MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
After a couple of years of Sciatica the SO had an operation on her spine 6 weeks ago to free up the nerve and remove the pain.
The op has about 85% success rate so we were hopeful.
Unfortunately, she appears to be in the 15% for whom it does not work and the pain is back as bad as it was before the op.
Consultant we saw on Thursday advised that she has to MTFU (or words to that effect) and live with it, which I felt was a little blunt.
She has been offerred some type of epidural to block the pain but can only have 3 in a calendar year and they only last a couple of weeks.
As we ride, surf, windsurf, etc the pain of the past few months has curtailed our activity and we are both feeling very jaded, unfit and wobbly.
The prospect of 35 years sitting around playing scrabble is not a prospect either of us relish.
So STW medical experts - any one got any experience with this type of pain and any tips on how to control/manage the pain so we can get back in the saddle.
It is unfortunate she has had the surgery then you look for alternative route to take. IMO surgery for back pain should always be a very last resort.
Anyway look to posture based disciplines - alexander technique / yoga / pilates etc. Alexander technique in particular has good results with chronic back pain.
Acupuncture is well worth trying - very useful in chronic pain according to some studies and a waste of time according to others. TENS as well might give some relief.
My guess is tho that its the posture that needs addressing ( as the sports you mention all tend to leave you hunched with shortened muscles) - Alexander technique would be my first try I think
Not a medical person but my sciatica was due to a slipped disc which luckily sorted itself out with lots of core stability physio work. That was a couple of yrs ago but I keep up with the physio exercises several times / week to keep the core strong. Touch wood it's all been fine.
You partner's situation sounds more serious than mine was so I'd get advice from a medical type as to any physio work which could be done to keep the pain at bay.
The op was the last resort, done pilates etc but little relief.
Not tried AT so will ad that and acupuncture to the list, should have thought of TENS as she is a midwife (which is how the injury happened, why do women insists on being comfortable in childbirth - bring back stirrups I say)
The most scary thing is the depression that is creeping up on her, now 9.10 and she is still in bed and not very communicative, just trying to find a route to get her motivated to face the day again.
I'm in much the same boat - just had an epidural 2 weeks ago and it has helped a lot. The intention is that then settles the area enough for a sufficient time for me to work on core strength and flexibility for it to be more manageable in future. The orthopedic surgeon I saw (and who did the procedure) was very much of the 'surgery as last resort' school, which was encouraging. I'm hopeful I'm on the road to recovery as it really has been quite debilitating.
Should also have said feel free to email if you'd like more detail of my experience with the epidural.