Sciatica

[JoA143]

I was diagnosed with Sciatica yesterday - so now have shooting pains down my left leg as well as all the fibromyalgia pain! Can anyone suggest anything that may help? Both medicine wise and anything else?

[BlueMermaid3]

Good morning

I'm sorry to hear that. I too have both! I don't think you're going to want to hear my tip! Keep moving. That's what I do. Despite just how painful it is, I make myself keep on walking around.

You don't have to suddenly start walking miles. I just find that keeping moving, otherwise sitting or lying stuck in one position, only makes it worse.

Medication wise, it's best for you to discuss that with your GP. We are not medically trained and do not know what meds you are already on, and so potentially we could suggest something that could make you very ill.

Wishing you calmness and peace

Lu xx

[Hidden]

Hi, have you tried some trigger point steroid injections into your gluteal muscles - it really helps me.

[barbarabarker]

May I suggest Chiropractic this usually works for sciatica.

[Dizzytwo Moderator]

Hi there, sorry to hear you have sciatica if seeing how bad my hubby suffered you have my full sympathy it is a very painful condition.

I am surprised if you have been dx with sciatica by your doctor he/she did not prescribe medication for your pain already.

My hubby was put on pain medication and given valium to help relax the painful spasm I guess.

I agree with Lu try and keep it moving. it will settle down eventually. Keeping it moving as much as you can may help it settle down faster.

Mo xx

[Telynores]

There are some great yoga exercises which help with sciatica. Have a google, you should find some on youtube, google 'yoga for sciatica'

[Hidden]

I was told to take something like Ibruprofen and to do lower back exercises to strengthen the core muscles and release the nerve. Pilates was the exercise prescribed by my physio. My sciatica had got so bad my butt was going numb, very unpleasant.

I hope you can find something that works for you. If you do go for the exercise route, start slowly and get a good instructor if not physio

[JoA143]

Thanks for your tips everyone. The reason my dr hasn't prescribed anything is,cause I'm on so much for the fibro already inc max Gabapentin! I'm also not keen to go on anything additional but thought maybe I could swap one! And always find it helpful to hear what has worked for other people as my dr very flexible in what's she prescribes- in a good way not a bad way!!

I'm seeing a pain Physio soon too hopefully! So should be given a few exercises but thanks for the yoga tip - I will look that up straight away!!

I did find a hot bath helped yesterday thankfully as can only move about too much without increasing fibro pain too far!!

[rubyred777]

I see your on gabapentin already. I had sciatica so bad my pulse was jumping up and down. Could barely sit down! 400 mg. of gabapentin a day, and I'm good to go.

😊.xx

[TheAuthor]

Hi JoA143

I am so genuinely sorry to read that you are suffering and struggling with Sciatica and I sincerely hope that you can find some resolution and relief to this issue. I also have sciatica and a compressed sciatic nerve, and the pain is awful down my right sided back, bottom and leg and into my ankle.

I have pasted you the NHS Choices cache on sciatica so I genuinely hope that you find this useful: nhs.uk/Conditions/Sciatica/...

I use a TENS Machine on the area and I find it helps quite a lot with the pain. I also do physiotherapy and this tends to help me as well. I tried a warm wheat pack but this did nothing for me at all. I want to genuinely wish you all the best of luck.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[Regnofibro1]

A warm bath. One of those triangle pillows to keep your legs up helps some.

[Zara-LouiseD]

I was told that sciatica is a symptom not a diagnosis? In my case it was compression of the spinal nerves due to disc prolapse but can be caused by other things like piriformis muscle issues, sacroiliac joint issues - anything that causes inflammation or compression that irritates the sciatic nerve basically.......

Hamstring stretches can help and avoiding sitting for long periods of time. Spine Health is a good website with a wealth of information about ways to relieve the pain of sciatica

spine-health.com/conditions...

I hope you get some relief from it soon!

[JoA143]

Thanks Ken Zara Regnofibro and rubyred,

Lots of great tips there to keep me going until I see the pain Physio in a months time!

Thank you all for your suggestion!! xx

[Keerylou]

Hi sorry to intrude I was diagnosed with sciatica 10 years ago. It left me unable to walk it was so severe. It did get better. I now have it back worse than ever. I can't even walk 50metres. Now I also have fibromyalgia. Which is also severe. It seems to have overtaken my ENTIRE BODY. Some days I can hardly move it leaves me bed bound. I have no support no one to talk to. Can anybody please give any advice or tips on this .IM DESPERATE