Sciatica and Acupuncture

[TG58]

Following on from my post about having severe sciatica, has anyone tried acupuncture for relief from it, I'm always dubious about acupuncture, I worry about them putting a needle in the wrong place, lol, I know probably stupid, I also wonder how you find one you can trust to be experienced enough. I would like your thoughts please.

[Bevvy]

I had acupuncture on a couple of occasions for sciatica. For me it didn’t help I’m afraid. However I would say that needles are extremely fine for acupuncture, so I would be extremely surprised if they would make the condition worse. Some people find acupuncture extremely helpful so I think it wouldn’t harm to try this, but I would look for a properly qualified person to do this. My acupuncture was carried out by the physio who was treating me at the time.

[Cornishman1966]

I had a course of acupuncture for sciatica about 15 years ago. Just when I was at my lowest after constant pain and sleepless nights, an NHS physio started poking needles in me. It was the best thing ever! It relieved the pain for 3 or 4 days at a time, which gave me chance to exercise my core muscles without screaming in agony. Acupuncture isn't available on the NHS anymore unfortunately and if you do find someone to do it, the blood service won't want to know you. I was a regular blood donor until then. I keep at the exercises every single day to stop the sciatica rearing it's ugly head again. The only place she put a needle that I didn't enjoy, was in my ankle behind the Achilles tendon. That one had to come out straight away.

[peege]

yes, I used to have acupuncture regularly although I wouldn't have it for sciatica which is sort of mechanical. I'd see an osteopath, a McTimoney chiropractor or a therapeutic masseur. I have sciatica which flares up, a lovely lady comes to my house to do deep tissue massage to help release the inflammation around the nerve. Essentially, it's a trapped inflamed nerve. Mine starts at the sacroiliac joint. I can often nip a flare up in the bud by placing a tennis ball in the muscle just below the sacroiliac & press it very hard on the tender muscle.

There are lots of exercises for it on youtube but I would recommend seeing a qualified osteopath to find out what's causing yours . It may be £45 a session - after the initial consultation - but the longer you leave it the longer it's going to take to get rid of it . Definitely worth an investment of a couple of hundred pounds if you can manage it. The pain can be so debilitating.

[TG58]

Yes I did see an osteopath on Tuesday of this week £55, it's actually got worse since then, but that's probably just coincidence, I was supposed to see him again this coming Tuesday, but he's cancelled all of his appointments, so I will probably try another one.

[Cloudancer]

Have had a puncture for both bone tumour pain and severe asthma with mixed resultsCertainly helped with bone pain though the needles going in were uncomfortable.

Didn't help with asthma in fact induced an asthma attack.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

[Izb1]

I has this a few times but this didnt work for me. I would suggest finding a good osteopath they seem to help release the trapped nerve. I hope you find some relief soon x

[TG58 in reply to Izb1]

Yes have seen an osteopath twice now, I've actually just come back about an hour ago, they are ok, loosen you up, and massage the areas good, but the pain comes back quickly, they have told me I could be looking at a couple of months treatment, which can prove expensive 😩

[Izb1 in reply to TG58]

Oh wow I am sure that would be very expensive. Perhaps get referred to physio from your gp and see the oestopath once per month, that way you are still getting treatment but cutting the cost right down . I do hope it eases off for you, its a blinking nightmare x

[TG58 in reply to Izb1]

Yes I have an appointment for physio next Thursday, but obviously they give treatment different to an osteopath, I will have to see, I hope I don't need much more treatment from the osteopath, I would like to get it sorted as quick as possible, but you never know.

[Ergendl]

When I had severe sciatica from two compressed lumbar discs causing spasms, I saw an osteopath who did acupuncture to ease the stress on the muscles and joints before using gentle manipulation to coax everything back into place. The hospital physio had only given exercises which made it worse. The osteopath sorted it in three months. After the first appointment I was able to sit again - before that I could only lie down or stand.