Hi I have just been diagnosed with to slipped discs as took forever to find out why I am in so much pain in my lower back I have been told I have two bulging disc L1 L5 the back pain and sciatica as been going on fro a number of years I have been on every medication from gabapentin premogablin bufen retard patches injections into the spine I don,t want to have any surgery has it does not always work and can make things worse I have just recently started going to yoga classes and I am amazed at how some of the exercisers help relieve the pain I am finally getting to grips with the awful pain I do yoga four times a week and take two tramadol at night I am certainly not pain free but I am finding it a lot more bearable.I some yoga before I get in bed and in the morning they not strenuous they all stretching exercises this may help fellow sufferers.
christ1ne10
Written by
B4w131
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
That's great uve found some thing that helps u personally. Let's hope those disc heal on there own . In my experience once a weak disc always a weak disc.
HI I go to my fitness center most good yoga teachers are well experienced in Anatomy of the body and back most of the exercises are floor exercises if you go on the internet you can see which exercises will suit you or you tube there are video,s.I this may not be or help everyone all I no is its help me find comfy positions in bed and sitting and some day when the sciatic pain is unbearable I can ease the pain with some of the postures and stretches you need to no what helps you.Just look into it.You have nothing to loose.
Hi Christine. I also suffer from back pain and sciatica, but my sciatic nerve is damaged so stretching my leg causes a huge flare-up. I have thought about yoga because the basic pilates exercises I do really help with the back pain, but am worried about causing more pain if I stretch the nerve. Where do you do the yoga? I'd like to speak to someone about it before I go along.
Not an answer to the yoga issue. Somethings a nerve does need stretching in order to break the adhesions that hold it in a particular place. The breaking of the adhesions are uncomfortable. You are rewarded by less pain and discomfort afterwards.
Sometimes when we have an injury the nerve adheres to surrounding tissue. So when we move the nerve cannot slide past moving tissue and tissue tugs at the nerve. The nerve does not like this at all and complains.
I may not be entirely accurate here, but it is a useful model to explain some of my experience.
Thanks John & Ginger31. You are both right, the adhesions do make things uncomfortable and in most cases of disc prolapses and similar issues, where there has been trauma around the nerve root, gentle stretching over a period of time mobilises the nerves and can alleviate the problem. I have been through that same thing several times post-op. It does work. I cycle 200+ miles a week. This keeps the nerves mobile to some extent as every pedal stroke gently moves the sciatic nerve back and forth.
However, in my case the nerve root is damaged and also surrounded by coarse scar tissue after four spinal operations (I also scar worse than most people too). So dragging already angry and irritated nerves through coarse scar tissue is a bit more than uncomfortable. I already do light stretching daily to keep my back mobile and after cycling and spin classes. However, any more stretching than this increases pain levels to a stage that even my already heavy medication does not control it and I am in agony for 24+ hours. Any physio I have seen have said that if it causes any more than a couple of hours of mild pain don't do it. I definitely don't want to tear the nerve sheath any further by ripping off the coating. I'm in enough pain already thank-you very much
Anyway, apologies. This turned into a bit of an essay and I've hijacked somebody else's thread. Thanks for the tips folks.
I have a theory for this. You bruise the nerve and surrounding tissue by certain movements. Like any bruise it swells. The swelling and inflammation causes pain. There is nothing one can do except wait until the swelling goes down. Coarse scar tissue can be tough and unyielding and so can bruise a local nerve when the nerve bangs up against it.
The trouble with certain injuries is that they can reduce the amount of movement that can be performed before reaching the movement end stops. It can be quite tricky to find out where the end stops are. All we can do is to investigate ourselves and work on how to determine breaking of adhesion, end stop and stretching of contracted muscle.
I might have to look in to yoga, my problem is everyone has their own opinion, physios, oetopaths, spinal specialists, some say exercise, some say don't -pilates, walking in water, stretches-who do you listen too? I tried pilates then told to stop
I have a herniated disc pushing on the sciatic nerve and a tarlov cyst. I have tremondous problems and pain had to give up my job as a nursery supervisor, use a crutch as I'm in so much pain when weight bearing on my left leg, Ive been told 'I would not benefit from having surgery' waiting to see the pain clinic again, had a failed nerve root block last summer, think they want to send me on a course for chronic pain.
I just don't know what to do... GP playing around with my meds
Hi have been on the course for chronic pain it did'nt help me much and l have tried everything nothing seemed to help and my sciatic nerve down my right leg has been unbearable l also have numbness in my left foot and toes and like you can not bear putting the full weight on it.i would avoid pilates they are to strong on the stretches most of the yoga are floor exercises all l since l have been doing these exercises the sciatic nerve pain as been reduced my yoga teacher work out the exercises for me. i would give it a go you have nothing to loose and you just may find some relief.
I think the course will be a load of rubbish in my opinion!
The yoga class you go to is it just a normal yoga class or one specific for back/nerve pain? How do you cope sitting on the floor? Any hard surface is unbearable for me to sit on I can if I lean over on my right side but cannot sit upright centrally as it hurts too much on my lower back/arse/side of it that area anyway
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Herniated disc Preventing me from standing.
Herniated disc pain preventing me from walking
Herniated Disc - Sciatica Pain - guidance please 
Herniated/ bulging L5/S1 disc and degenerative disc disease.
