I am suffer from sciatica pain on the left side and had an Mri lying on the back, which showed some bulging disc. No clear reason has been given. Find it hard to carry on with daily routine and driving. Would anyone recommend any more tests to see what's the under lying cause?Get up 4 times a night because of pain, then I come down and start doing some walking till it eases off. I repeat the whole process after one or two hours of sleep. Take pain killers 24/7. Also siting down is an issue so any recommendations for special cushions, toilet sit/cushions and supportive gear like sits/cushions to be used while driving? It's gone on for six months or more. Mri of lumbar spine did not help. The consultants are vague. Was referred for phisio but it's not helping. Went to a pain relief clinic run by a self employed Dr, who said he can do muscle alignment without wanting to see my mri and he suggested it's due to constitutional problems and offered to sell me well Womens over 50 tablets and said it will help after 6 weeks of taking but would need a few ( 6 to 8 sessions ) with him at £50 each. I am not sure! Would really like to get to the bottom of it so I can take the right course of treatment. I don't mind going private if anyone can identify the root of the problem.
Would be most grateful for your input.
Written by
telmanchicks
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Don't waste your money on tablets from a quack. By all means get your Doctor to refer you to a pain management clinic. Free on NHS but you may have to wait a bit.
They will teach you how to manage your pain with pacing, exercise, alternative therapies and certain drugs.
What is the root of the problem? This is a complex question. Often you cannot get to the root and the best you can do is manage it.
You say: "and start doing some walking till it eases off. I repeat the whole process after one or two hours of sleep."
This is maybe indicating you have a muscle problem where muscles are tightening and causing pain. Untightening these muscles by walking eases the pain.
Is your bed too soft? Maybe you need to sleep on a much harder surface. A harder surface forces you to relax. By the forced relaxing muscles are not compressing structures which do not like being compressed.
Sleep is needed for the fine control of muscles. So the sleep disturbance is causing increased problems. You need to try and catch up with power napping during the day. Kitchen timers can be quite helpful for this.
You say: "which showed some bulging disc". I suspect many bulging discs are self inflicted. I have an idea what the mechanism of how this occurs is. Describing it requires a bit of work on my part and discussions with people so will not describe mechanism just yet.
It is worth seeing an Alexander Technique teacher. They will help make you aware how you can cause some of your pain issues.
Alexander Technique does not lengthen over contracted muscles. You need to see someone like a McTimony chiropractor for this. This technique is not available in the States, but is available in the UK and Europe. I have been having McTimony chiropractic on the NHS since 1994.
Muscles have connections to contract, but no connections to tell them to uncontract. The uncontraction of a muscle relies on other muscles, ligament and fascia elasticity to do this. Sometimes a muscle over contracts. When this happens manipulation techniques are needed. Drugs cannot enable an over contracted muscle to uncontract.
I think this doc is wanting to rip you off. I have tried acupuncture and it helps. Not permanently, but it seems to be better than anything else I have tried except for my meds.
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