topic Re: My Sciatica in Wellness

My Sciatica

kivah — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:05:32 GMT

The last couple of months, when I'm sleeping, I get terrible pain down my left leg. I went to the doctor yesterday and he said it was sciatica. He recommended I get a new mattress as my mattress is 16 yrs old. I never turned my mattress - so I had a friend do that for me --- and last night I still had the pain. Once I get out of bed, the pain goes away. Any suggestions? Would a new mattress help - and, if so, which type? What causes this? Thanks!!!!

Re: My Sciatica

software — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:19:53 GMT

Sciatica needs treatment, or a combination of treatments.

What else did your doctor recommend?

Back in the day, doctors regularly recommended a "backboard", which is a sheet of plywood between mattress & box spring along with anti inflammatories and/or therapy.

You need more than a mattress, get a 2nd opinion

@kivah

Re: My Sciatica

Mz iMac — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:24:28 GMT

@kivah

"Would a new mattress help - and, if so, which type? What causes this?"

Why didn't you ask your doctor while in his office?

Re: My Sciatica

Carmie — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:36:53 GMT

I have had sciatica since I was in my 30's. There are many causes for this and mine is a herniated disk. When it acts up, I get pain down my right leg into my foot. I take Advil until it feels better. Advil helps with inflammation. I had a MRI to diagnose my back pain.

Some people get physical therapy and others get injections.

IMO, I don't think a new mattress will cure you. If your mattress is in bad shape, replace it because it is time, but I wouldn't count on it to get rid of your pain.

i have found over the years that my sciatica acts up if I am in a half bent over position, like scrubbing a bath tub or putting things in a filing cabinet, So if I avoid doing things like this, my pain is gone.

i would suggest that you get your doctor to do tests to find out the reason you have sciatica, then follow through with whatever will help depending on the cause.

best of luck.,, I feel for you.

Re: My Sciatica

vsm — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:34:35 GMT

Your comment was worse than insulting. It was profoundly unkind. The poster is in pain. May you never encounter such coldness when YOU are.

Re: My Sciatica

Coquille — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:37:04 GMT

I bought a TENS Machine. Got a rx from my neurologist and my insurance paid for it. You can buy them on line for about $30.00 or a little more. Now when I get my Sciatica, I use the machine for 2-3 days and it is gone until the next time.

Re: My Sciatica

vsm — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:38:29 GMT

You need to see a neurologist and get an MRI. I had the same pain and was diagnosed with a herniated disc, for which I received 2 epidurals to reduce inflammation and began an 8-session course of physical therapy. That gave me life back. There's hope for you -- seek help!

Re: My Sciatica

vsm — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:40:13 GMT

NOTE: my comment was meant for Ms. iMac.

Re: My Sciatica

Texas Gray Wolf — Tue, 23 May 2017 17:08:21 GMT

Mine does not go away when I get out of bed.........It will hurt all the time. I head to my chiropractor and get him to do acupuncture on me a few times..........the sciatica is the largest nerve........Be careful taking so much anti-inflammatory medicine.

Re: My Sciatica

hckynut — Tue, 23 May 2017 17:28:13 GMT

@kivah

I would be more concerned about the location source of sciatica than I would my mattress. Not saying a mattress cannot contribute to a sciatic nerve problem, but the cause of the onset of it is seldom a mattress.

Has your doctor set up a possible MRI, or have you already had one? My personal experience with sciatica may have been aggravated by my source of sleep, but if was far from the cause of it. That was work and my choice of sports activities that were the cause of my pain.

My source was found via a Myelogram, many years ago, and it was from ruptured spinal discs L/5 and S/1. Back then it was 3 weeks in the hospital, 2 of which were trying the then available therapy. Open surgery was my solution.

For me it is certainly a pain that I can relate to on a personal level, and since the Sciatic Nerve is the biggest one in the human body, it is easier to understand by those that have not experienced this pain.

There are many things I could suggest, but that is best left to your doctor, and perhaps a doctor who's specialty is the Spine.

I hope you can find some relief from this level of pain. My best to you,

hckynut(john)

Re: My Sciatica

HisElk1 — Tue, 23 May 2017 17:18:25 GMT

I've had it in the past and I agree, it's really bad. I saw my chiropractor and had an adjustment to align my back. He also recommended piriformis stretches which can be difficult, but they do help.

Here's a link that might help: https://www.spine-health.com/video/sciatica-exercises-piriformis-syndrome-video

Re: My Sciatica

MalteseMomma — Tue, 23 May 2017 17:27:33 GMT

I use either Asprin or Tylenol............that is what my Dr told me to use.

There is a roll on product called ,"STOP PAIN" that is really very good for ALL aches and pains . I think the Q may still sell it but Amazon def .sells it and on auto delivery..lol .I use it all the time

: It happens more often in damp/humid summer weather

hope this helps

Re: My Sciatica

HisElk1 — Tue, 23 May 2017 17:21:30 GMT

@vsm wrote:
NOTE: my comment was meant for Ms. iMac.

@vsm@, if you are responding to a particular post, you might try using the @ feature. Then a drop down of posters on the thread appears and you click on that nic which gives them a notification at the right side of the page.

Hope that helps.

Re: My Sciatica

hckynut — Tue, 23 May 2017 17:26:32 GMT

@kivah

I would be more concerned about the location of source of sciatica than I would my mattress. Not saying a mattress does cannot contribute to a sciatic nerve problem, but the cause of the onset of it is seldom a mattress.

There are many things I could suggest, but that is best left to your doctor, and perhaps a doctor who's specialty is the Spine.

I hope you can find some relief from this level of pain. My best to you,

hckynut(john)

Re: My Sciatica

qbetzforreal — Tue, 23 May 2017 19:21:43 GMT

If the pain is only at bedtime and dissipates when you get up, then follow the Dr's recommendation and get a new mattress. Go to a mattress store and test them out. Sounds like you need one which will support your lower back and hips. We keep mattresses way past their prime.

Re: My Sciatica

kivah — Tue, 23 May 2017 20:30:55 GMT

I do have a herniated disk -- caused by several people driving into the back of my car --- and I also moved a mattress/box spring from a back bedroom to the curb for pickup. I bought a new mattress for that bedroom and didn't know that the mattress company removes it. Then I had an MRI with cortisone. All this was many years ago.

My doctor only mentioned the mattress - as my pain goes away after I'm out of bed a while in the morning.

Every evening, I sit up in my bed for a couple of hours watching tv - with just a regular small pillow at my back. I wonder if that causes the leg pain during the night???

I'm going to google mattresses for sciatica.

Re: My Sciatica

hckynut — Tue, 23 May 2017 20:47:51 GMT

@kivah wrote:
I do have a herniated disk -- caused by several people driving into the back of my car --- and I also moved a mattress/box spring from a back bedroom to the curb for pickup. I bought a new mattress for that bedroom and didn't know that the mattress company removes it. Then I had an MRI with cortisone. All this was many years ago.
My doctor only mentioned the mattress - as my pain goes away after I'm out of bed a while in the morning.
Every evening, I sit up in my bed for a couple of hours watching tv - with just a regular small pillow at my back. I wonder if that causes the leg pain during the night???
I'm going to google mattresses for sciatica.

@kivah

I have been sleeping in a recliner for well over 25 years now. My good friend is a Spinal Surgeon, the one who removed my ruptured L3 disc a few years ago. He told me if that is what works for you, keep doing it.

So what have you been doing as far as Physical Therapy or exercises for your herniated disc? There are many things that help, including strong abdominal muscles and very, very flexible muscles on the back of your legs. I mean from the calf muscles up through the rear thigh muscles(hamstrings), and the BIG spinal muscles that run up both sides of your spine.

I rely on sleeping in my recliner and doing abdominal strengthening and stretching exercises every single day. I cannot take aspirin/advil/aleve or any anti-inflammatory. Won't take any opioid drugs, so I am left with only Tylenol, which does nothing so I do not take it either.

My problems are known to me and I also know what I have to do to keep them "at bay". It takes time, but I was incapacitated pretty much over months from my 1st back surgery and recovery. Also couldn't do much when I later on ruptured my L3.

Worth every minute I put into the exercises because they work for me. It took me years to find the recliner worked, along with specific exercises I do every day for my legs/abdominals and my back. Now I have added the Teeter Inversion Table to my arsenal, and I think that too will give me even more strength and flexibility where I want it.

hckynut(john)

Re: My Sciatica

Q4u — Tue, 23 May 2017 21:28:31 GMT

There are so many types of sciatica that it's almost impossible to get a generalized opinion.

I had it for 7 months and it was a compression injury to the nerve itself along the back of my left thigh. NOTHING got rid of it and believe me I tried everything I could think of....even those Lidocane patches, heat, ice, nothing relieved the pain. Aspirin only took the edge off and was better at that (for me) than Advil or Tylonal.

Yes, I went to the doctor and had steroids (a quick pack and then ten days)... that helped but did not get rid of the pain, which was 24/7, 24 hours a day, waking me from my sleep, driving thoughts out of my head during the day.... I was twitchy with the pain. It got so that I did not care what anyone thought when I took my foam "bum pillow" into the restaurant, car, wherever... and it helped. I would have done pretty much anything to get the pain to at least go down 75%.... then eventually it lessened. It was like one day I thought "Hey, it's not as bad".... then it started to really get better.

If I'm not careful where I sit and if I have pressure on that part of my leg, I can feel it starting again.... then I grab the old foam pad and I'm good again.

I have no back issues with my diagnosis and have had an MRI.

Good luck, I hope it all goes away for you soon.... btw, see another doctor! I'm with the others in that if you need a new bed, please buy one but don't expect the bed to solve this ..... working with a doctor who knows what to do about it is the answer.

Re: My Sciatica

Lapdog — Tue, 23 May 2017 21:35:38 GMT

"Treat your own back" by robin mckenzie , this book was recommended to me by my back doctor and physical therapy. Simple exercises.

Re: My Sciatica

bonnielu — Tue, 23 May 2017 21:38:28 GMT

Fell on cruise. Weeks later... Piriformis syndrome which caused Sciatic like pain. Two months in agony. Went to chiropractor who applied heat at the end of treatment. That made it worse. Went to orthopedic specialist who told me that "I was old and it would take time." And my physical therapist saved me. I am lucky. I am pain free and happy.

I refused meds... I get strange reactions. I did do exercises. And I did lose weight.

For every extra pound of weight on my body there is 6 pounds of pressure.
So I took the pressure off. Worked for me.