Sciatica

[Helaman]

I am suffering with sciatica. I have purchased a muscle massager. I'm not sure it is helping. I've been using it on my buttocks and leg. When I use it the pain seems to ease a little but I am wondering if I am making it worse in the long run. Has anyone else used one of these to ease their pain?

[rabbits65]

I have a lot of sciatica and find I need a combination of rest and exercise , so those massagers are quite good for increasing warmth and movement to stop you getting too stiff. However only use it a little bit and just see how you feel . Call your GP to get their advice too .

[cj75s in reply to rabbits65]

Hi Hellman. I injured my L1 S5 area of my spine about 6 yrs ago. This was the result of an accident, bending and lifting something that was far heavier than it looked and no visible “Heavy” tags on it (at work that is). As a result I damaged my Sciatic nerve and was in agony for months until I was finally put on a combination of Gabapentin and Naproxin which finally lowered my pain to a level I could live with. I had tried Physiotherapy but it only aggravated the situation to such an extent that the physio sent me for an X-ray thinking something else was wrong or broken! It wasn’t. I tried tens but again it made the problem worse. I find now that with these tablets, a combination of rest and light excersise is helpful. A nerve specialist told me it can take up to 10yrs for this nerve to heal and my back probably won’t heal much at all, if not worsen. So I think you should go to your doctors snd get them to send you to a pain clinic. Here you will be diagnosed properly and receive the correct treatment.

Hope this is of some use to you. Please do nothing to aggravate the nerve. Rest when you have to. Put your leg up more when you sit, this may help you too.

Take care.

[Hellytheelephant]

I empathise- I find sciatica very difficult to manage. I find heat ( hot water bottle/ heat pad) are helpful when used intermittently. I find once it has flared up you need to rest more, and do everything you can to keep your nervous system as calm as you can.I have used Tens but find it is aggravating to the pain.

[cyberbarn]

The problem with sciatic is that it is a description of pain, it doesn't say what is causing the pain. If the nerve is being aggravated by a muscle spasm then it might help, but if it is caused by a bit of bone pressing on the nerve in the spine it might not work.

However, there is another aspect. The brain can easily be fooled when it comes to pain. Different kinds of sensations travel to the brain in different ways. For example heat goes up in fast nerves and gets to the brain faster than pain. This is why hot water bottles and distraction works so well. Keep the brain busy processing heat or a really good comedy box set, and it doesn't have time to process the pain.

[Betsy50]

Hi hellman sorry to hear your in alot of pain with sciatica I totally understand. Yes I use a massager with a heat setting I find it helps for a while. Best if you can to stretch the leg it running down I've got to do this every morning I lean on kitchen worktop and stretch my leg back it does help to ease it a little bit. Hope's this helps take care

[urodgers1968]

Hi, I have a massager too, feels nice, but doesn't help much with my pain unfortunately, ironically, I've been diognosed with problems in my lower back, but never where I get the horrible pain, had a steroid injection June, didn't work, now all I have coming up is an appointment with a nurse at the pain clinic, a bit longer than a 6 week review, good luck with your back, mine was a result of a car accident in 1995 and has got worse over the years, I'm 53 now and keep been fobbed off with the, your getting old, great I've had this everyday since last June xxxx