topic Re: Sciatic pain in Wellness

Sciatic pain

MoJoV — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 18:57:38 GMT

My husband has been suffering with this for a week. We went to the Dr. who gave muscle relaxer and he's taking Advil. He's walking with a cane because of it. He's an active guy. He went fishing with our son and sat in a boat for 6 hours for a week. Maybe that brought it on.

Anyone here have any experience with this?

Re: Sciatic pain

Kachina624 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:02:02 GMT

@MoJoV I had a bad bout with sciatica about 30 years ago. My doctor sent me to physical therapy for about two weeks. As a result, my condition got much better and I've never had a reoccurrence.

Re: Sciatic pain

jackthebear — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 21:51:14 GMT

Re: Sciatic pain

ruthbe — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:14:32 GMT

I have had it on and off for years. First time when I was pregnanct with my first child.

physical therapy....

and yes it can be very very painful

Re: Sciatic pain

eadu4 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:18:53 GMT

@MoJoV Many years ago my husband had a very bad time with it. Nothing worked. He was reduced to crawling he could not stand up. He wound up getting surgery. After the surgery he was back up and mowing the lawn in a couple of days. He said it was the best thing he ever did. He was totally disabled from the pain. The surgery completely relieved the pain and he's been pain free since.

Re: Sciatic pain

Scooby Doo — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:19:36 GMT

Go to You Tube and search for exercises to relieve sciatic pain. They're the same that a physical therapist would have him do. Also ice and heat. Pain killers do nothing for nerve pain.

Re: Sciatic pain

Spacrazy — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:51:28 GMT

@MoJoV Yes, it can be very painful and debilitating. Fortunately was able to find a good orthopedic doctor who specializes in pain management and he was able to do injections (it's akin to a spinal block) in that area and no trouble since.

Re: Sciatic pain

Kachina624 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 20:10:37 GMT

@MoJoV b Muscle relaxers are just a temporary patch, won't cure anything and are highly addictive. My doctor won't even prescribe them.

Re: Sciatic pain

Mz iMac — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 20:20:51 GMT

YUP! I got it 1 1/2 yr ago so bad I was nearly crawling to get around. Had muscle spasms too. Unknown how or why?

Excruciating pain from my left cheek butt down the back of my leg. Never had any back pain. Self treated w/ice & hot packs 800mg ibuprofen which were not working. After a month paramour took me to my doctor after my refusal to go to the ER.

Dr kept asking if I had fallen which I had not. I am very active & Dr could not find a cause. In the meantime gave me a shot for the pain. The pain from the medicine going into my arm was almost worse than the sciatic pain. She also put me on muscle relaxants. I was able to walk using a cane but still in excruciating pain. For 3 months I could not lie down in my bed. I could only sleep in my lounge chair.

Went for an MRI. Had to go through that 3xs as I was having muscle spasms in my thigh during the MRI which caused a blurry pic. 3rd time was the charm because the 2nd tech put my leg on this elevated pillow thingy & held my ankle as the MRI machine was moving up & down. The 2nd tech told the 1st tech I was NOT moving, I was having leg spasms.

Results of the MRI confirmed that for my age (71) my back was in excellent condition per MRI Dr report. The MRI did confirm a probable cause of my sciatica was a tiny bone spur that was not absorbed somehow stuck to the sciatica nerve.

Due to no back pain I was diagnosed w/piriformis syndrome. Reason why pain started from mid butt cheek instead of lower back. I had no herniated discs. All discs better than normal for my age.

Dr referred me to a Pain Management facility. Wanted me to do physical therapy which I refused. Told them I was in too much pain as well as I have a dog that I walk 3x's daily. That is enough PT I could stand.

So PM put me on 3 different muscle relaxants, oxy & got a steroid shot in my butt which ran right down the back of my leg along or in the sciatic nerve. In 2 weeks I was just about pain free. Got rid of the cane & was walking upright instead of the hospital shuttle & finally able to lie down & sleep in a bed!!!!

Was told the shot could last from weeks to a year. By Thanksgiving of same year (2022) (4 months later after steroid shot) I stopped all meds cold turkey instead of weaning myself off & told the PM dr I was discharging myself. The surgeon told me to call them if I have a relapse. I will get another steroid shot.

As of this date a year later I have been pain free. Keeping 🤞🏾 🤞🏾crossed as well as my toes.

Does not appear your husband has a bad case. I heard some people can only crawl to get around because the pain is so excruciating.

@MoJoV

Re: Sciatic pain

Janey2 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 20:44:53 GMT

A friend went for acupuncture which helped tremendously. It took 3 sessions and he got relief from the pain.

Re: Sciatic pain

beach-mom — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 20:54:57 GMT

@MoJoV - Oh yes. I've had experience!

Right after everything closed with the pandemic I was moving boxes and thought I pulled something in my leg. I was in so much pain, and it wasn't going away. DH knew what it was right away, and showed me diagrams. I'd heard the name, but hadn't paid attention. One of my best friends had it when she was pregnant, so I thought it WOULD go away! Our family doctor was closed, but they wanted me to go to the clinic at the hospital. The nurse practitioner agreed with DH. My family doctor wanted to meet me at the office, and he too agreed. I went to PT and did exercises at home until fall. All this time I was in excruciating pain! I was working from home a little, and going in once a week to tape for online services. Every week we did a parking lot service outside, so that kept me focused on something besides my pain!

I found it interesting that it starts in the back, because my back didn't hurt. My pain started in my right buttock, and radiated around to my thigh and down my shin to my ankle. I started getting injections a few months after PT. The first one SEEMED to help, but the pain came back. The second one didn't help at all. I had 5, still in pain. The only time I was comfortable was when I was sleeping. It was agony getting out of bed.

My pain specialist told me about a procedure, called MILD. They go in and stretch the ligaments somehow. I had that in the fall of 2021. A month later I was walking around Disney World for a week! I couldn't believe the difference it made!

Good luck to your DH. So many people I've talked to said they had it for just a while. I hope your DH's case is like that, but if it's not, you know there are other alternatives.

Re: Sciatic pain

hckynutjohn — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 20:59:41 GMT

@MoJoV

If he went to a doctor familiar with him over the years, and knows he is active! My guess is this. If he didn't order an MRI, it generally is muscle related. Using a cane?

Yes I have had experience with this. My end result was surgery to remove 2 ruptured spinal discs. My L/5 and S1.

hckynut 🇺🇸

Re: Sciatic pain

fthunt — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 23:21:14 GMT

BEACTIVE on Amazon and TV....muscle leg wrap. HaD "S" last year bad and saw this...... APPROVED by gov't as a medical product...instant relief.. Acts like accupunchure - puts pressure where pain generates.

I didn't read the long postings so perhaps already mentioned. About $20 = buy 2

Re: Sciatic pain

Leggett28 — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 02:36:56 GMT

@MoJoV I purchased this item on QVC #v55219. BeActive +deluxe acupuncture leg brace and it works for me.

Re: Sciatic pain

NicksmomESQ — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 02:43:19 GMT

DH had it several years ago. He went for PT & it went away & to date it hasn't returned.

Re: Sciatic pain

Icegoddess — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 02:51:42 GMT

I get it off and on. For me, more activity helps more than just sitting or laying around. I just can't find a comfortable position when sitting or laying, but if I get up and walk it's better.

Re: Sciatic pain

aubnwa01 — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 07:25:23 GMT

I've had back pain for a number of years & MRI found I have a lot of arthritis plus some stenosis. About 6 months ago, I started have a lot of bad lower pain pain & sciatica going down my left leg. I hated trying to walk, because it hurt so pain. My PCP sent me for a new MRI, which discovered a bulging disc plus a synovial cyst at my L-5/S-1 joint. I was referred to a pain management clinic. I did a couple of months of PT in the meantime, which did nothing for the pain.

The pain dr. did a steroid injection into the joint the 1st part of May & tried to stick the needle into the cyst & withdraw the contents, but nothing came out. So, he stuck the needle in a bunch of times to poke holes in the cyst & them injected a bunch more steroid into the joint to collapse the cyst & fill the space in the joint to get it to stay collapsed & heal over.

It really helped with the sciatica, but now it's starting to hurt again, though nowhere near as bad as it was before & also the pain is in my left butt cheek this time. I have a followup appt the middle of next month with the pain dr. to see what he recommends.

Re: Sciatic pain

hckynutjohn — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 08:34:44 GMT

@aubnwa01

My nephew is an Anesthesiologist Doctor and has owned 5 Pain Clinics for many years. He treats his patients based on the diagnosis he sees and reads from the prescribing physician.

Following up with a Pain Doctor does not change the underlying cause sent to them by the prescribing physician. He can treat you trying different pain relieving treatments and meds, but that doesn't eliminate the possible sources of your pain.

I mentioned in another post about my lumbar discs, the L-5 and the S-1. I didn't see any mention of your seeing a Neurosurgeon or an Orthopedic Surgeon, or who read your most recent MRI. I see you mention a PCP and a Pain Doctor, neither of which Specializes in the Diagnosis of Spinal Pains.

Just adding this to my other post based on what you have said here in yours.

hckynut 🇺🇸

@aubnwa01 wrote:
I've had back pain for a number of years & MRI found I have a lot of arthritis plus some stenosis. About 6 months ago, I started have a lot of bad lower pain pain & sciatica going down my left leg. I hated trying to walk, because it hurt so pain. My PCP sent me for a new MRI, which discovered a bulging disc plus a synovial cyst at my L-5/S-1 joint. I was referred to a pain management clinic. I did a couple of months of PT in the meantime, which did nothing for the pain.

The pain dr. did a steroid injection into the joint the 1st part of May & tried to stick the needle into the cyst & withdraw the contents, but nothing came out. So, he stuck the needle in a bunch of times to poke holes in the cyst & them injected a bunch more steroid into the joint to collapse the cyst & fill the space in the joint to get it to stay collapsed & heal over.

It really helped with the sciatica, but now it's starting to hurt again, though nowhere near as bad as it was before & also the pain is in my left butt cheek this time. I have a followup appt the middle of next month with the pain dr. to see what he recommends.

Re: Sciatic pain

honeybeagle — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:42:46 GMT

Very simple, prednisone. Have your doctor prescribe this to take down the inflammation. Google mild stretches.

Re: Sciatic pain

sarahpanda — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:54:31 GMT

I had it - resorted to physical therapy for several weeks, 2 times a week. I hated to go but once I got in there, I was glad I went ! It certainly helped me - and if it ever comes back, that's what I'd do again,''P.T." !!!! (...and I would imagine the boat sitting might have started your hubby's pain, mine began from sitting in a hard chair at my sister's house over the holidays, for hours.)