Sciatica or not

[Uglow]

Went to physio yesterday for first time she advised another X-ray before we proceed. Iv had this back pain for months and now worse than ever. Gp gave me some diazepam isn’t doing a thing. I take paracetamol and Oxycodone but that doesn’t touch it. If I’m sitting it’s ok as soon as I stand 😩😩😩 my left side hip agony. So I don’t know if I’m coming or going. Any ideas anyone. Thanks

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’d agree with the physio and push for an x-ray or better still for a scan. That might be easier said than done though these days.

I used to get mine to settle down by lying flat on my back with my knees bent, nowadays I do that plus a few stretches that help it. Trouble is you get fed up lying around on the floor when other people sit on chairs.

[Uglow in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Lol I’ll never get up again

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Uglow]

See that’s the difference and why what suits one person doesn’t suit another. Looking at Arcadia’s post mention sacral insufficiency fracture, that’s what I have, it is agony and it is pretty much overlooked.

I begged for an x-Ray - ok I realise now it would never have sown up on a regular x-Ray but the GP didn’t want to know - ‘touch of osteoarthritis’ she said when she refused the x-Ray.

At that point I hobbled to a great physio who referred me for what turned out to be three private MRI scans and sure enough I was correct when I told her it felt like my sacrum had been split in two. Unfortunately I had left that practice by then so it was too late to go back and say ‘I told you so’.

So read up about SIFs and if you think that sounds like you then push for it. I suspect they are a lot more common that doctors think - in my case they wouldn’t have recognised on if it had come up and bitten them on the backside.

I’d say if your physio is asking for an x-Ray then you really do need to get to the bottom (excuse the pun) of what’s going on.

Good luck.

PS - In spite of everything I’ve been through I still seem to be able to get up and down off the floor, I always have been and I know that’s weird.

[Arcadia10]

Is there any chance that you might have a fracture? You don’t say whether you have osteoporosis or if you're on any treatment. If you are, and depending what it is, I'd push for an MRI.

[meggiemog]

I hope you get some answers soon. Unfortunately there's no fast way unless you go private to get the answers! I am in agreement with the needing an MRI - I have had back pain for quite a lot of years - some days much worse than others - turns out I have a lesion that's been growing right above my sciatic nerve which was flagged up when I had my MRI (finally) and along with bone spurs and other things they said they thought this is the culprit. I'm now waiting to see a surgeon to remove it. Sometimes the answer isn't what you think it will be!

[Fruitandnutcase]

Hopefully you won’t have to wait too long now that your surgeon has identified a few possible culprits. I often think we get used to pain and just live with it until something happens.

[Mavary]

Hi! That’s how my first fracture happened. One Dr gave me tramadol and another took me off it. The pain went on and I went to see a chiropracter. He made it a lot worse. I spent a lot of money with him. I finished when he pressed down hard on my back. It did get a little better but after that I always had some pain. The first was 2013 and the second 2018 . That was Just over three years ago I had pain in my back worse again. The Dr sent me to a physio and she picked up on it and asked me if I have ever had an X-ray. My Dr sent me for one and I had two breaks one older than the other. Since then I’ve had multiple more spinal fractures. Making a total of seven in all. So go and get your X-ray. I hope you can get some answers because you don’t get pain for no reason. Good luck.

[Uglow in reply to Mavary]

I know I am very nervous

[Mavary in reply to Uglow]

You may be worrying about something that can be treated. And worrying won’t get you anywhere. Only give you grey hair. 😆. Sorry that’s my sense of humour again. Just think you’ll be fine until you get some results.

[Uglow in reply to Mavary]

I’ll try thanks

[Circlesquare]

My osteopath has recommended me to have a mri scan for my lower back pain mainly to see if I am having the right treatment and to see exactly what’s going on. I do have osteoporosis and slight scoliosis. I have been in pain for about nine months altogether, at my worst I could only walk for about 5mins before sciatica set in big time or the pain moved from one side of my back to the other. My osteopath has been great as I was leaning to one side, he straightened me 🆙

I had a phone consultation with nhs physio for x ray and was told it wouldn’t do any good at my age (73) so I’m not keen on using NHS for a MRI Scan when I can go private and be seen and diagnosed within 3 weeks. I am nervous about having this done though.

I would like to improve my walking and even return to line dancing if that’s at all doable. I do go to a gym for ladies only to strengthen my other muscles 💪 and manage to do some yoga exercises at home too. Fingers crossed we will all make some improvement this year 2022!

I also lie flat and do some exercises to try to loosen up my back, paracetamol, ice pack too.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Circlesquare]

I can see that a regular x-ray might not be any use but an MRI would certainly show up what was going on.

I’m the same age as you are and do the same sort of things exercise and painkiller wise. Back in July when I was in agony, could barely move and was going up stairs on my hands and knees my then GP refused point blank to refer me for an x-ray - it’s a long story but basically when I said my sacrum felt like it was split in two - it was.

The MRI of the sacrum showed that I’ve got a sacral insufficiency fracture so I would ask about that. Seems it’s more common in older ladies than doctors realise.

I wouldn’t be nervous about having a private MRI scan. It’s going ti be what let’s you move on. I was referred by a private physiotherapist, the results went back to him, and then he wrote to my doctor.

I had been looking at scans before I saw the physio who referred me and there were lots of places I could have gone all without a referral.

It was very easy, the staff were lovely, they explained everything. Mine was an enclosed machine which was noisy, a bit like being in a very bad heavy metal concert. I started with the lumbar spine then went back a week later for the sacrum and pelvis. The bed I lay on was on was all padded out and I was very comfortable. I think the guy must have put my ear defenders on a bit better the second time because it didn’t seem so noisy.

I left with a CD of the scan and my physio was sent the reports the following day and he forwarded them to me - so I had the results within two days.

I finally saw the NHS physio I was referred to by a hospital GP back in July last Monday! She checked a few things and said that basically I was doing all the correct sort of exercises and to keep going - Pilates with a physio / teacher who specialises in people with osteoporosis for three hour long sessions a week, I do exercises of my own on the other four days and I walk every day for at least 30 minutes usually for an hour. I tend to use Nordic poles when I’m out on walking paths just to be on the safe side.

I know exactly what you are going through and do hope 2022 is your year for getting back to how you used to be. Come to think of it - I hope it’s my year too 😉

[Circlesquare in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thank you Fruitandnutcase you have given me lots of encouragement to get the scan done now. The osteopath clinic is somewhere I turn to when I get desperate for help and have used over the years with knee problems. I also appreciate an hours consultation and treatment whereas at the chiropractor I was lucky to get 15mins! Physiotherapist didn’t do that much to help, I knew most of the exercise to do, only plus side was finding I had osteoporosis and scoliosis having an x ray and dexta scan (this was a few years ago). I’m on medication for osteoporosis and I do try to eat well.

Many thanks