Sciatica

[Uglow]

I have sciatica and am in a lot of pain. Should I change steroid dose for few days! Thanks

[MrsNails]

Hi Uglow - No increasing your Steroid Dose won’t help - have you tried any OTC Medication?

[Uglow in reply to MrsNails]

Yes paracetamol I can’t take ibuprofen ok I’ll just continue. Thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Uglow]

Is your lower back uncomfortable? If so, try using a hot water bottle to relax the muscles.

[piglette]

Sciatica is awful. It quite takes my breath away. I found that painkillers are useless. The only thing that vaguely helped me was physiotherapy.

[ParsnipSoup in reply to piglette]

Sciatica is the most dreadful pain . After suffering sciatica for a few years with no relief with painkillers, physio, injections I needed surgery . Not to sound totally negative I started Pilates as suggested by my surgeon some time later. I was shown a method of helping which was pretty amazing. I was shown how to do it sitting but it is often shown as a floor exercise. If you look up Pilates and Sciatica you should find it easy enough.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to ParsnipSoup]

This is a good article:

complete-pilates.co.uk/exer....

[piglette in reply to ParsnipSoup]

In fact a friend of mine who gets sciatica showed me some exercises, the only trouble was we were in a coffee shop at the time when she decided to show me by sitting on the floor and seemingly to start tying herself in knots much to the shock of everyone else drinking coffee!!

[ParsnipSoup in reply to piglette]

Oops.

[piglette in reply to ParsnipSoup]

It was actually very funny.

[HeronNS]

Whatever you do, don't increase pred for anything other than PMR, which is what your doctor has prescribed it for. I agree with the others.

Sciatica is most likely caused by referred pain from a nerve in your spine. If you can relax the muscles lining your spine, perhaps with heat as suggested by PMRpro, this may help you more than anything else. If it is going to be a long time before you can see a physiotherapist you might find some helpful exercises on the internet. Like this, perhaps:

healthline.com/health/back-...

[Zoidsburg]

If you are able, try to stretch the piriformis muscle. There are lots of simple ways to stretch it.

[Broseley]

I find stretching exercises are a real help. Also co-codamol as I can't use ibuprofen either.

[Pixix]

It’s awful, isn’t it! I’ve had it for 8 weeks now, & can hardly walk some days. I’m getting dreadful stabbing pains in my groin as well as the normal pains. I get it each winter, but never as bad, or gone on so long!! My tips…relaxing in warm bath, heat pad on back, electric blanket on low all night, bed socks. Exercises, if you Google on stretches for sciatica, these are gentle, but your choice if you exercise or not. I think you will find it’s recommended on sciatica web sites. No painkillers help mine except for time release morphine, which I take occasionally if I have a medical appointment I need to get to! I can’t take ibuprofen. If I find anything that works, you’ll be the first to know, but I’m finding keeping the bad leg warm all the time is good for it. Sitting wrapped in blanket looking like I’m 100 is norm right now. Good luck!

[SueMacD]

Hi Uglow, I feel for you. I’ve had sciatica twice, once for six weeks and then a much longer period of time. I had to use a tens machine just to be able to put my foot on the floor. I was prescribed all sorts of painkillers, the only relief I got, at it’s worst, was with Oramorph. After that it is really down to stretching exercises (plenty on You Tube). Best of luck, it will ease eventually.

[Sharitone]

Poor you! Are you able to walk around in the morning until it eases a bit? I notice that lots of people with PMR seem to get bouts of sciatica. Something to do with weakened muscles perhaps?

[Uglow in reply to Sharitone]

I can walk with stick but when I put pressure on leg it’s like an acute shoring pain that makes me shout out