my shoes somedays and bang...fucked up for a week,,no rhyme nor reason


you sure its Sciatica??

 

[oil&gas]

Some Chiropractor would check for any spinal location
you might have by ordering a X-ray scan of your back. Mine
did.

 

[SkyRider]

First of all - did you get a MRI to check if you have a herniated disc

I had a herniated disc (L4 or something like that). The doctor said surgery or time would probably heal the problem. I opted for time as well as RMT massage (the doctor said to also try pilates which I never did) and after a year or so the problem resolved itself.

 

[SchlongConery]

I used to have some "back problems" many years ago from a car accident. Amongst other things, traction helped a lot. I used an inversion table for a year or so and it seemed to help ME a lot.

More than a few people I know with herniated discs, sciatica and degenerative discs have found a lot of pain relief and both sort and long term improvement from "spinal traction".

It makes sense for sciatica as it is a nerve that is somehow binding as a result of mechanical misalignment of some sort.

Those "Back Clinics of Canada" ads are one place to start. I think they are expensive though.

I know a guy with one of these and he swears by it.

FWIW http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=B002P4BVN4&linkCode=as2&tag=thenaturalmes-20

 

[wilbur]

CBI.ca

Used to be called Canadian Back Institute, founded by Dr. Hamilton Hall, who developed unconventional treatment for back problems that actually worked (for me). Core services are Physiotherapy.

Beware of Chiropractors. They are not all the same and some may even cause damage.

Stay away from surgery unless too far advanced for physiotherapy. It will aggravate the problem.

 

[james t kirk]

I had an xray done about 8 years ago which revealed "a slightly degenerated disk" It cleared up on its own after about 2 years of varying grief. From time to time I would have a sore back, but no sciatic issues. Now it's back, but not as bad (knock on wood) as it was back 8 years ago. Not even close.

Going under the knife is THEE last thing I would do and I'm not even close to pulling the plug on that one.

The only thing that I find helps is walking actually.

When I went to the doctor last time, she basically said that there was not a lot that could be done other than walking and exercise. She did not recommend a chiropractor and I just toughed it out. It is annoying and distracting for sure.

 

[Serpent]

I had an xray done about 8 years ago which revealed "a slightly degenerated disk" It cleared up on its own after about 2 years of varying grief. From time to time I would have a sore back, but no sciatic issues. Now it's back, but not as bad (knock on wood) as it was back 8 years ago. Not even close.

Going under the knife is THEE last thing I would do and I'm not even close to pulling the plug on that one.

The only thing that I find helps is walking actually.

When I went to the doctor last time, she basically said that there was not a lot that could be done other than walking and exercise. She did not recommend a chiropractor and I just toughed it out. It is annoying and distracting for sure.

Only MRIs show herniated discs. You gotta get these cheap docs to write you out for an MRI or get one in Buffalo. Also, sciatica doesn't just randomly happen with shooting pain of that much intensity. This is not a problem to ignore in the short term and in the long term, only a strong core will help prevent pain and further injury.

 

[mandrill]

I had sciatica - i.e. a herniated disc - about 10 years ago and was in agony for about 9 months. Eventually, it just went away by itself. I was lucky. It came back for brief periods a couple of times, but didn't stay.

Clearly don't do anything to aggravate it. Don't carry anything - even a briefcase. Core strengthening might help.

 

[red]

You mentioned hip pain as well. My ski place neighbour had a hip replacement last year and she said it made a world of difference- she is back to skiing this past winter. As a few posters said- get it checked out it could be something even more serious. (not to be ominous). I hate going to doctors but luckily I did or I would be dead now

 

[satamen]

Ii am cursed with a bad back. It has been flaring up from time to time since I was 20 something (and seriously fucked it up by doing pushups with my then GF standing on the small of my back)

Anyway, sciatica. It's a pain in the ass quite literally.

On the left side only.

Feels like I need a new left hip. Pain goes right down the back of my leg, I feel it in the back of my knee and my foot feels slightly asleep. All on the left side only.

Been bothering me for a week and bit now Hard to get comfortable and sleep even. One time, it bothered me for a year before it finally went away (without a trace) Don't want to go through that again.

Anyone else and what did you do to rid yourself of this?

You will need X-Rays or MRI to determine the problem. I have a bad spine and suffer lower back pain. I had my left hip replaced two months ago. It was basically bone on bone. The hip and some leg pain is gone but I still experience some lower back pain. You will have to find the root cause. Good luck and I wish you the best. I know what you are going through .

 

[Shades]

I agree with many of the previous posters, it sounds like your condition is progressive, i.e. not the first time you have had it and getting worse. An MRI is the only way to check out the discs, an xray would be good to check out the wear and tear on the hips. If you are young...under 70 then the medical profession will be reluctant to do a hip replacement. They only last 12 to 15 years before in need of a re-do and that is a whole other story. I've had back issues for years and have kept it somewhat at bay by maintaining core strength through weight training, and stretching out muscles, particularly the hamstrings which can really pull your back out of line. Stay away from chiropractors...........scary stuff. The Back Institute helped me years ago, not sure if they are still around.
Good luck.

 

[SkyRider]

I had an xray done about 8 years ago which revealed "a slightly degenerated disk"

A lot can happen in 8 years. Get an update and make sure it is an MRI.

She did not recommend a chiropractor and I just toughed it out.

As said by another poster, avoid a chiropractor. Also, a sports doctor is better for back issues than a general practitioner.

 

[Mr Deeds]

I feel your pain James I had it for years. Chiropractor just made it worse, finally went to a credible acupuncturist, after the first treatment I could barely walk back to my car but the next morning I had no pain at all it was amazing. Went for three more treatments and haven't had a problem since and that was 8 years ago.

 

[gack]

OP , sorry about your issue. I have t had sciatica, but have had other issues with muscles and joints. I'll echo what midniteflite said - get ahead of the pain. I also hate painkillers, but your whole body can tend to tense up if you're hurting. Get some good ones, don't abuse them, and do some of the other stuff (MRI, Dr, yoga, massage).

Can I also say - this has been (so far) the most productive, helpful thread on the board in a while. No snark, sniping, etc

Yet...

 

[Perry Mason]

Well, Captain, I have had all kinds of problems over the years with spinal stenosis, arthritis, spondylitis, pinched nerves, etc.

I have tried many drugs and physical therapies over the years and many of them have worked... for a while.

My rheumatologist is amazed by what I have been using over the past while: ganja! I don't think it "cures" anything but it sure helps to bear the pain and discomfort. And there is some medical literature that suggests it acts upon inflammation itself rather than just the symptoms.

Perry

 

[wilbur]

I had an xray done about 8 years ago which revealed "a slightly degenerated disk" It cleared up on its own after about 2 years of varying grief. From time to time I would have a sore back, but no sciatic issues. Now it's back, but not as bad (knock on wood) as it was back 8 years ago. Not even close.

Going under the knife is THEE last thing I would do and I'm not even close to pulling the plug on that one.

The only thing that I find helps is walking actually.

When I went to the doctor last time, she basically said that there was not a lot that could be done other than walking and exercise. She did not recommend a chiropractor and I just toughed it out. It is annoying and distracting for sure.

Exercise is the key. The disk pops out because the muscles in the area are too weak. In your case, the protruding disk impinges on the sciatic nerve, that goes all the way down to your big toe. The first stage in the treatment is flexing exercises that will push the disk back in. The second stage is reinforcement of the muscles in the back. You will consult a kinesiologist or sports medicine therapist for the latter and a physiotherapist specializing in the Hamilton Hall techniques for the former. Worked for me.

Walking is good, but running is even better.

Then there's issues such as posture, including while sitting.

CBI.ca (formerly Canadian Back Institute)