Dealing With Sciatica

[foo on patrol]

Over the last three weeks I have been hammered with sciatic nerve pain and barely able to walk, when it hits me. Pain level 8 out of 10 and almost tears rolling down the face

The question is....... What do people do, to try and get relief?

Stretching used to help me but it's not working anymore.

Mine runs across from the top of the right buttock, into my groin, down the back of the leg through the back of the knee, then the calf and into the side of the ankle where it splits up into two directions in the foot.

Foo

[방구 똥]

Oh that's terrible :(
It took months at the physio, stretching, and painkillers for me.
I hope you can recover soon!
What stretches do you do?

[Tim]

Diazepam-muscle relaxant
Codeine-pain killer
Seriously. For 8 out 0f 10 pain do it till the pain subsides in a day or two (hopefully). It works for immediate relief, then try physio, exercises, etc.etc.

[OldBloke]

Heavy duty anti-inflamatries and pain killers, both of which needed a script, for me; taken as soon as pain hits. Once the pain eases then gentle specific back exercises as provided by physio.



Since your problem has got worse I would recommend a visit to the Dr.



OB

If I'm wrong blame Tapatalk.

[Uncle Just]

I'm sympathetic to your plight as I'm dealing with a similar issue but with not much relief either. My pain level has been about 6-7 at worst and has woken me up at night with pain down my left leg into my foot when it first occurred. My left hip is very stiff and lacks mobility. I had sciatica years ago during my running days but a physio gave me exercises which worked very well and never had it again until last year, so 40 years pain free.
I have now stopped riding as I foolishly rode through the pain a few times using osteo tabs but it got worse. Even walking and sitting became painful too. My current physio who has been very good with other issues, is away, so I haven't seen anyone else as yet. I'm resting, doing gentle stretching and the old exercises. I have started doing gentle water based exercise in the local pool as I was incapable of much else. It's getting slightly better but age, wear and tear etc have had an effect but I'll wait til my guy checks it out before I ride again.
Apart from that I can't help but only recommend a good physio with cycling knowledge. Get well soon.

[foo on patrol]

Just got back from the Dr. X-rays of the hip leg and spine coming up.

He is talking Osteoarthritis as well. Never had electrical impulses from arthritis before

Foo

[matagi]

Foo, have you tried hip stretches? Lower back pain can be exacerbated by tight hip flexors.

I have found this website useful.

[dave3210go]

Lower back pain can be exacerbated by kidney stones

[foo on patrol]

Foo, have you tried hip stretches? Lower back pain can be exacerbated by tight hip flexors.

I have found this website useful.

Thanks for that site, Matagi. I do a combination of some of those but that is a good list to do.

Foo

[foo on patrol]

The results are in...

Well I have...

Spondylolisthesis of 6mm of L5/S1due to bilateral L5 pars defects.

Servre disc degeneration with marked narrowing and vacuum phenomenon.

In simple terms, I have a bulged disc at L5/S1 and my spinal canal has narrow a lot causing the problem with my sciatica nerve behind these two discs + the degeneration of the area.

So some more drugs, five appointments with a physio and see what happens. The kicker is, can't get in before the 27th and only open M-F and latest appointment on Fridays 2pm. Chit, none of that works in well with my job!

Foo

[koshari]

iam feeling for you buddy,
i had a bout of the old sciatica a while back, all i could do for a few days was lie belly down in a beanbag and fret every time i needed to sneeze,

[toolonglegs]

That suxs mate... Know how you feel. Can't offer much advice except keep as mobile as possible. While my problem wasn't sciatica, my docs recommendation that I rest completely was the worst advice ever.

[Haro_V2]

Can relate too, the worst pain for me is the nerve just below the fibula head, stretching dosent help me anymore. I had some accupuncture performed from my cheek to the troublesome spot and it helped somewhat.

Other than that ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) and keep on moving for me.

[spannermonkey]

Just got back from the Dr. X-rays of the hip leg and spine coming up.

He is talking Osteoarthritis as well. Never had electrical impulses from arthritis before

Foo

I have Osteoarthritis ,I could barely walk last Christmas & nearly gave up playing Hockey after over 30 years .
Get your GP to look into "PRP" plasma replacement something
Peter Lewis in Melbourne does a treatment
I had the next generation of PRP in it's experimental stage
2-3 weeks later ,I'm a new man (nearly ) can't lift anything heavy over 5kg-6kg
My doc is opening a clinic in the next few weeks in Melbourne , if you want I'll try to find somebody at your end of the world
You want the new version NOT the one Peter Lewis is doing
Those injections go straight into the joint
The new version I had was just an injection into the local area

[foo on patrol]

Trust me TLL, I won't be resting. What bugs me the most is, I just found a nice circuit to started doing hill work in preparation for an attack on the State Titles next year.

Thanks Koshari, I'm hoping it doesn't get to that point.

Foo

[foo on patrol]

No Osteoarthritis in me, Spanner.

Foo

[ColinOldnCranky]

I trust that you have had it properly diagnosed. As I found, sciatic nerve can be aggravated from things other than sciatica. In my case sciatic pain was muscular, and responded in text book fashion to appropriate physio.

I have great faith in my GP of twenty something years but, in my experience physiotherapists are at least a good as GPs in diagnosing many of these things on the first appointment. GPs come into their own when the diagnosis is less certain, the problem is intractable and in referring to other specialists and in accessing technology.

I hope you get it right, a squeezed sciatic nerve is not pretty.

[foo on patrol]

I'll get on to of it Colin, trust me.

Foo

[Dan_Melb85]

L5/S1 Injury here as well from a car accident in 2014 (I was driving a small Renault Sport hatchback when a huge 4WD turned in front of me against a red light and I hit him head on somewhere around 70km/h)

I was 27 at the time and extremely fit - running marathons, and weighed 10kg less than what I do now. Doctors, specialists all told me to stop all work and excercise, which made it worse. I started running again 3 months later and it seemed to work (against all logic). I'm still trying to return to fitness (hence starting the cycling), but the pain is never not there. Some days it is okay, some days it is terrible. I have found if I lose weight it feels better, but sometimes I'm too sore to excercise, and in the winter where it gets worse, I avoid excercise, and put weight on.

It is extremely frustrating for me, but excercise with pilates seems to help somewhat. If I activate my core when I ride and make sure I concentrate on bending at the waist in the drops or on the hoods then it can help as well.

Slipped discs are a nasty business, I copped two of them I wish you all the best.

[foo on patrol]

Thanks Dan.

Foo

[Bartek]

Get rid of the upright bike and go recumbent, upright bikes cause sciatica (ask the specialist) because of the position you are cycling in. I have been there and ended up having to have a back operation (discectomy), following that I was told to stay off the upright bike unless I wanted to progress to fusion of some of my vertebrae. Recumbents are good for your back unlike uprights.

[Constantheadwind]

Similar problem with spinal narrowing, Wifey had the AMA Chief Brian Owler perform a Laminectomy. Worked a treat, injections were only a band aid solution in comparison.

[foo on patrol]

Good to hear, Constantheadwind.

You won't see me on one of those things, Bartek. I want to race, not look like someone out for a cruise in a lounge chair.

Foo

[Bartek]

Good to hear, Constantheadwind.

You won't see me on one of those things, Bartek. I want to race, not look like someone out for a cruise in a lounge chair.

Foo

If it's speed you are after then recumbent is the way to go, all the records - speed, 1 hour, endurance are all held by recumbents. If you are determined to race "Retro" to the detriment of your body, that is your decision, good luck

[jpgibson]

i work with spine surgeons. 6mm seems like a fair slip and might need to be fixed. if i were you, i would ask my gp to refer me to a spine surgeon for an opinion. kidney stones and the other suggestions dont cause pain like yours ( radiating down leg).
ive had two disc prolapses- i have a lot of sympathy and empathy for you- its horrible BUT generally gets better.
good luck , pmme if youre in western sydney and want recommendations.
jonathan
whoopsie, saw youre in qld.