Any Help with sciatica?

A snowHead

I have been suffering with sciatica for nearly a year now, although it has never affected my skiiing. Anybody have a remedy or a successful treatment? I dont want to spend my life on Ibruprofen.

A snowHead

My mother attends a pain clinic for sciatica and has had a lot of success with phyisiotherapy in managing the pain. She started the treatment during the last 6 months, she has been able to walk without pain for the 1st time this year. She said it was hard at first and painful to do the exercise but they reduced the pain to one area of here hip and then treated it with drugs.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Visit a good chiropractor, As a skier and footballer I would swear by them for all spine related problems.

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Chiropractor, osteopath, but MUST be combined with lots of hard work and physio to keep the spine supple and build up muscle support. Sort of worked for me

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I used the physio at essex cricket club, they called them selves manipulative physios. treatment included osteo type moves coupled with fine needles put into painful areas which helped to break the spasm and hence the pain. More importantly they give you exercises to do to prevent a reoccurance. Having a strong core set of muscles prevents a lot of back trouble. Touch wood I've been free of pain for over a year now. Very Happy

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bedfordblue, you have my sympathies. But good timing. We had an excellent talk today from a guy who trained as a chiropracter (I didn't realise their training takes 5 years) and is now a spinal surgeon. (I work at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital as a gasman).
Sciatica means you have a nerve being pressed on. If your pain goes below the knee then manipulation (chiropractor, osteopathy) will not help. Mobilisation (physiotherapy) might well help. But you need a proper diagnosis. That involves an MRI scan.
If the pain persists after 3-6 months you may need surgery.

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bedfordblue, Most back pain is muscle spasm and not sciatica as described by Jonpim. Even doctors can incorrectly describe back pain maybe dropping into popular descriptions rather than sticking to medical definitions (the number of medical professionals who talk about slipped discs make me wince). Is your back problem sciatica as described by Jonpim or is it pain in the back only, which is easier to fix in many instances?

After all it is free

bedfordblue, check out this link http://www.spine-health.com/topics/cd/d_sciatica/sc01.html, may help you decide what is causing your back pain. I agree with you about the ibuprofen, can cause you nasty stomach problems with long term use. A registered osteopath, or sports physiotherapist would probably sort you out. I have only heard good things about these, but have heard many bad experiences of visits to chiropractors, but I am not speaking from personal experience, only what others have told me.

You have my complete sympathy Bedfordblue but there is one point I should like to make. The fact there are a proliferation of 'specialists' who can treat this is merely indicative that none of them really have a 'solution' to these sorts of problems. I know, I have suffered with this on two occasions and I can relate to the pain it can cause.

Amazingly, I found having my foot fixed in a ski boot where the degree of ankle flexion is reduced had tremendous benefits in alleviating the pain. This was after consulting with a series of 'specialists' whose aim was (and it took me a while to realise this) income generation.

I take on board the comments made about others concerning the misdiagnosis of back problems but having broken T3 and consequently collapsedL3 and L4 I can speak with, I suppose, the authority of a layman.

Good Luck!

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Well I can also join the masses who've suffered from sciatica. I've had back trouble for nearly 30 years & find that the osteopaths are the best - I've tried them all. I've actually had a prolapsed disc between L4 & L5, which cause 10 months off work and 6 months in bed around 17 years ago. The leftover bits are still there causing problems from time to time.
Anyway - go to an osteopath, but not one who only does massage treatment - I don't find that works at all. Of course everyone's backs are different, but I've learnt to manage it, and so can most active people.
Strong abs are a big help, and ski-ing's a great sport for back problems - lots of lateral movement but very little stress.
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I'm a member of the back problem club as well(come to think of it,so is any male over 40!)Remember reading somewhere the best way of avoiding back problems is to go to bed,and never get up Confused

Tempting,but a difficult skiing position?Seriously,an accurate diagnosis is,as has been said,crucial.Having damaged,temporally,my sciatic nerve and having a recurring back problem I know the different pain sensations.My sciatic problem was leg specific,which caused an awkward gait and gave me back pain.However,my back problem gives pain to the lower back which radiates down and causes an awkward gait.Are you with me Puzzled

Very different sensations.I ecko the advise to seek out a good osteopath(so long as its back)This sorted me out.I still get the occasional reminder,but the severity sems to have gone.I also ecko the advise of easiski;ski as much as you can(cures all known ills)I never,never have any back problems when skiing.I've banged and bumped pretty much everything else,but my back remains solid.I wonder,any chance of ski therapy on the NHS.Start lobbying Jonpim Wink

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snowskisnow, not quite sure what you mean by "ski therapy". Lot of docs do ski, but I don't know if there is any department that specialises in ski or snowboard injuries anywhere.
In fact the general attitude of the NHS to sport injury is odd. On one hand we moan about the lack of exercise by the general public, but then when you injure yourself doing that exercise there is no expertise around to help.
That presumably is why most of the suggestions in this thread have been to visit an osteopath or chiropractic. This shows complete rejection of orthodox medicine.
The NHS is often rejected because of the wait to see someone, but you could see a "specialist" back doctor if you went privately. The appointment would be as quick as the osteo or chiro, and you pay about the same, but all of you want the "alternative" therapy.
It is a sad indictment of the NHS.
It is time this rift between so-called alternative therapies and mainstream medicine was healed. Orthodox medicine prides itself on being based on evidence and derides other therapies as having no scientific basis. This is a delusion. Vast amounts of everyday NHS treatments are based on very flimsy evidence. For example, a common first line treatment for back pain and sciatica is an epidural injection of steroids. The evidence that this is of any benefit is hardly convincing.
So by all means try your chiropractic or osteopath first - just make sure he or she is properly trained.

P.S. Helen Beaumont, your link is mis-typed: click here for spinehealth.com .

My mum had that - stopped her skiing because she didnt want to risk falling over / making it worse etc etc,
So she had some kind of operation on it last march, after loads of physio etc, took her ages to get back to normal and she still suffers.

You know it makes sense.

Nadenoodlee, sorry to hear about your mum.
Backs can be a real bugg@r

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Jonpim, dont feel too sorry for her! - I think the reluctance to ski is really because she likes sitting in slopeside cafes drinking hot chocolate in the warm!! And it doesnt stop her shopping solidly for 8 hours

A snowHead

Sympathy to all who suffer. I am also a member of this horrid club.

I have done chiro's, physio's etc and have found the best things are combinations of things. These (for me) are shiatsu massage, swimming and core strength ie strong muscles in tummy and lower back. Further, carrying excess weight does not help, so a lean body will assist greatly along with good posture. I know it all sounds obvious and I always thought it was same old same old, but it has worked for me.

Good luck

A snowHead

Many thanks to all of you for your advice, I really love this forum. For those who asked about my symptoms, it is a pain emenating from lower back through my hip and down the length of left leg with sometimes pins and needles in the foot.
I often appears whilst standing watching rugby or in a pub.

My osteopath has had some success but at a cost as has my mate who is a sports therapist (he just keeps telling me I am not flexible enough) I am getting fitter, mainly through working as a landscape gardener, which of course involves lifting. I actually believe that my problem started when I was commuting from Milton Keynes to Carlisle every week 5 Hours in a car at a time is not good. Next step I have got an appointment with an NHS physio in early Nov just to try and keep the costs down and to have another opinion. I have to say currently it is OK no ibruprofen needed I actually think Physical work is increasing my mobility.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

bedfordblue, good to hear things are going well. And keeping active is fine.
This article is quite comprehensive.

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Jonpim, On the subject of the NHS: when I was actually suffering from a prolapsed disc I had an appointment in Inverness - 40 mins drive from Aviemore. Well I got there in a pretty bad state after that drive, got to the clinic, registered and asked where I could lie down. The nursing sister told me there wasn't anywhere! (This was supposed to be a back clinic). I said I'd lie on the floor then - I had to lie down or pass out. She soon found me a stretcher. I couldn't believe it at the time, and I still can't! rolling eyes

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Jonpim.Osteo=Alternative therapy;really Wink

I,amoungst many on this forum,may well take issue with you over that?And before you get all NHS defensive,this is good natured response NehNeh

Having suffered the NHS pain killers and bedrest therapy,I too turned to the "black arts" Twisted Evil

Having tracked down the evil one(he lives 4 doors away)I then subjected my body to all sorts of strange rituals involving odd positions and much bending and twisting Shocked

I suppose there could have been a bit of "chicken bone throwing",I didn't notice at the time. Guess what;it worked a treat.
Many,many people have benefitted from a visit to the osteo.I know I have.Any reputable osteo will spot chronic problems and advise accordingly.

Good article at mayo clinic.Self help is a must.Keep active,within reason.Avoid the car if poss;and sitting down generally.When my back is playing up,sitting down,however tempting,is about the worse thing I can do.I keep on the move and find that the pain eases and mobility returns.I try to avoid painkillers.Dont want to mask the pain and then feel able to do more,thats an illusion IMHO.
Finally,I believe some doctors now refer to osteo's and hypnotherapists, and maybe other forms of unnatural quackery.Or am I miss informed?

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I don't know snowskisnow, are you Miss Informed? NehNeh

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I've been rumbled Embarassed

After all it is free

snowskisnow, not offended at all. I used "alternative" in the sense of "not part of NHS".
And that is the osteos choice. Many doctors refer patients to osteos. Many doctors ask chiros to treat their own back problems (I'm using the terms interchangeably on purpose). Many doctors would happily have these therapists incorporated into the NHS, but the therapists don't want to join, as then they would have to accept NHS fees and their income would plummet.
Chronic pain clinics often use hypnosis, accupunture, aromatherapy, entrails of goat, whatever to help their patients.
A huge amount of healing is the process rather than the pill.

I have had severe back problems for a couple of years, and the problem was sorted by my GP 3 years ago, after trying physios, chiros, etc. Basically, as an accountant I spend a lot of time sedentary and did not realise that the problem was caused by poor posture, leaning over a laptop and the wrong chair. In Sept 2001 I invested in a proper chair with lumbar support and the problem has not recurred since then. My lifesyle is still sedentary ( about 30 more tax returns Evil or Very Mad

to do before I can go skiing on 31st January Very Happy

) and the answer in my case was that the lumbar support chair.

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one simple, harmless and free self-treatment which MAY help with this kind of pain is to get a tennis ball and roll it against the wall with your backside - the cheek on the effective side. If you find some sore spots, keep at them gently for a few days.

this is obviously not going to help with a prolapsed disc, but some pain commonly labelled as "sciatica" is caused where the sciatic nerve goes through the piriformis muscle. This can be very tight, and put pressure on the nerve. Then you need to stretch that muscle, which is often very tight. Google it - various you tube stretches, which I can't easily find on my current slow dialup internet access.

Thanks Pam, according to my MRI scan, the gap for the nerve is quite reasonable but when it is inflamed it causes the pain. The sciatica is under control with pain killers and anti-inflams, but I have to keep taking them or it flares up again. Although they're causing their own problems, ... but I might give it a go Sad

My other question is whether to let the Insurance know, as it was diagnosed mid insurance term? I have an annual policy with 17 days skiing, and the hospital have given me the all clear and were going to discharge me, but i suggested a final check up in 3 months to make sure it had cured itself as they promise it would. The policy seems to say it will be okay as it wasn't pre-existing and I've had it diagnosed, and am following the prescribed medication.... But you know what Insurance companies are like.

You know it makes sense.

I have prolapsed disk between L4/5. I didn't get sciata shooting all the way down the leg, but I did sometimes get some leg pain and a numb left butt cheek. What was worse was the pain "inside" (cant think of a better way of describing it) my lower back which just got worse and worse, especially sitting. Initially iburprofen doses would help, then it got to the stage these didn't work, and I got prescibed voltarol (a stronger NSAID) and that would work. Then even they weren't doing the job, and I couldn't sit at my desk at work for more than 30 minutes and was resorting to kneeling at my desk for periods, whcih was getting daft. Sleeping also became tough, and i migrated to the floor at the end of the bed. It was all fairly depressing, and of course invisible.

I had physio first and after each session it was better, but would only last a day, and I was fairly good at following the exercises/stretches they gave me. After 3 months or so of physio the GP finally referred me to a specialist (NHS). They did a std x ray and could see the L4/5 vertebrae were closer together than the others. They referred me for an MRI to confirm a prolapsed disk. Was told the MRI would be some 6 months wait, and promptly went private (i was lucky enough to have insurance) and was scanned a week later.

After the MRI confirmed, I went for the op route, and I had a "partial laminectomy". Basically the disk still stays bulging but they effectively chisel out a chunk of the bone in vertebrae so the nerve can now run round the bulging disk, where previuosly it was getting compressed against the bone causing the pain.

After the op I was up and about on feet the next day, but obvisouly some post op pain. After the first couple of weeks I was initially disappointed, but over then next 4 weeks things improved and after 6 weeks I guess as op wound healed and the stiches disolved out i suddenly realised it was alot lot better and my flexibility gradually came back.

For me, it worked. Of course the op could have gone wrong, if the nerve had been damaged in the op it could be a very different story.

Since then, i've been happiply snowboarding, wakeboard, canoeing and generally whatever I want. I ocassanioly get a twinge and some inflammation if I really over-cook it. Er like getting drunk and bouncing on a kids trampoline. I twinged it last week, not sure how or why, I just twisted funny, and it was sore for best part of a week, but on the whole I can't grumble. I just know I can't go daft and be going for cliff drops and massive kickers - of course now I can use the back excuse, as opposed to the real one of being too scared. rolling eyes

All I can say is I sympathise, but there is nearly always an answer, you've just got think postively, and keep visting your gp for referrals if things don't improve and find what works for you. Some people swear by chiro's and osteos, others don't. Physio works for many people, but not for many others. So you'll probably have to try and number of options so don't expect it to be quick. It's more a journey than a leap, but it can usually be sorted. First find out what specifically is causing yours, then you can look at the options.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Oh Lord,
I have been off work for a couple of days immobilised by my back and hence posting on snowHead

Hope I don't have to go through all this. Crying or Very sad

A snowHead

Update - after a second foraminal injection and a total of 18 mths, the consultant says mine will never get any better than it has and that if I want to get off the pills I need to have surgery. It's not really stopped me doing anything, although I cut down on skydiving quite a bit in the first few months but I'm really fed up of the tablets... So I'm off for a partial discectomy in Oct - they say I might be off work 6 - 8 weeks if all goes well. So fingers crossed for my Jan ski trip.

A snowHead

WayneC, before you have surgery cut wheat, meat and dairy out of your diet for two weeks. While you're at it try for a full detox program. Report back. You will not be disappointed.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

bedfordblue, If you are getting pain down your leg and pins and needles in your foot I (as a former sufferer) would recomend pushing for an MRI scan. I have had prolapsed disks L4/L5 and L5/S1. They occurred after many years of generic "back pain". The first one stabilised of it's own accord, but the second got progressively worse to the point where I had so little feeling or control in my right foot and ankle that I needed to walk with a stick to stop myself falling over (this for someone who could run marathons a short while earlier). My GP and/or the NHS were useless - just going down the "pain management" route. I decided to go privately for a Consultant appointment and an MRI scan - which showed that my sciatic nerve was being progressively more crushed. I had it operated on immediately (privately - the NHS had an 18 week wait) which cured all the pain, but the nerve was so damaged that I now have permanenet lack of feeling/control in my ankle and foot.

While many people have suggested useful treatments I would have issues with getting treatment when no-one actually knows precisely what is wrong - the pins and needles indicate nerve damage which can be serious and permanent.

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doctor_eeyore, do you suffer? Try it. It works. Two prolapsed discs, was told I would never ski again, I live a pain free life now. (And eat meat & diary, although I try to avoid wheat).

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parlor, they were right though. You still can't ski Twisted Evil

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Last year I had a prolapsed disc L4/5, eventually diagnosed as pushing on the sciatic nerve. Was doing shuttles, touched the ground, huge stabbing pain in the lower back. Over the next couple of days, left leg completely seized up-couldn't straighten the leg and had to sleep on my back with a pillow under my knee.
MY mistake was to leave it for a couple of weeks, thinking it was a spasm and hoping it would sort itself himself out. Three weeks later, started deep sports massage on the leg (ITB thingy) with chiropractor (lots of twisting and clicking in the back ) started to work-but I also did lots of low intensity repetitive gym work-cross trainer, bike, stair climber (not rower!!)-stuff which works and strengthens the back muscles but doesn't throw them about. Six months of hard work but now no problems, so worth it.

After all it is free

I also am suffering. I started to see a chiropractor at the start of the year, who, following X-Rays diagnosed a minor prolapsed disk in my lower back, which was causing the sciatica. Treatment is working, although slowly, and consists of manipulation and deep issue massage.

Help!!

Any Help with sciatica?

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