Parkinson's is hard on the lumbar spine due to the tendency to lean forward. Sciatica is usually due to impingement on the sciatic nerve root as a result of lumbar intervertebral disc problems. A study using an animal model showed that fish oil consumption helps to alleviate this. I demonstrated it to myself by adopting a high fish oil diet - it relieved my sciatica and I have not had any symptoms for many months. Salmon is the best source of fish oil. My writings on the subject here:
I had horrible sciatica from 20-23 years old (before PD). Acupuncture got rid of it - 3 treatments and never sciatic pain again! I was on painkillers for the three years before and was told I would be for the rest of my life!
i have PD FOR 30 YEARS now 4 years ago after a not helpful try to have Duodopa pump a siatica problem appeared Now i have a bad scoliosis and problems to nany discs and trapped nurvres Im going to have a surgery soon because i almost can t walk now because of the pain iT s a risc but is my only chance to live with less pain
Yes I had the same - MRI showed L3 + L4 + L5 + S1 discs had blown into the spinal canal and I struggled to walk and stand up straight a Neurosurgeon did a laminectomy L3 to L5 and that evening they got me to my feet and I stood straight for the first time in 4 years and no pain - I almost kissed the surgeon . He released all the nerves that were impinged - the only thing I have to watch out for is no side bending or twisting or hyperextension and have a weight limit I can lift. But life is good again, I had the op in 2020 and still good.
You can also try reflexology.When my wife was pregnant (many years ago) she developed severe sciatica. Well, reflexology was the only thing that helped. It is cheap and readily available ( if you have someone to do it- who knows the points).
Last April my husband and self returned from an extended beach vacation, lots of sitting and several hour flights home. About two weeks after return he started having horrible lower back pain that ran down both upper legs. ( husband pretty active with PD exercise classes, walking 5 miles, yard work etc). He was in horrible pain and could do nothing. We went for acupuncture and cupping which which would help for a day or two. We did yoga stretches which help somewhat. Finally went to spine clinic and had MRI and X-rays. We then consulted another PD spine specialist. Both agreed He had stenosis of spine causing pain. Operated on for spinal lumbar lamadecty in June and next morning pain gone. The man who was on a walker and walking sticks now back to exercising and already up to 4 miles!
Believe me, I can relate. After sitting in the Economy section of an airplane almost a day and a half, I developed sciatica in my left leg/hip. My toe also went numb. I could not stand up for 2 months and was getting tired of watching reruns of "Gunsmoke". I tried gabapentin, Naproxen, prednisone, professional stretching, massage therapy, and acupuncture. When I had enough, I made an appointment to see a pain management specialist at a spine center. A few days before my appointment, my sciatic pain just left....for no reason I know off. A CAT scan showed some degenerative discs impinging on nerves. Now, I am afraid that if I move the wrong way, the sciatica might make a reappearance. The doctor suggested an epidural for pain relief. So the next time the sciatica returns, I will certainly try the epidural.
Hi - thanks for taking the time to reply - yours is the kind of trajectory I have followed in terms of medication - the heavy duty opiates work beautifully. Though I quite like being zonked probably not a good lifestyle choice..just yet. And the disappearance is what happened to me before.
There's a different kind of exercise program that helped me tremendously. Look up "the back mechanic" Stuart Mcgill. In a nutshell, its core strengthening, walking and avoiding what causes the pain. Mine started when I was overdoing forward bend stretching....and came back when I was much better and started forward bend stretching again...
I do the exercises daily, and the scyatica symptoms start to come back if I miss a few days. You can learn the exercise program from the book. You can also buy with opcional video.
tt sit down for 8 weeks. I trialloed accupunctire, chiropractic, NDSAIDs and wine. Wine woerked the best. Finally they sent me for an MRI, and when I sent it to a neurosurgeon he showed me how the disk between two disks (which looks like a filled Lifen Saver, had ruptured anda a stream of something then doc ssid was like the gristle on a chicken leg, had moved out like a river and was sitting on my sciatic nerve, which was obviusly swollen.
"All I do is pluck out that griatle to get it away from the nerve," he said.
On the day before my surgery, I could not stand on my left leg without morphine, snd even with morphine it went numb if I put any pressure on it. I had to use a walker and hop.
The day after the surgery I walked out of the hospital without morphine or any pain killers It was over.
Have you been assessed for other possible things like QL muscle, muscle loss (aging) or tone loss from insufficient exercise, progressive issues such as calcification or spurs along your lower vertebrae, drying out or other problems with discs, either independent or complications, scoliosis (scoliosis to one degree or another is actually very widespread, a great many people are born with a small or lesser degree of scoliosis which isn't mentioned or diagnosed, and it can become more apparent on you as you age), independent of Parkinson's, along with effects Parkinson's may have. Have these been medically been looked at to rule out or rule in their contribution?
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