Sciatic nerve(nf)

[aplumma]

You might find some relief from a sports therapist they have worked wonders for me in the past.I have a very low opinion of Chiropractors and the damage they have caused in the attempts to help.

 

 

Art

[OhioFisherman]

Eric, I herniated the L-5 disc in my back at work in 1994. The doctor the company sent me to had one thought in mind, save the company money. He took x-rays and told me I strained the muscles. I thought differently and took the x-rays to an orthopedic for the Cleveland Indians, all he had to do was look at them and showed me the narrowing in the gap in the discs and said I had a herniated disc.

 

He also questioned the motives of the other doctor because he told me any doctor should have seen it. The pain was simply put intense? I felt like I had been stabbed just above the butt and it ran down to just above my left ankle. He gave me a choice, physical therapy or surgery, he was straight up honest about it. He told me physical therapy could take some time to have an effect, and may not help. Surgery could help much faster, but may lead to more surgery.

 

I opted for the physical therapy, it did take 7 months for the pain to go away, and I missed 7 months of work, really no issues with it since. Like you my friend MS which can pose it`s own issues to physical therapy.

 

What helped me I feel the most? swimming, you can work out by swimming and without compressing the disc with your body weight. Any place near by with a heated pool? Rec center, ymca?

[outllaw]

1999 i blew out l5. i was sent to 12 specialist. after gruelling epidurals, cortizone, flacet injections therapy i was deemed SCREWD nobody in ont wants to operate on patients with spinal stenossis.. sciatica has subsided but i have been left with bad nerve damage in my legs from this. i wish anyone well on this issue. living on pain managment sucks. what sucks worse is our health care managment. .

how is it insurance companies can get specialist appointments and mri booked in 2 weeks when joe avrage waits a year to see a specialist and 6 months for a mri..

[outllaw]

1999 i blew out l5. i was sent to 12 specialist. after gruelling epidurals, cortizone, flacet injections therapy i was deemed SCREWD nobody in ont wants to operate on patients with spinal stenossis.. sciatica has subsided but i have been left with bad nerve damage in my legs from this. i wish anyone well on this issue. living on pain managment sucks. what sucks worse is our health care managment. .

how is it insurance companies can get specialist appointments and mri booked in 2 weeks when joe avrage waits a year to see a specialist and 6 months for a mri..

[Jewelbee]

I Have this condition as well.

A horse flipped over on me when I was 27 yrs old and I had severe chronic pain. Chiro treatments for about 1 yr helped a lot. I find now (20 yrs later) as long as I keep my back strong with walking and daily exercise, it is quite manageable. Do expect the occasional bad day tho, as this is something that will last a lifetime. (sorry)

[Guest Johnny Bass]

I have a friend that is a nurse and she had sciatica, and the doctor told her to take lots of Vitamin D and she did and it went away. Don't know if it will help in your case, but it wont hurt to try.

[bigugli]

I have a friend that is a nurse and she had sciatica, and the doctor told her to take lots of Vitamin D and she did and it went away. Don't know if it will help in your case, but it wont hurt to try.

High doses of vitamin d or B-complex are use to counter a muscular deficiency, and could be of some help if the problem is MS related.

Edited December 7, 2010 by bigugli

[EddieNorth]

When I had my sciatic I couldnt put my socks or shoes on,its a bugger ,,,stretching finally fixed it,,the funny thing was once i got moving I was alright,i could play baseball,golf anything but as soon as I sat down oh wow that was it, the pain all over again.

 

Good luck to you hope you get relief soon,all the best.

[splashhopper]

I had back surgury for a herniated disk in the mid 90's. Microdiscectomy... small incision, in with a laser, clean up loose parts and re-seal the bad disc...DAY SURGURY been great ever since...

Funny how no one until Jimmer's post mentioned ice...

Most folks with bad backs have stressed out muscles, not structural problems (note I did say most)

Muscles get over stressed and the body sends blood to heal, but when you send blood to muscles, they get inflamed and they squeeze nerves + PAIN... ice will take the blood away, so you should be doing the frozen pea thing 3-4 times a day, for 1/2 hour or so...

My doctor was Dr. Michael Ford and if you can get in to see him, I highly recommend him... he know's his stuff

http://orthopaedics.utoronto.ca/faculty/list/ford.htm

Ranked top in his field in Canada.

HH

 

your doc was thinking same way as my doc..... get the swelling down and nerve away from the herniated disc.

( see my post above)

Edited December 7, 2010 by splashhopper

[ehg]

I strained the left side of my leg at work in 04 and by the next morning found that when sitting down for any period of time that standing was then difficult. This progressed to where it became lot a lot of what I have read here, A couple of hours in the AM before able to even stand let alone walk, hanging onto a counter with both hands waiting for the coffee to brew.

Do'c figured physio was the way acompanied by T^-3s when req'd....After a year or so it worsened They now figured Sciatica and i started accupuncture with Triggerpoint injections,then came the Steroid Injections, Marcaine Injections, Nerve Blocks deep and local.....the blocks helped relieve the pain for maybe days only...T-3s turned to perk's..

 

Fast Forward Nov-2010 (5 1/2 yrs later) and 4-5 MRI's they now believe it to be Spinal Canal Stenosis or Neurological claudication.....I get seen again next week to learn the treatment program. The pain starts in the hip and lower back causing 2-hand grabbing pain down the back of the left leg thigh and calve and swelling of the feet til your shoes dont fit, extreme fatigue and weakness and litterrally hours after waking before even attempting to get out to the truck to drive anywhere.

 

Eric, I can only imagine what you go through with this annoying item wether it to be Sciatica or another but to be coupled with MS is so completely unfair....

I hope you find relief shortly pal...

-Peter

Thanks Peter, this is exactly what i am going through. No back pain but my right leg is extremely tender in back of thigh to back of calf. Need an hour or so in morning to stretch into standing position.

The MS is primary disability but the sciatica has doubled disability.

 

Will keep all replies in mind as i journey through this.

[addymark]

ehg I hope your complaint resolves asap. I'm sure it is hard to deal with this as you are managing your MS as well.

 

 

I think only a few people recognize that sciatica is a waste basket term for radicular leg pain symptoms. It's upsetting that practitioners in any field are using this as a diagnosis. If I were a patient and my Doc/physio/chiro/osteopath told me I had sciatica I would be a little concerned, and would not let them treat me until they found the root of the problem.

 

Many posts on this topic read I went here and it didn't help, or I did this and it made my sciatica much worse. If you don't know what is causing the problem, know that there is a potential to exacerbate your complaint with most conservative or manual treatments.

 

I understand with acute pain like this you will "try anything" to fix it. Just ask questions first before you let your practitioner go to town on you.

[ehg]

Just thought i would update this thread...

 

Went and saw the orthopedic surgeon today to review my MRI's from a month ago and he says i have 'massive' compression on one of my discs L1 or L5 (i forget) .

Recommended surgery as soon as possible. I said OK after he mentioned i would instantly be pain free . So surgery is set for May 25th and apparently i would be home next day or even that night. Seems like good news, oddly looking forward to this surgery.

The replies to this thread helped very much especially the ones explaining how surgery instantly helped bring relief. This way when surgery was mentioned it created no stress.

The months of February and March were really brutal as the pain from this and having a Multiple Sclerosis relapse at same time left me bed ridden. Actually i wish i was bed ridden i was stuck in a kneeling position as i couldn't walk, sit or lie down due to pain

Thank goodness family and friends helped me out during this time with groceries, home tending, daycare for my daughter etc...

Things are better a bit now i can sit, lie down, drive car etc... looking forward to fishing this weekend for first time in seven months

Thanks for past replies, it set me at ease.

[Fisherman]

Well here's a "good luck" wish for ya, hope all goes in your favour.

[irishfield]

Hope it's the key to many more years of fishing Eric !

[bigugli]

Post surgical recovery is pretty quick in normal circumstances. Might take a little longer due to the MS. I do hope all goes well.

[spincast]

Great news - may you come out of this visit pain free and on the road to recovery. I have had sciatica for years (almost 30 now) - I was a mover for 20 years and blew my back in year 10. At the low point I couldn't even drive home 1 day and had to lie on the floor for 36 hours before I coudl move ( and yes - that was uncomforatble in sooooooo many ways)

I have found out the following in the interim:

The Back Institute knows what they are talking about, no matter how silly you feel pretending to be a porpoise.

If your legs are as little as 1/2 an inch different in length, you will experience back pain and it will gfow as you age.( JFK experienced this and special shoes corrected it)

Buiild your stomach muscles - they support your back in reverse - the more situps you can do the less back pain you will feel ( I do 60 a day with a 35lb weight on my chest)

If your wallet is like George Costanaza's get ready for pain.

My rowing coach was right - dont use your back use your legs ---Of course, I learned that last one too late

 

 

[manitoubass2]

When you suffer from sciatica, of course this might vary from case to cause, but here is some info.

 

Stay active, do not take the position of thinking a back related pain/injury requires massive amounts of time in bed/on couch. Get referals from friends and family on a good local chiropractor, and go see him. He will give you stretches and excercises to do, do them daily, after showering to loosen up tense muscles. Use ice when inflammation is present, for 15-20 minutes, every 6 hours or so to reduce swelling. When there isn't swelling, use heat in the same method to help loosen tense muscles and draw oxygen rich blood to the injured area. Don't be silly and do things that cause your back to hurt, within reason. Staty away from Tylenol(acetaminophen) related products as much as possible, instead opt for ibuprofen based products, assuming you dont take blood thinners or related drugs for heart related issues, or have ulcers. Take fish oil daily, 4-6 grams, in divided doses with food.

 

sciatica takes time to correct, years in some cases, so get on it now before it gets worse...

 

Hope this helps

[OhioFisherman]

Good Luck Eric, as you know any sort of physical therapy will present an additional challenge to us folks with MS.

[ehg]

I had back surgury for a herniated disk in the mid 90's. Microdiscectomy... small incision, in with a laser, clean up loose parts and re-seal the bad disc...DAY SURGURY been great ever since...

 

 

Eric, I herniated the L-5 disc in my back at work in 1994.

 

doctor told me physical therapy could take some time to have an effect, and may not help. Surgery could help much faster, but may lead to more surgery.

 

I opted for the physical therapy, it did take 7 months for the pain to go away, and I missed 7 months of work, really no issues with it since. Like you my friend MS which can pose it`s own issues to physical therapy.

 

 

Good Luck Eric, as you know any sort of physical therapy will present an additional challenge to us folks with MS.

 

Ohio Fisherman my doctor recommended surgery as soon as possible. He described the herniation of my L5 as "massive". The operation is Microdiscectomy as Headhunter describes above. Many of the symptoms of this disc compression are similar to the MS relapse i was going through at the time. Better days undoubtedly are ahead so i can fish and drive etc... Wayne, i will try for a panfish tomorrow for Team 3 haha

 

Thanks again for replies!

[Jewelbee]

YES! When I was in my 20s a horse flipped over on me and popped my hip joint. When it went back it pinched the nerve.

I saw a chiropractor for about a year, progressively reducing visits from twice a week to twice a month, then stopped.

I used ibuprofen as an anti inflammatory and to this day sleep with a body pillow to keep my hips aligned while lying down.

I believe that it is a life long condition, that will always come and go, but staying fit REALLY helps.

Ask your DR for exercises that will strengthen the muscle tone in your lower back and hips. I found that that was the BEST medicine so far.

Because you have an existing condition, it might be different for you, but I will tell you...it WILL get better

Try to be patient, I know how difficult it is to be in constant pain with this.

Hope you feel better soon,

Jewelbee

[BillM]

When I used to race MX I pinched my sciatic nerve. Absolutely the worst pain I've ever felt. Searing hot knives up and down the back of my leg from heel to lower back. Absolutely unbearable. I found out later I was bending my foot pegs, so coming down from 20ft not landing flat on your feet had some nasty effects. Was gone in a few weeks after I straightened and re-enforced my pegs, but wrong word that was brutal. I'll never forget it.

[wallyboss]

Had already put in my 2 cents,

Edited May 9, 2011 by wallyboss

[Headhunter]

Ohio Fisherman my doctor recommended surgery as soon as possible. He described the herniation of my L5 as "massive". The operation is Microdiscectomy as Headhunter describes above. Many of the symptoms of this disc compression are similar to the MS relapse i was going through at the time. Better days undoubtedly are ahead so i can fish and drive etc... Wayne, i will try for a panfish tomorrow for Team 3 haha

 

Thanks again for replies!

Surgery was the best thing that could have happened to me in my circumstance... if you have any questions, fire me a PM and I'll do my best to answer!

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/back-surgery/microdiscectomy-microdecompression-spine-surgery

HH

[ChrisK]

Go Chiropractic !!

I have a history of slipping in and out of sciatica because of a lower back problem and every time I go and see my friend Jeff. He is an amazing therapist. So if your in the London/Byron area I highly recomend you go see him www.kaychiropractic.com

[ehg]

I herniated a disc in my back in '99 which compressed the sciatic nerve and although I never had any back pain from it, the pain in my right leg was unbelievable.

 

I tried physio, chiro & even accupunture but nothing worked, infact it continually worsend. I ended up having surgery after a year of agony which was the easiest part of the entire experience.

 

Surgery on Friday, home on Sunday and almost pain free within a week and back to a normal life again.

 

With any luck they can fix you up without surgery Eric, but if it becomes nessesary, you may hopefully come out of it as well as I did.

 

 

I had back surgury for a herniated disk in the mid 90's. Microdiscectomy... small incision, in with a laser, clean up loose parts and re-seal the bad disc...DAY SURGURY been great ever since...

Funny how no one until Jimmer's post mentioned ice...

Most folks with bad backs have stressed out muscles, not structural problems (note I did say most)

Muscles get over stressed and the body sends blood to heal, but when you send blood to muscles, they get inflamed and they squeeze nerves + PAIN... ice will take the blood away, so you should be doing the frozen pea thing 3-4 times a day, for 1/2 hour or so...

My doctor was Dr. Michael Ford and if you can get in to see him, I highly recommend him... he know's his stuff

http://orthopaedics.utoronto.ca/faculty/list/ford.htm

Ranked top in his field in Canada.

HH

After 7 months of excruciating pain in my right leg in which i saw different physiotherapists, chiropractors, different types of doctors to no avail.( Having a Multiple Sclerosis relapse at same time with MS clinic no help). An orthopedic surgeon did microdiscetomy on my herniated L5, S1 disk yesterday to fix the problem, now that pain is gone. I took the advice of Lew and Headhunter and did the surgery which instantly cured that pain.

 

A few weeks ago i tried fishing but the brutal pain made the act of simply casting or sitting and trolling an incredible ordeal. Looking forward to a decent summer/fall of productive fishing when i can get out now.

 

Personally, having a spinal MRI, which identified the herniated disc as the source of pain, was essential for this situation to be properly addressed. Now this horrible pain is gone.

Thanks for replies about the surgery, it set my mind at ease.

Edited May 26, 2011 by ehg