sciatica pain

[mrsstats]

Anyone have sciatica pain? What do you do for it? I have had this pain in my butt for about 4 weeks. Had MRI done which shows small herniation. Have appt with orthopedic dr next week but I cant stand the pain much longer.

 

[Taylor]

I have this constantly. I can never find true relief from the pain. Sorry.

 

[kdibattista]

Where is the herniation? Chances are it is your piriformis muscle that is rubbing against your sciatic nerve (and nothing to do with the herniation). A massage therapist can easily release it (only after getting the ok from the doctor because of the herniation).

A stretch that's great for it... lay on your bed with the right side of your body slightly hanging over (right butt cheek should be off the bed ). Just let your right leg dangle over. For more of a stretch, wrap a towel around your ankle and pull.

My sciatic acts up frequently and this normally does the trick.

 

[MorganLeFey]

a heating pad someitmes helps -- it relaxes the muscles.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I experience sciatic pain if I've been sitting (at work) too long, with my weight on my left side.

I stretch, similar to kdibattista. Lat flat on your back, twist at the waist and cross your left leg of the right in a "figure four", keep your shoulders down. Stay in position until the ache is relieved. Sometimes it helps to stretch the right leg over the left too.

I can't stretch at work, but it does help to get up and walk around. Consciously flex/stretch the muscle that you sit on as you walk.

 

[shortbun]

I had this when my son was a baby and I was locking my knees while I was standing and holding him. It took a couple of years to go away and still flares on rare occassions. It was explained to me that the pain was caused by inflammation and that icing for twenty minutes every hour 3X - never heat('like adding fire to fire')-was called for. Also, anti-inflammatories and keeping my knees bent when I stood. Then, I got some massage therapy to help release the other muscles in the area of the sciatic nerve. They also had me keep a phone book thickness on the floor to put one foot on for standing and sitting so my back end/sacrum wouldn't lock up. It really never is fully gone, some numbness in the leg lingers too but I'm not in the horrific pain any longer and I can tell when I'm aggravating it so I stop whatever I'm doing. That gentle over the leg stretch is good too but remember to keep your shoulders flat and I was told to try to keep my hips flat too.

 

[chager]

I was sent to a chiropractor and it has done wonders! I never was one to go beforebut I absolutely love the guy I see. He is VERY gentle and within just a couple weeks I was much better. He is also treating another condition that I have had since childhood that most likely contributed to the problem somehow. Which is why I am still under care. Much better to fix the old condition this way then with surgery! (I had "frozen hips" which means my hips didn't "sway" the way most womens do. When I was 10 the ortho wanted to do surgery which meant opening me up starting at my ankles and realigning everything. Pretty much a full body cast for months and then rehabilatation. Thank God my parents said "NO!" The chiro is fixing it non-surgically )
He gave me some stretching techniques like others have also mentioned and also recommended ice for 15-20 min 3-4X a day. He said no more the 20mins because then it is like putting heat on your back and that isn't the effect that is wanted. Good luck! I hope you feel better soon!

 

[Stitchfans]

a heating pad someitmes helps -- it relaxes the muscles.

This is what I use. I have the pain in my lower back once in a great while. Thank goodness not that often. It totally cripples you.
Good luck. cause I know how painful it can be.

 

[ohiomom28]

I have been dealing with pain in my back for over a month now. It started with a burning pain in my left leg after sitting or laying down that would go away after getting up to walk. I went to the chiropractor and he said it wasn't sciatica but my sacroiliac joint was inflamed. So, he adjusted me and ordered me some arch support inserts for my shoes. I felt better and went back in 2 weeks. After the second visit, about 3 days later I started feeling a burning feeling when standing up and I couldn't stand or walk for longer than a couple minutes or I would get sharp pains in my shin. Bending over or sitting was the only thing that relieved it. I twisted wrong on Wednesday and was in extreme pain. It felt like something tore in my hip area. By Friday, my buttock was very tender and I went to the doctor. The diagnosis was Piriformis syndrome. She told me to keep taking my anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers and also the new pain killer prescription. The burning pain went away, but I was left with pulled muscles up and down my legs, probably from limping and babying my leg. Now, I am still having the sciatica pain and it hurts really bad. I can't stand for any length of time and sitting hurts too. The arch supports seem to make it worse. I go to the chiropractor again tomorrow. I hope he can fix me!

Has anyone ever experienced the pain the shins from sciatica? From what I read, the nerve goes down the back of the calf.