Sciatica

[Jezzerie6]

Does anyone know how to help with sciatica? My husband is suffering with it. He has a herniated disc! My dog has arthritis and the quarter zone injections help her so why is it we can't get the same help? Perhaps we should be lining up at the vet! Te

[Hidden]

Cool dog.

There is a simple, easy and undangerous exercise in a book by Robin somebody ( New Zealand chap ), Edward, my husband, has been keeping sciatica at bay for 6 years by doing this. The book is called 'Treat your own back', as I can't remember the exact instructions, I think you should find a copy or Google it instead of me giving you the wrong info. It does work though. I do it too, I have OA in my lumbar vertebrae and get sciatica in both legs sometimes. Susie.

[Jezzerie6 in reply to Hidden]

Is there any chance you could find the name of the book and the author? I could google "treat your own back" see if I get somewhere but would be great if you could find the name for me .

[Hidden in reply to Jezzerie6]

Treat your own back by Robin McKenzie, the exercise in question is called Flexion in sitting.

The whole book is splendid.

Susie

[AgedCrone in reply to Jezzerie6]

It's by Robin McKenzie & is available on Amazon.

[helixhelix]

Yes, exercises & time. Both OH & I get sciatica - but slightly different causes even if it's the same L5-S1 vertebrae that's responsible for squishing the sciatic nerve.

For me it's the piriformis muscle stretches that make the difference (and psoas and iliopsoas a bit), and for him it's lumbar spine stretches. So you have to do a bit of trial and error to find out what works best.

[juneann]

I had horrendous sciatica due to prolapse disc and was flat on my back for a month. couldn't even go to the toilet or deal with my periods myself. I was given Naproxen, Co-codamol, Gabapentin and Morphine. It took a couple of weeks but Gabapentin (anti-epilepsy) was the only thing to touch it. Left me with a lump for six months but the best way was to walk or even limp it out. Good luck.

[Fruitandnutcase]

Hi, I used to get horrendous sciatica. Apart from the pain my leg used to gel numb from my buttock to my big toe. I used to stand in the shower and know I was washing my leg but it didn't feel like I was.

I had a couple of epidural injections of cortisone, they were quite good and I had lots of physiotherapy, which was ok. I tried acupuncture which didn't make all that much difference then I found this page and did the stretch and found that really good. You've got to be pretty flexible to get into some of the positions.

My poor husband is waiting for a hip replacement at the moment - op cancelled once already - unfortunately he is nowhere near able to do my exercise so he's really suffering. I like the exercise because I could do it either on my back or sitting down so if I did it when I was sitting people didn't realise what I was doing spine-health.com/wellness/e...

I also discovered that I could get relief by hanging off the back of our loft ladder - on a rung just high enough that my feet didn't touch the floor, suppose it was my form of traction. It was always particularly bad when I was sitting in the car, either driving if being driven. On a long journey I've been known to get out and hang from a tree branch and we had one awful journey where I lay in the back seat with my legs through between the two front seat - definitely not something I'd recommend. Basically I found Avery good physiotherapist who decided I had a displaced pelvis and pushed and shoved it, I was given a xercises that I did religiously, she also recommended massage and Pilates, I've given up on the massage - only because my therapist moved house - but I've done Pilates ever since and I can't even think when I last had sciatica. Trouble is you've got to be flexible enough to do it.

If he hasn't seen a physio who can help him I'd say if he can give it a try and if it hurts then he should definitely not do it. It shouldn't hurt at all. It isn't the exercise for him

[JDQuinn75]

I also has siaticia on both sides of my body. I've been going through it for a few years now. I also have OA. The pain is awful. Ice been tringto find something to help me, but have been unsuccessful on finding something that will.

[janmary]

I've had back problems for many years, and needed a 'discectomy' about 20 years ago.

Keeping it at bay involves doing exercises and stretches specific to the problem - and walking a lot, keeping moving, being aware of posture (Alexander technique is key)

What brings it on is sitting down - Chairs have to be high and firm. Sitting on a soft sofa or armchair, the sort that most people think are bliss - can have me in agony in 2 minutes, so I don't even try.

Car chosen by test sit, not test drive, to the bewilderment of car salesman.

Makes rheumatoid flares extra annoying as well - can't sit down, can't stand up!

[pau7]

I suffered with sciatica,ive had surgery twice on 2 herniated discs but unfortunately it didnt help,i had nerve damage. I was sent to pain clinic but unable to get any pain relief. In 2012 I had a nerve sitmularor fitten in my back. I was using a Tens machine to help with pain.but the nerve sitmularor gave a new beginning.

I also take dhidrocodine and paracetamal use to take coproxamol which was far better pain killer than paracetamol.i take 10m of amitriptyline.

Hope this helps a little

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to pau7]

It's funny Pau, I tried a Tens machine when my back was at its worst, that must have been about 30 years ago, and I didn't find it helped at all. I still had the back pain - but I also had the annoying little shocks. I bought one recently for my husband and he swears by it. I got a remote control version from Lloyds. I think they must have improved since I got my first version with wires.

When I saw the guy who did my epidural she said he could operate but as I wasn't having actual back pain all the time, just thepain from my bulging discs and he had a 100% success rate he really didn't want to operate on me because he said I could end up with back pain as opposed to the pain I was having. I tell you I was off his couch so fast you wouldn't believe it.

Sciatica is the most unbelievable pain you can imagine. You hear people say the have it but until you've had it yourself you can't imagine how awful it feels, a bit like dry eyes, people think, yeah, dry eyes, when in fact they are agony.

[Jezzerie6 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I hope I can find the machine your talking about I will google it. Thank you

[pau7]

Why not see you dr or specialist amd ask what they think of a internal nerve stimulator.i was only in hospital overnight. I have a remote control.As soon as thè pain starts i turn on my remote and it stops the pain after 10 mins pain gone.

My friend had surgery on her disc and Is now pain free

[Jezzerie6 in reply to pau7]

Yes u think I'll suggest that to my husband but maybe they only do it for nerve damage!

[ginam]

Inversion table and Gabapentin help me.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to ginam]

Oh when my back was bad I SO fancied an inversion table. I think back then they must have been expensive and difficult to get. That would have been so much easier than hanging fro trees and the underside of ladders.

[Jezzerie6 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I like the idea Of hanging from the tress. We have an inversion table but my husband can't take it with him on his long drives to Melbourne so I told him about the hanging from a tree idea and he said he will try it!!

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Jezzerie6]

It probably looked very strange - car pulls up by trees, woman gets out, dangles for ten minutes or so then gets back in and drives off :). Anything would do - those climbing frames you find in children's playparks or one of those keep fit tracks you get - anything with a strong structure, as long as you can 'dangle' with your feet off the ground.

Tell him to be careful how he comes down though, first time I used the loft ladder I forgot I was a foot or so off the floor and let go, it kind of undid all the good work.

I think you can buy a bar that goes across a doorway, it let's keep fit addicts do pull-ups on it - he could pack that in his suitcase, I never get that far.

Lucky him having an inversion table. Apart from having the bad luck to need onethat is.

[Jezzerie6]

Yes it's quite a funny sight to see but I think I'll know what going on if I happen to see someone hanging from a tree! Alive that is! Mm!