Sciatica problems

[MMARSH]

Started having Sciatica problems last meet while on a two week motorcycle trip in the alps. I was OK while sitting on the bike, but standing for any lenght of time or walking was/is horrible. I'm home now and the pain is still persistent. I was hoping that a few days of rest would take care of it. Anybody else ever have this and what did you do.

BTW, my back feels fine, no pain at all, starts in my left buttock and runs down to the back of my knee.....TIA

[Apollo]

Classic sciatica-had it a few times -comes on suddenly when bending over. Rest is really the only effective non-invasive treatment which always relieved it for me.

[livi]

Yes, rest and a good stock of first class pain killers.

[wdfifteen]

I have it almost constantly. The pain isn't usually severe, but when it is bad I lose control of my left leg if I cough or sneeze. It just goes limp. If I feel a cough coming on I have to kneel or find something to lean on or I'll fall over.

[gr8fl4porsche]

Been dealing with it for over a decade. Vicodin will take the edge off but nothing is going to make it go away very quickly. You most likely have some discs in your lower spine causing pressure on the nerves. One theory is to stretch the spine to cause the discs to retract and release pressure from the nerves.

A chiropractor with a stretching table may help. I love the following piece of equipment my gym has - helps me tremendously (after a few months of use).




Good luck.

[Drisump]

I've had episodes for many years and was told after a CT that some surgery was in order. Being who I am, I elected to not have it done. The episodes are extremely infrequent now (every couple of years) and last much less time. Strong abdominal muscles are important and I find laying on my stomach while propping myself up on my elbows for a while really helps. During really difficult times, it may be very difficult to get right up on your elbows but persevere and increase height a little every day. Hope everything works out.

[craigster59]

Hey Michael, I think you're in the area. I know people who have gone to this guy and can't say enough good things about him. He also has a DRX machine, although pricey it has been shown to help. Massages are a big help also. Good luck!
Jeff D Bowne, DC Chiropractor in VALENCIA, CA 91355

[azasadny]

I can't sit in my car with a wallet in my back pocket or the sciatica will start up. I carry the wallet in the center console and try to not ever put anything in my rear pocket that will press on the nerve. Seems to work for me...

[mossguy]

I had sciatica caused by spinal stenosis in the lumbar region. It got to be incapacitating but a laminectomy in 2005 did the job. Pain free since.

[pwd72s]

Check your PM box, Michael...been there, done that, and it's not fun. Pain so bad I'd just fall to the floor. Hope something works for you...I want to send you a sheet of gentle stretching exercises that may help...

[Mark Howard]

My wife has it as well, came on when she was pregnant with our second child, pretty bad a couple times a month. We worked with a physical therapist that showed me a massage technique that really helps her, almost instantaneously. I use my thumb and find the nerve in the center of her right buttock cheek. Some gentle, then hard pushing pressing and rolling on the nerve for 10 min or so. She screams like crazy, but it works. She's better and can walk with no pain a few minutes later.

Try to find a local PT, may help. Not a cure but definitely a method to relieve the pain.

[HardDrive]

My back is blown out. Old Skiing injury.

Core strength, keep your weight down, stretch, ibuprofen as needed, and stay hydrated. It works.

[duncan1437]

the pain might be caused by a pinched nerve at the spine.

another possibility is that the sciatic nerve is being pinched somewhere else by a muscle in spasm. for example the sciatic nerve passes thru the piriformis muscle in the butt. i just figured out my piriformis muscle has been in spasm/knotted for years (due to an earlier injury) which has been pinching the sciatic nerve.



i read about 'trigger point' therapy on the internet about 2 weeks ago and saw a massage therapist last week, and it looks promising. they try to relax the muscle so it doesn't pinch the nerve anymore. heres a related video:

How Does Massage Therapy Help Eliminate Muscle Knots? - YouTube

it sounds similar to mark's comments above.

maybe you got a charley horse/muscle spasm from the motorcycle trip, and its pressing on the nerve.

[M.D. Holloway]

Dude, I feel your pain. really I do. I have spinal stenosis to the point where I have constant pain from my ass down the back of both legs. I can't really play basketball anymore, run soccer or even train the dogs for more than a half hour. Only relief is sitting. Pain killers don't help, booze doesn't do the trick, not even the Quinlan combo seems to help. I should get the surgery but I'm a bit leary.

[MMARSH]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Hey Michael, I think you're in the area. I know people who have gone to this guy and can't say enough good things about him. He also has a DRX machine, although pricey it has been shown to help. Massages are a big help also. Good luck!
Jeff D Bowne, DC Chiropractor in VALENCIA, CA 91355

Thank everyone for the info and PMs. This guy is right down the street from where I work. I will be giving him a call first thing monday. Thank you.

[MMARSH]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

Dude, I feel your pain. really I do. I have spinal stenosis to the point where I have constant pain from my ass down the back of both legs. I can't really play basketball anymore, run soccer or even train the dogs for more than a half hour. Only relief is sitting. Pain killers don't help, booze doesn't do the trick, not even the Quinlan combo seems to help. I should get the surgery but I'm a bit leary.

Man, I hoping this is a passing phase. I really would hate to have to get surgery. This really makes you feel like an old man. Can barely walk upright and have to lean on things when I can't sit down. Sucks.....

[MMARSH]

Originally Posted by duncan1437

maybe you got a charley horse/muscle spasm from the motorcycle trip, and its pressing on the nerve.

I ride a motorcycle everyday for 8 hours, I'm thinking that is probably a contributing factor. Ironically, the only time I'm comfortable is while sitting on the bike.

[Jim Richards]

I had sciatica and I have three bad lumbar vertebrae. I started having problems after a long road trip about 8 years ago. The pain would grow when I stood around or milled around for a while. Thankfully, I got out of shopping with my wife. This problem went on for years. I found shots for pain management wouldn't do much or last very long. I don't suffer much from the sciatica lately, and I think maybe my stretching exercises helped. I do a lot of touching my toes, and bending side-to-side, etc.. Good luck with your pain, Mike. It's no fun.

[NY65912]

I've had this on going for over thirty years. I agree that it is a spasm in the butt and the nerve runs thru the muscle, hence the pain. Trigger point injections and massage worked for me.

[M.D. Holloway]

I did the injections, adjustments and decompression - worked great but only lasted for a few months then I had to go back and get them again - did that 4 times. You can only have so many epi's.