Sciatic nerve relief ideas??????????

[fireplug]

Anybody have any suggestions to help relieve Sciatic Nerve pain?
This is as close to agony as I care to get

Steve

 

[luv2nascar]

sorry the one and only time I had it my doctor's suggestion was physical therapy or deliver my baby
delivering the baby got rid of it
DH tried those therma patches for a bad knee and he swears by them. they are activated by the air and get really warm and have ibuprofen in them

Hope you are feeling better soon

 

[Dizzy-Disney4]

No suggestions for you but lots of sympathy! Ever since my second pregnancy, I get this problem off and on and nothing seems to help except for rest and my heating pad.

 

[loisg1]

I had sciatica for the first time 14 years ago. I was flat out on the floor for the summer. Try either heat or cold - which ever feels better to you. Also one of those Homedics massagers might help. Laying on your side with pillow behind you and in front of you so that you can relax and not have to support yourself may help. I also had Tens and warm, moist heat done by the physical therapist. If you can, see a neurologist before you have nerve damage. My right knee and leg doesn't always want to respond when I'm trying to get up from a kneeling position after last year's bout with it.

Good luck and feel better!!

 

[preshi]

I had the same problem when I was pregnant... it is awful isn't it? For 6 months after I has Austin I still had the pain

I'm sorry... I was told though resting doesn't help it... even though it kills to move a certain way... Sorry {{hugs}}

 

[fireplug]

Thanks for the help. Me and my heating pad are becoming close friends . Keep the ideas coming, pleease.............


Steve

 

[becka]

I developed this when I was pregnant with DS and I am continuing to have problems. The only thing that brings any relief is lots of ibuprofen and heat.

 

[klombar]

It depends on whats causing it. I ended up having an operation. Some stretching will help but you should see a doctor to find out which ones will work best for you.

 

[pixiedust218]

I suffer with this ever so often, especially when I am on my feet tooo long (extensive cleaning) and then it bothers me for days...usually a few advil and an ice pack work for me. One time it lasted over a month and I couldn't take it any more, went to dr. he gave me a shot in the back and within 3 days I was feeling so much better. Had the shot 4 years ago and it has never lasted that long again (thank god)....hope you get some relief soon {{HUGS}}

 

[Figment22]

I suffered with sciatica many years ago and was helped with
Shiatsu (Japanese) massage. Standard (Swedish) massage
did nothing. I should warn you that it hurt while I was having
the massage but then the pain was relieved. Whatever you
decide, I hope your pain is relieved soon, it's not an easy pain to
live with.

 

[tigercat]

After the birth of my 4th child I was almost unable to even walk because of the pain. Back then the Dr. told me to live with it. I was 24 yrs. old. I then went to the chiropractor and it took about a year but that was it. It got better within a couple of visits but it really needed some work before it was totally better. That was 22 yrs. ago.
tigercat

 

[browneyes]

My SO has sciatica. Amazingly what helps his the most is if he walks a few days each week. That and taking a heckuva lot of advil. He and his heating pad are pretty close sometimes too.

 

[aahmom1]

With my second pregnancy it was unbearable, I would just cry it was so bad. I had the baby and it stopped.

 

[allicat]

The chiropractor is the only thing to give me relief and keep me walking without pain on a regular basis.( I also have a herniated disc)
I use the heating pad when its acting up but moist heat is actually better than dry heat.
If you have never tried a chiropractor, you should consider it.

 

[Michelle]

My sciatic pain was due to a herniated disc. A chiropractor made it MUCH worse; I went through two years of physical therapy before finally having a spinal fusion. That was almost 15 years ago. Since healing from the surgery I have NEVER had sciatic pain again.

Have you been diagnosed as to the source of your pain? That would be helpful in determining the best treatment for you.

Good luck, I KNOW how awful that pain can be, I lived with it for two years.

 

[jfulcer]

DW has had sciatic nerve pain during both of her pregnancies. She went to a massage therapist after a chiropractor didn't give any relief. The therpist was able to relieve the pain, but I couldn't tell you what kind of massage she did. Since she was licensed in a very large number of styles, it could have been anything.... Plus it was relaxing for the rest of her body.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Been there, done that.
I have had it so bad it took me 45 minutes of hard work to go from laying to standing. And once I stood I didn't want to get back down. I knew I couldn't get up again.
I have gone to physical therapists and chiropractors, at the same time 3 - 4 times a week.
My sciatic nerve problem was starting form my lower back on my left side and going down into my ankle. (And it took MONTHS for the weekness to leave me ankle -- slow but sure.)
Part of my physical therapy was just to sleep on my right side.
To help get that pinch off my lower nerve, I also did this (since the pain was on my left):
I shifted my hips to the right and bent (without bending knees) as far back as I could.
The chiropractor and physical therapist also had me lay on my stomach with my hips shifted to the right, and pressed very hard on my lower back. They needed to get that disc off the nerve.
The chiropractor and physical therapist agreed on everything, except one. Heat vs cold.
Some nights I could only sleep by sleeping on a heating pad. That was the only thing to comfort it, and I had to sleep in order to work daily.
The PT said that either heat from a heating pad or ice from an ice bag was basically just a band-aid effect. It was not deep pentrating, so anything that brought comfort was fine.
The chiropractor said no heat, that this only inflames it more. And he is probably right, but I needed to sleep!
I was also on major anti-inflammatorys for months too.
It's a slow process. I pulled out after a month or two. But they told me that my recovery was speedy compared to most. And just when I thought nothing was working, it started getting better right away.
There isn't an overnight cure. And it will happen again.
If you don't respond to PT, then the next step is surgery!
And the last bout was brought on by lifting a SMALL suitcase. Even bending over picking up a piece of paper can do it. I just know to baby my back.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Sometimes I can get it to release a little by pulling my knee up to my chest while standing, and hold if for a few minutes.

 

[bananiem]

I just want to make sure you've seen a doctor and are sure it's sciatica. I only say that because when I was in college I was having pain that sounded just like the pain my sister was having in her pregnancy. Anyway, I went to a chiropractor who proceeded to break my hip because he didn't use an x-ray. I had a benign bone cyst and spent 5 months on crutches. The good news is now I have virtually no pain, though I can predict a bad storm comin'!

 

[Jeafl]

I agree that you should see a doctor to determine the cause of the pain. What I thought was just sciatica turned out to be a ruptured disc, where 1/3 of the disc had actually broken off! I went to 2 different neurologists, one said surgery and the other said I could try a Medrol dose pack first which is basically a course of strong steroids. I tried the steroids and the pain was gone after only about 2 days on the medication. I still get slight pain every morning, but it disappears after a few minutes of walking around. I would definitely see a doctor though. You could be suffering needlessly.