[Closed] Help - sciatica!

I wish I did have tips but you are basically describing me. You therefore have my sympathy.

If you sleep on your side try sticking a pillow between your legs to lift up your top leg. This seems to straighten things up and helps a bit.

I did similar last year, sciatic symptoms, but it was a piriformis issue, triggered by kettlebells, not sciatica.

Once pain had eased a little, physio gave me some exercises that worked a treat.

Kettleballs?! Jesus...just the thought of that makes me wince!

I’ve tried the pillow thing - no joy I’m afraid.

Get yourself a fit ball and a series of exercises to stretch and strengthen your core muscles. Or yoga. You’ll be good. I used to suffer from sciatica and sacro iliac problems 15 or so years ago and since realising that it’s all about core muscles and not worrying so much about money (lower back issues can be as a result of feeling a lack of financial or emotional support), I’m much much better.
HTH

I have had two significant sciatica episodes - not sleeping for days, unable to lie in bed. In both cases steroid injection into the spine followed by lots of physio helped significantly.

It doesn’t help in every case though.

I can recommend a decent sports and musculoskeletal doctor in Otley if that helps.

Edit : Once you start to recover I recommend the back exercises - but don’t aggravate it if it’s serious.

vsince realising that it’s all about core muscles and not worrying so much about money (lower back issues can be as a result of feeling a lack of financial or emotional support), I’m much much better

Interesting point, I have piriformis issues and can keep it at bay by staying on top of the homework my physio sets me but when there is a flare-up, it's often triggered by a stress event. As I don't have, touch wood, a stressful job, I am crap at dealing with stress so the trigger can be something inconsequential. Most recently, a cancelled train on the way to catch a flight with out 5yo in tow... we made the flight but a couple of days later I was unable to walk, lie down, almost anything without a lot of pain - felt like I'd been kicked up the arse by a shire horse.

I've nothing short term for you, but for general management you need core strength. Yoga, pilates, gym workouts, climbing, kettle bells. Whatever gets you there

Had similar when I was at uni so you have received sympathies. Stretching seemed to pop it back in and fix it for me eventually.

It's something I'd consider paying to going private for at a chiropractor jf it were to happen again.

No great advice here, just sympathy. Funny discs resulted in the same thing for me. It was really awful last year but some gentle exercises have helped.
I have to swing me leg back and fore with my toes raised and my foot at an angle. This allows my hamstring to slide and stretch gently.
I’m also on a low dose of amytriptiline which is a nerve specific pain killer...it doesn’t work for everyone and takes a while to start. Have a chat with your gp about that.
Riding hardtails seems to do bad things to me. Road biking is ok and I haul my Occam off road everywhere which has made the symptoms die off a bit.
I work in Outdoor Ed and carry a back pack a lot which hasn’t been great either...lots of weight saving has helped there too.

Have you got onto the list to see a spinal surgeon yet?

Maybe dont follow the advice of just doing some stretches !! They are over rated anyway and id didnt help with it so far. In the long term when things calm down a bit how about finding a Feldenkrais teacher or Alexander technique teacher. A friend with really bad back uses ME design back friend chair supports and really likes them.
The Sarah Key back excercises make alot of sense and her book the back sufferers bible explains things well.

I know how that feels . You have my sympathy.Core exercises & stretches have helped me - I sometimes wake up with a tingle of "discomfort"( exactly the word I use to describe it), but much improved from 18 months ago. I adjusted my car seat too, but walking actually helps me- many times I've walked for three or four miles in an evening just for some "relief". Failing that I find four fingers of brandy helps. Ha.

Interesting - I often have the same stabbing pain at the top of the left buttock / side of the tail bone. I also have breathing issues, lots of money spent on various physios whilst there isn't a consensus it seems it is something to do with overloaded psoas and TFL compensation trying to stabilise the spine due to weak glutes, I've been doing core strengthening exercises for 6 months now, its still an issue but definitely better.

One thing to be careful with, is stretching on its own might not sort it, and some strengthening exercises may make it worse. I've found leg presses or weighted squats will actually make it worse / cause more breathing issues. I'm having to do very gentle stuff with resistance bands and using a bosun ball.

I haven't had an mri or anything as of yet, but thinking it maybe time now to ask the GP - last time I saw them they said it was stress...

Thanks for the tip about Sarah Key up there, quick look at her site looks a worthwhile lunch time read

Thanks for the support everyone. Work has taken me from a really active job (organised PT 4 times a week) to primarily a desk job at the moment and until recently my commute was 100 miles a day. That’s now stopped but I’m still desk bound for much of the time. Whilst I’m still generally fit, I’ve let core strength slide and my glutes are really weak with tight hamstrings and hip flexors. It was trying to address this issue with my physio which has caused the flare up...basically I think I reminded my glutes & Piriformis that they exist and they sh!t themselves on the spot!

Sounds like I just need to take it easy and slowly build back up to stretching and core work. Christ, I hate getting old...I’m only 36!

Failing that I find four fingers of brandy helps.

I can see this costing me a lot of money....

Yoga was the best thing I found when mine started up badly again. Not this hippy yoga, one of my friends is a yoga instructor who is training to be a physio so I had some one to one sessions to assessment my pain and symptoms, primarily a almost constant back spasm, and worked on exercises to relieve it.

Made a life changing difference, I haven’t kept it up as much as I should but I do go back to the exercises if I have any relapses.

Martyn Speight at this place knows backs / sciatica and put me on the road to recovery a couple of times.
He won’t cure you. He’ll get you to a stage you ought to be able to cure yourself with the help of a physio.

http://www.wharfedaleclinic.co.uk/service/musculoskeletal-and-sports-medicine/

Whilst everyones back is different, tight hamstrings seems to be a common theme. My last bout of physio was all focused on hamstrings, he said they were pulling my posture and movement all over the place.

You said you are now desk bound. Lift up you PC on some boxes and stand up. I'm currently typing this from my improvised stand-up desk. I literally do not sit down all day. It helps.

Valium was the only thing that worked for me. Seemed to allow me to relax enough for the healing to start, only a few day on them though, they are very moreish.

I’ll see what I can do at work - we have a hot desking policy and it’s a pain in the arse so there may be some reluctance to get me my specific desk. But I can only ask!

I’ve just spoken with another physio who suggested a deep massage to try to loosen up my hamstrings/glutes/hip flexors to provide some short term relief. It costs about the same as althe bottle of brandy required for the same effect so I’ll give it a go!

Hmmm...Valium and brandy, that could work!

I don't have a specific or specialist desk. I just have my laptop on top of some boxes. Its not tidy but it works

we have a hot desking policy and it’s a pain in the arse

Literally in your case.

so there may be some reluctance to get me my specific desk

They are legally required under Display screen Regulations to provide you with a suitable workstation, adjusted to your needs. Law trumps company policy.

I had very similar sciatica last year. The important thing for me was to keep moving but avoid loading my spine - so riding and kayaking were all good, walking was possible for short distances but rapidly became uncomfortable and carrying anything was impossible. After about 2 mo0nths of Naproxen it just got better.

Sciatica is usually a result of either a bulging disc or a piriformis problems - what works for one does NOT work for the other. Mine was a bulging disc and I made it worse following well intentioned advice that turned out to be for piriformis. About the only stretch that I found useful, when I had the symptoms, was knee to chest. When the symptoms have gone and you want to avoid a recurrence, that's when the core exercises help, not (in my experience) before that.

Damaged my back when 19yr old laying kerbs, suffered siatica for years due to being young and daft.
Eventualy had quite a few physio sessions without any results, made it worse I thought.

On the recommendation of my mum (who’s a bit of a hippy) I tried reiki healing, had 2 sessions.

Never had sciatica since, 45 now

I have suffered for nearly 20 years with sciatica . I saw a chiropractor at christmas, 3 or 4 sessions, and I'm cured. It was so bad before, I couldn't sleep. Pilates is also excellent.

Good luck.

Try Googling McKenzie exercises. The physio had me doing these last year when I had a bulging/slipped disc. I went from necking Naproxen and Tramadol and barely being able to move without screaming in pain to being relatively mobile in a couple of days. That change meant the physio was then able to start work on manipulating my back to help/correct the issue.

Thanks everyone, plenty of routes to investigate in your suggestions. I’ve been off work today as couldn’t face the commute so have been trying to gradually stretch more and more and I’m making progress. Off to see a masseuse this evening too in an attempt to loosen my overly tight legs. Fingers crossed I’m able to sleep tonight! Maybe the brandy and Valium will help...