welovemarmite Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Anyone got any non painkiller ideas for easing sciatica. Unlikely to be able to bring my chiro appointment forward due to snow. It down my right leg, tried a bath... Have some extremely strong painkillers but they stop me functioning so don't want to take them until i really really have to!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Stretching, stretching and more stretching (and a few days of antiinflammatories to take the initial edge off it!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 5, 2010 Author Share Posted January 5, 2010 Trouble was it was the stretching the made it worse.... and not allowed antiinflammatries... humph.... just want a whinge and some sympathy.....humph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 oh hon (((hugs))) go and have another bath - try the stretching in the bath (just not too vigorously ) sorry, cant help, but im dishing out the sympathy, and whinge and moan all you like cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Hubby found the quickest way to ease his sciatica was to walk slowly for quite a while I suggested that he walk 5 miles a day and so by the end of the week would be 35 miles away... Seriously... he swears it worked wonders but in this weather may not be such a good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Tash!!! your poor OH You could try a cold pack followed by a hot pack. I alternate between a bag of peas wrapped in a teatowel and a hot wheatbag for joint pains but haven't tried it for sciatica. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janepie33 Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I'd second the walking. I don't get sciatica, but I do get terrible lower back pain every now and then. The other things that help are Tiger Balm and popping a partially deflated Pilates ball under my back and rolling from side to side on it. Hope it fells better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 cheers guys, i am guessing its sciatica but walking makes it worse. Managed to have a good night sleep with no pain, then got up to look out the window for snow and pain straight back!!! Lower back is fine, just the hip down to the foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moochoo Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I swear by my tens machine , regular anti inflamatories and keeping on the move (gently). Most sciatica is caused by a prolapsed disc in the lower lumbar spine, it presses on either the right or left nerve root causing blocked signals down the affected leg. If you can get on top of the pain relief and keep mobile the disc usually retracts quite quickly. If you're getting any problems going to the loo or lose sensation anywhere below the waist get checked out by your gp. We're seeing more people than ever at my hospital with severe disc prolapses (cauda equina syndrome). This slippy weather doesn't help. It's really miserable, I suffer on a regular basis with sciatica. I hope you feel better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I used to suffer when I worked at an information desk & found it was one particular chair that set it off,so it might be worth looking at that....is it worse after you get up from sitting down? It is truly miserable - think I used Coedine for the pain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 Its all left over from a car crash five years ago. I have the pain often but every now and again it gets really bad. like now. I have regular treatment but its a 3 hour round trip and with the snow there is no way I am going to be able to bring my chiro appointment forward. Walking and standing aggrivates it normally, but when its this bad everything seems to!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I first got sciatica about 6 years ago and it was fixed entirely by physio (x-rays did show a bit of a dodgey vertebrae) - occasionally it comes back mildly if I'm under the weather and stretching always fixes and walking releives it (sitting down for long periods is the worst thing). My physio taught me stretches to do at home which work well - do you think it may be worth a second opinion when the weather improves as if strectches and walking make it worse, maybe it isn't sciatica after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 It might not be - i have to say its me thats given it the name sciatica as it fits all the symptoms and have assumed its that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 more sympathy coming from the east coast ((hugs)) cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 ouch that can be miserable, if things aren't settling it may be worth a visit to the GP, true sciatica can take many weeks to settle & sometimes needs physio in the longer term Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 Unfortunately all i get from traditional medicene is take more pain killers ARHHHHHHHHHH Hoping it eases up enough to go and play snowballs with the kids...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Get a memory foam mattress topper. My back has been a lot better since I bought mine from Amazon a while ago. It was only £46, I think they are still only around £60 though I have an undiagnosed back problem from running uphill with an overloaded wheelbarrow and coming to an abrupt halt, over 14 years ago, my left leg went temporarily numb and so I fell over Never been to the GP about it. Every now and then my lower back 'goes' and I cannot straighten it properly or walk properly for a few days. However, since having the mattress topper, I have had much fewer incidences and my back seems to relax properly at night and I can sleep on my back too, which is lovely. Memory foam toppers are warmer than ordinary mattresses too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 I actually have the full memory foam mattress and pillow from tempur. Since the car accident I have had to change so much including the chairs, sofa and my workroom table which is electically adjustable.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Tens machine here too - works wonders and I leave it on ages too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henriette Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Am sending lots and lots of sympathy, but no really sensible suggestions. I have suffered with sciatica for years, and I have found certain exercises really help some of the time, whereas other times they don't. I would hate to suggest something that might actually aggravate your situation. I really, really do sympathise though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellekatz Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Get a memory foam mattress topper. My back has been a lot better since I bought mine from Amazon a while ago. It was only £46, I think they are still only around £60 though I have an undiagnosed back problem from running uphill with an overloaded wheelbarrow and coming to an abrupt halt, over 14 years ago, my left leg went temporarily numb and so I fell over Never been to the GP about it. Every now and then my lower back 'goes' and I cannot straighten it properly or walk properly for a few days. However, since having the mattress topper, I have had much fewer incidences and my back seems to relax properly at night and I can sleep on my back too, which is lovely. Memory foam toppers are warmer than ordinary mattresses too I too suffer from Sciatica - we bought a memory foam mattress topper in Oct/Nov time and my back has been soooo much better - more support and warmer and I don't wake up aching any more Ours was form Aldi and wasnt too expensive to try in case it didn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
