matchmaker

Is f***ing painful

I've been suffering for 2 weeks now and it shows no sign of easing off. Trying to sit is - literally - a pain in the ***. And the hip. And the thigh. And the knee. And the calf. And the ankle.

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Alan

"Darth" - Black Magic Octavia VRS with Forge DV, BMC CDA induction kit, Milltek cat, Supersprint exhaust, Xenons, ESP, cruise, parking sensors and Kumho 225/45/17 tyres Been to Star sufficient bhp & ample lb/ft All time low - 7.8 mpg

Mattcooper79

Sciatica Treatment - Health encyclopaedia - NHS Direct

Try this link, seems to cover the basics, maybe send me a PM if you knew all this and i may be able to help further with advice

Cheers

Matt

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matchmaker

Thanks, Matt. I'm on Ibuprofen and Paracetamol at the moment and it's helping a bit.

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Alan

"Darth" - Black Magic Octavia VRS with Forge DV, BMC CDA induction kit, Milltek cat, Supersprint exhaust, Xenons, ESP, cruise, parking sensors and Kumho 225/45/17 tyres Been to Star sufficient bhp & ample lb/ft All time low - 7.8 mpg

pittVRS

Would a chiropracter do any good? I was diagnosed with sciatica a few years ago, went to see a chiropracter who loosened all the muscles that were knotted around my sciatic nerve, and although i suffer with lower back pain, I've never had Sciatica since.

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Mattcooper79

Pretzel Stretch

Exercise of the Week - Pretzel Stretch

Try these stretches with some heat to loosen off some of the gluet muscles. Thsi usually eases symptoms.

Matt

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Black Fabia Vrs, PD160 air intake, Pipercross filter, Aero Wipers, Phillips 80% extra bulbs

slider

feel for you mate, I have suffered from this on and off for years. Chiropractor helps for a we while but have never found a cure and I just learn to live it and keep taking teh pills!

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The man with no sig thingy

BMW 118d M Sport
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gillywibble

It is a pain, just above the backside. I feel for you mate.

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I drink, therefore I spam.

Bigw2069

I have used Appin Chiropractic for years after doing myself a bad'un playing rugby, shane works wonders. worth a try £40 for your first session then £22 for each after

Scottish Chiropractic Association

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neelyp

Feel for you mate, got a mild twinge myself just now.
Had it really bad about 4 or 5 years ago, started of with a hellish sore back, went to chiropracter who managed to turn it into sciatica. Never had anything like it, started of just above my **** and worked it's way down to my ankle, felt like someone was hammering nails in. Got Voltarol and Co-codamol from quacks (who said the further down the leg it was, the worst it was), told to come back if I lost control of the bodily functions, and sent on my way.
Continued with chiropracter, after one session on a Friday I was in absolute agony. Never slept a wink all night and spent Saturday hobbling around.
I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up the sciatica had gone, it was as if I'd never had it. Don't know if it was the chiropracter's treatment or the way I was lieing but , by god what a relief.

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matchmaker

It's particularly bad this morning

Breakfast consisted of painkillers and a banana

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Alan

"Darth" - Black Magic Octavia VRS with Forge DV, BMC CDA induction kit, Milltek cat, Supersprint exhaust, Xenons, ESP, cruise, parking sensors and Kumho 225/45/17 tyres Been to Star sufficient bhp & ample lb/ft All time low - 7.8 mpg

neelyp

Try not to sit down for too long, go for a walk every half hour or so (even just to go out for a smoke) this is supposed to help get the spine back into shape.

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You are the splinter in my scrotum

matchmaker

Might have to take up smoking

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Alan

"Darth" - Black Magic Octavia VRS with Forge DV, BMC CDA induction kit, Milltek cat, Supersprint exhaust, Xenons, ESP, cruise, parking sensors and Kumho 225/45/17 tyres Been to Star sufficient bhp & ample lb/ft All time low - 7.8 mpg

neelyp

Thought you did

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As I slide down life's bannister
You are the splinter in my scrotum

matchmaker

One of the few bad habits I don't have

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Alan

"Darth" - Black Magic Octavia VRS with Forge DV, BMC CDA induction kit, Milltek cat, Supersprint exhaust, Xenons, ESP, cruise, parking sensors and Kumho 225/45/17 tyres Been to Star sufficient bhp & ample lb/ft All time low - 7.8 mpg

Skodaboy1983

Sorry to hear that Alan

My mum suffered with this for a couple of years when I was younger and she was in agony for at least a couple of years doctors did not seem to care, so she got a opinion of the principal medical officer where I worked and then things got sorted a lot quicker!

She had a operation about 10 years ago for this.

Have you got a TENS machine or can get hold of one??

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rigsby

When i had it , i hung myself from the kids climing frame, by the knee,s , so that all my bogy weight was hanging. I did this several times daily for a week or so, twisting my body around as i did it. Eventualy it went away and hasnt returned in the last five years

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Clunkclick

I have the equivalent in my shoulders due to damage to vertebrae after going through a car windscreen (That was before the wearing of seat belts became compulsory) and various other motoring accidents and falls - too many to enumerate here.

I basically get a severe version of the "Crick in the neck" that you get after sleeping awkwardly. And the difference between pain and no-pain, in terms of the mis-alignment can be scaled in millimeters in single figures.

The severity of the symptom, I experience varies and I adapt the solutions accordingly.

Basically, it all originates from mis -aligned unstable vertebra pressing on the tissue surrounding the nerves in the Spine. The effects produced vary, according to what the effected nerve is contected to. In my case, I get symptoms varying from a dull ache (In my shoulder), caused by the surrounding muscles beginning to tension, to severe muscle spasm (painful in itself) where the muscle occasionally ripples away on its own, without prompting, for a few seconds.

The most effect treatment, I've found is to break the nerve reflex arc between the spine and the effected muscle. Once this is done the muscle(s) relaxes, the tension/spasm dissapates, allowing you to mobilise the effected area through exercise and 9 times out of 10 this allows the misaligned component to make its way into another position which is non-pain generating position -that aspect of it is a bit hit or miss.

I found that the quickest and most long lasting way to "Break the arc" is by using drugs and/or electrically, using a tens machine. The quickest and most effective is a strong muscle relaxant, such as diazepam. They can work to relieve 90 % of the pain within 15 minutes of ingestion. You then follow that up with exercise etc to fully mobilise the effected area.

Note: Most muscle relaxants are on prescription and you'll have to make a good case to your G.P., i.e. a persistent and re-current condition, to get them. My G.P. prescribed a very limited supply for occasional use. They don't like prescribing them because they are addictive.

When the spasm is less severe, I use a semi-pro tens machine for about an hour and that does the trick, followed by exercise and repeat treatments.

I was also prescribed, Deconflenac, which is a industrial strength non-steriodal anti-inflammatory (Ibuprofen ++). This is used if the spasm has persisted for some time. When tissue presses on other tissue it invariably is temporarily damaged by the pressure and exhibits the bodies natural defence to tissue damage by taking on water and swelling-up. This has the effect of further reducing your ability to move the mis-aligned components. The NSAID reduces the inflammation and the swelling.

My G.P. once sent me for a course of physiotherapy,basically massage and a bit of exercise, which I did, after work, twice a week for a month. But that's quite a slow-burn (Excuse the play on words) solution only achieving noticeable results after the 2nd or third treatment. And the beneficial effect did not last long and, once the treatment finished, after a short while, the problem was back ! And, if you are immobilsed by pain, you're not exactly favourably disposed to make that sort of effort to get of the house to get treated. I'm afraid the days of a domicillary service for these sort of things is long gone

I suppose massage is, in treatment terms mid way between the short of treatment I find effective i.e one which acts mainly on the nerve pathways and the outright bone mainpulation of the type that a chirpractor would use to re-align the prime cause of the problem i.e. the mis-aligned vertebra.

I must admit, I've never used a chiropractor, so really can't comment.

You just got to find the best treatment for you and the best way to do that is to get the problem properly diagnosed as to cause.

Start with your G.P.


Nick

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Illegitimi Non Carborundum - Comedy And Country

encephalopathy

and to scare you a little more...

MPS UK - Keywords - Cauda equina syndrome

have a read through the march 2003 casebook - it's very good and lays out clearly RED FLAG symptoms, which if you develop, should result in pretty urgent further investigation (mri is gold standard) and treatment

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heresmo

This is probably irrelevant as I know nothing about sciatica, except that it's very painful. For some back pain, it can help to sleep one one's side on a sofa with an extra pillow on the arm, and an extra one (or smaller cushion) behind one's back where most comfy and using the sofa back as a support.

I mention this as it's what I've always done when my back is playing up and I learned from another general forum (not a medical one) recently that other peeps have found this helpful also. Strangely enough, I was worried before I did a bungy jump but found that the boinging (stretching and contracting) actually made me feel better. Who'da thunk it?

Best
Mo

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