Sciatica

[TheNewGirl 1,489]

Don't know what the fock I did, but my left leg/hip/back area is in SERIOUS pain.

 

Anyone have it before, and what can I do?

 

Hubby keeps saying that he knows what will help it, but for some reason, I don't think that it will.

 

Advice from the Geeks?

[jerryskids 6,790]

Try rolling the area from the lower back to the butt over a tennis ball. Seriously.

[TheNewGirl 1,489]

Wow, that sounds like it would feel so good, I will gie it a try.

 

THANK YOU.

[jerryskids 6,790]

Wow, that sounds like it would feel so good, I will gie it a try.

 

THANK YOU.

Let me know how it goes. I know people with muscle pain who swear by the tennis ball. I'm not a sciatica expert but I suspect that muscle tightness/knots around the nerve are a contributing factor.

[cgod 0]

I think you should let your hubby try his remedy.

[56 0]

Stretch your hamstrings for as long as you can stand it.

 

Also, cross your legs and grab your top knee and apply pressure on it to make it cross over even further until you feel it in your upper thigh and butt cheek.

 

Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees.

 

I think you had a baby recently. If you had an Epidural, that might be the cause.

[Ravens 03 0]

I think you should let your hubby try his remedy.

 

 

 

And report back!

[Rusty Syringes 478]

I've had just about every running injury except that one, but I do know that sciatica problems are a tricky thing, and you need to stop whatever it is that's causing it, because it'll just get worse.

[kutulu 1,676]

Yoga

[Rusty Syringes 478]

Mix up some bat spleen with a little carpenter bee exoskeletan.

[skins1967 0]

http://www.spine-health.com/topics/cd/sciatica.html

[buffalobillsffl2003 0]

kid that went to elementary school......Italian family.

 

[TheNewGirl 1,489]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

 

56 - I did have a baby about four months ago, no epidural.

 

This usually happens to me when I do certain things. The pain isn't so bad today, but will work on stretching it and the tennis ball thing.

 

Probably didn't help yesterday when I felt the pain coming on, and did a whole bunch of yard work anyways.

 

Thanks again.

[Johnny Ringo 0]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

 

56 - I did have a baby about four months ago, no epidural.

 

This usually happens to me when I do certain things. The pain isn't so bad today, but will work on stretching it and the tennis ball thing.

 

Probably didn't help yesterday when I felt the pain coming on, and did a whole bunch of yard work anyways.

 

Thanks again.

 

4 months out from having a baby...sciatica pain in your hip...and your hubby allows you to do "a whole bunch of yard work".

 

He's definitely got my vote for husband of the year.

 

[TheNewGirl 1,489]

4 months out from having a baby...sciatica pain in your hip...and your hubby allows you to do "a whole bunch of yard work".

 

He's definitely got my vote for husband of the year.

 

 

I have been fine this whole time. It's not like I am still recoving from the birth...so I am not too sure what your'e getting at. And hubby was out there helping me in the yard.

 

 

I get sciatica ALL the time, not just now. I need to figure out what it is that does it to me. I will probably have plastic hips when I get older.

[Hang In There 0]

You should prolly get an MRI and try and diagnose the problem. Could be a herniated disk. I haven't had any sciatica in awhile (knock on wood), but it was so bad at one point, I couldn't walk. Physical therapy helped a lot (and was covered by insurance). Stretching is key. The one that works best for me is: lie on your back, pull one knee to your chest, and hold. Repeat with other leg. Do it again with both legs.

 

Another one, called "swimming". Lie on your stomach. Left and stretch out left leg and right arm, then do right leg, left arm. Also, make your hubby rub your back. Advil also helps. Also, alternating hot/cold. Cold packs, heating pad.

 

HTH

[Blitzen 0]

Just spent two months in agony so here's my 2 cents worth:

 

I didn't have a true sciatic nerve problem because the nerve wasn't pinched in the spine. It just happened to be going through an area of my pelvis that I messed up somehow. The nerve got inflamed because of the local inflammation. Collateral damage if you will. Stll hurt like a sumbitch.

 

I was on anti-inflammatories for 2 months and once the pain got at least a little bearable, my physio put me on stretching exercises such as the ones described by Hang in There. Another one I did was to lie on my back and bring in the leg that hurt. Cross the foot of that leg over the other leg and slightly pull on the knee towards you to stretch it more.

 

If you talk to a physio, he/she can prolly describe to you another exercise that aims to strengthen a muscle belt that goes around the belly area. Strenghtening that apparently solves a lot of lower back pain/sciatic issues. I'd love to describe it to you but someone really has to show you how to do it. It basically involves lying on your back and forcing the lower part of your back to the floor. Seems simple but you won't use the right muscles to do it if you don't get someone to show you.

[phillybear 366]

I've had just about every running injury except that one...

 

Ah, so you also have suffered the effects of having to go to the bathroom, but you can't stop running in your race, and there is no place to duck into, so you have no choice but to empty your bowels into your pants. As you continue to run, the feces starts to make it's way down your legs, into your socks, inside your shoes. Your running seems to emit a sound of squish, squish, squish. People by the roadside start to notice your malady. Women vomit. Children wail. Men throw bricks at you. A mile down the road, you develop rashes on your upper legs. You pray for a quick death.

 

So..how do you deal with the rashes?

[Blitzen 0]

Ah, so you also have suffered the effects of having to go to the bathroom, but you can't stop running in your race, and there is no place to duck into, so you have no choice but to empty your bowels into your pants. As you continue to run, the feces starts to make it's way down your legs, into your socks, inside your shoes. Your running seems to emit a sound of squish, squish, squish. People by the roadside start to notice your malady. Women vomit. Children wail. Men throw bricks at you. A mile down the road, you develop rashes on your upper legs. You pray for a quick death.

 

So..how do you deal with the rashes?

 

There was a movie made about that called Cool Runnings.

[PIK 95 2]

You should prolly get an MRI and try and diagnose the problem. Could be a herniated disk. I haven't had any sciatica in awhile (knock on wood), but it was so bad at one point, I couldn't walk. Physical therapy helped a lot (and was covered by insurance). Stretching is key. The one that works best for me is: lie on your back, pull one knee to your chest, and hold. Repeat with other leg. Do it again with both legs.

 

Another one, called "swimming". Lie on your stomach. Left and stretch out left leg and right arm, then do right leg, left arm. Also, make your hubby rub your back. Advil also helps. Also, alternating hot/cold. Cold packs, heating pad.

 

HTH

 

I agree with this 100%. You may have a herniated disc and not know it. I have 3 and it really sucks. You want to find out exactly whats wrong with you before you do further damage. Make sure you get an MRI and not x-rays or anything else because they don't pick up herniated discs or some other back injuries. HTH

[davebg 0]

I get sciatica from snowboarding. It's crazy-ouchie pain, right above mybutt/bottom of my back on the left. The problem, however, is in my glute, which is pinching the nerve and giving me pain above the sopt (and below as it runs pain/numbness down my leg.)

 

Getting a massage worked, but going to a chrio worked better. A little electro-stim on the sopt, followed by her digging her elbow into the problem spot in my glute. I stated going 3 times/week, then 2/week, 1/week...then none. Took about a dozen visits total.

 

I am also sure to pay special attention to stretch that area out when I go to the gym. (I find a good stretch for it is standing, legs strainght, one crossed in front of the other, benad and reach for your toes...you should feel it in the glute/hammy area.)

 

It doesn't give me much problem now, but I know I will likely have more of the same when snowboarding season starts up again. In the meantime, I have been working w/my trainer to build up the area and get it in better shape for next season.

[TheNewGirl 1,489]

With a herniated disk, does the pain come and go, or is it constant?

 

My pain usually comes along when I have done something that I shouldn't have...but I usually don't know until after the fact.

 

This time, hubby was sitting on our bed, and really quickly grabbed me by the waist and pulled me to him to give him a hug...I instantly felt pain, but it went away. Later on, it started to get worse, and hurts BAD again today. It's now going down my leg and into my ankle area.

 

I think I will make a Dr's appt to see if there is anything that they can do.

[CurlyNight 0]

With a herniated disk, does the pain come and go, or is it constant?

 

My pain usually comes along when I have done something that I shouldn't have...but I usually don't know until after the fact.

 

This time, hubby was sitting on our bed, and really quickly grabbed me by the waist and pulled me to him to give him a hug...I instantly felt pain, but it went away. Later on, it started to get worse, and hurts BAD again today. It's now going down my leg and into my ankle area.

 

I think I will make a Dr's appt to see if there is anything that they can do.

Good idea. I wouldn't do things like a tennis ball thingy and the like until you actually know what it is you're dealing with. Usually an MRI scan is needed to determine for sure what it is. Herniated disc pain can come and go. NSAID drugs can help in the interim until you see your doc. And this doesn't mean you'll need new hips. Most folks who need new hips is due to arthritis or avascular necrosis (being the 2 biggies).

 

GL!

[jerryskids 6,790]

Good idea. I wouldn't do things like a tennis ball thingy and the like until you actually know what it is you're dealing with. Usually an MRI scan is needed to determine for sure what it is. Herniated disc pain can come and go. NSAID drugs can help in the interim until you see your doc. And this doesn't mean you'll need new hips. Most folks who need new hips is due to arthritis or avascular necrosis (being the 2 biggies).

 

GL!

No disrespect, and not saying you shouldn't consult a doc, but there is no risk in the "tennis ball thingy" or stretching which others proposed. Many nerve pains are due to muscle knots, tightness, etc. Note that the problem area may be in a different location than the pain tho.

[Ravens 03 0]

Go to a chiro doc!!!!!!

[CurlyNight 0]

Go to a chiro doc!!!!!!

Chiro's are not who should be consulted first. I suggest if she can choose a specialist that she go to a neurologist as they are real MDs in that area.

[Ravens 03 0]

Chiro's are not who should be consulted first. I suggest if she can choose a specialist that she go to a neurologist as they are real MDs in that area.

 

What do you know anyway?

[TheNewGirl 1,489]

I was thinking of trying to get a refferal to a neuro, actually. And maybe asking my adult med. doctor about the chiro stuff. My back isn't something that I really want to mess around with and take lightly.

 

I did do some of the stretching that was mentioned earlier...laying on my back, extending one leg and bringing the other leg up to my chest. Did that a few times and it does feel better.

 

While i realize that's probably not fixing anything, it does feel better. I do know that I need to contact my doctor, tho.

 

Thanks again, everyone!!!

[hoytdwow 202]

Remember in Dog Day Afternoon, when Al Pacino's character gets so fed up of his sciatica, that he goes out into the street screaming, "Sciatica! Sciatica!"? Powerful scene.

[kutulu 1,676]

Yoga.

[Nomad99 741]

Go to a chiro doc!!!!!!

[Hang In There 0]

I would stay away from the chiro. You don't even know what the problem is! Best of bests ... get an MRI .... if it's covered by insurance, you are crazy not to get an MRI. When I got mine, they were like, "OH yeah, clear as day, you have a herniated disk bulging out to the left side." and I had been 6 years in pain, someone finally could tell me what it was!

 

Physical therapy (massages, pretty much) was also covered by insurance, once it was diagnosed.