oh lets see...
herniated disc L4 L5 S1 (low back)
diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, annular tears in tissue surrounding my spinal cord, had surgery in 2002 (discotomy) which ultimately helped turn the lights back on to feeling in my extremities but failed to prevent further degradation of the discs, pain etc. which I live with today. Hey at least my neck is healthy! (wrong! car crash in March tweaked that too) *see the I need a attorney thread later today
I should have had the discs-fused together and been done with it, but was talked out of it by my surgeon b/c I was young and would bounce back.. it's not the years doc it's the miles!
Bets thing I did was get in shape! Exercise was the most effective way of alleviating the pressure, pain and stiffness
Moral to my story: don't ignore your body!
If it's Sciatica get checked out for herniated disc etc, then get a good stretching routine established.
Don't sit for more then 2hrs at a time without getting up and walking around and stretching. The quads and hamstrings can pull your hips and low back out of alignment if their tight and/or have had inadequate blood flow (from sitting for 2+ hrs for example)
Take deep breaths and get good oxygenated blood pumping to those areas!
Stay hydrated!
I found a lot of these symptoms can be compounded by dehydration and not enough exercise and stretching!
I also bought a tenz unit, basically an electrical-stimulation device that uses electric pulses in varying patterns to interrupt the pain signals from my nerves to the brain, it also breaks up muscle knots and settles spasms. cost was <100 incl multiple stim pads
I ignored the symptoms your having for years and really screwed myself. If I'd paid attention to my body I could have possibly avoided the level of damage I live with today..
If you need a good stretching routine PM me I've got a bunch of good stuff!
Be good to your body & back, it's the only one you'll have
Just my .02