General > Training, Diet, and Fitness
Anyone have any sciatica advice?
linter:
I just got hit with it a few days ago and the pain was so intense and unremitting that I went to the emergency room, where they pumped me full of morphine and even that only cut the pain in half more or less. Took a scan and told me I had bulging discs and called it lumbar radiculopathy, which i gather is another name for sciatica.
I'm in San Diego without a network of doctors. The ER people told me to go back home to RI as soon as possible. I told em I didn't want to go quite yet for various reasons. One nice NP, while discussing all this and telling me to leave asap, even got a little misty eyed.
They sent me home with pain killers, muscle relaxers and Ibuprofin 800.
The day I went in, my entire left leg was engaged. It felt like some had cut that leg open and was dragging a knife back and forth through the blood and gore. Man, it hurt, and there was no position I could find that would make it any less.
The day after my ER visit, however, the total leg pain is gone and the only thing that's still there is a ball of pain right above my left bun cheek.
I'm afraid that once all my pills run out, the big pain will return. That being the case, does anyone have any suggestions of what I might do to try to keep that from happening?
Massage? Accu? Chiro? Any home remedies?
As mentioned, I do not have doctors here in SD, so it'd take me forever to find one and then make an appointment. I'm planning on returning to RI in 3 to 5 weeks, but I'd sure love to get this taken care of before then. For one thing, just to get ready to leave, I have to do a lot of packing and heavy lifting, and right now, that'd be pretty much impossible.
fug.
thoughts?
lucabrasi:
Hi Linter. I not sure I have any advice but I seem to get that every few years with the last bout just about this time last year. It lasted 2-3 weeks and pretty much ruined a trip. I wasn't to the point of going to an ER but I did get a massage. I can say that helped while being done and for just a bit after, but not a lot of difference overall or for very long. I can't remember if I could trace back the earlier bouts to anything specific but I trace my last one back to a position I was sitting while in a car I napped in while traveling. It seems to have started with that and then hours more in the car on the road after it. I put lots of miles in daily and often so it's not that all itself, it was the nap and how I was specifically.
I haven't tried accupuncture but have gone to a chiro with some of the past bouts and that seemed to help. This last one was the worst and I know exactly what you are talking about with the leg pain and where the pain is at after the leg pain starts to wane. Same side for me too.
I have recently heard that there is some doubt on meniscus surgery being the way to go vs just doing physical therapy, especially if you are 40-60 or so. I also heard there seems to be some stuff out there pointing to that with the bulging disc issues. Not sure if that is what you refer to there but you might research and check that out if that is something someone is trying to steer you towards, back surgery.
I did ibuprofen and massage, have done the chiro and in the end it was just really waiting it out. I looked up stretches and did those and a few other things. Home/natural herb stuff all seemed to be leaning towards the same few things and I can't remember what they were. I tried some and it was after it was set in pretty good and I couldn't say if they helped speed anything up or not.
I started this earlier.
http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,31417.0.html
There's quite a few of these out there. I got to try one out and it really got me thinking it was a good thing to have. I have since calmed down from that but am still considering one.
Sounds like some chiropractors have them in their places or perhaps you can find one on demo at Costco or Sams Club to see what you think. This is one of the things that they all seem to tout, sciatica. I really don't know how to explain the sensation you have on it or exactly what it does but it was unlike anything I have been around or felt.
The marketing is all similar it seems, they all want you to call to give the best pricing, all sorts of stuff going on with that but if you got a chance to try one with this pain going on I would be real curious to know if it helped or not. I know I will search one out next time (yeah, probably will be) if I haven't got one by then.
I looked this up. Maybe one near there?
https://www.costco.com/zaaz-schedule.html
Good luck. I wish you well. I think I know what it feels like for you. Owch!
Caribsurf:
Hey Linter hope you are on the mend and up and about soon. I dealt with lower back and sciatica many years ago and managed to over come it and deal with it. Well you never get rid of herniated discs but you can learn to manage them.
I had an excellent book called "Pain Free" by Peter Egoscue. His stretching and rehab exercises are legendary, especially for sciatica. Check Youtube, and Google to read articles and see videos on exercises for the pain you are dealing with. This book was so helpful in my recovery as were many instructional videos on Youtube.
His book is great because he is so upbeat and positive which was important to me because I was so, so depressed when I learned I had 2 herniated discs. 12 years later I can say I feel great, and learned a lot about stretching and exercises for my lower back, and I can even tell when sciatica or back pain is going to flare up and halt it in it's tracks.
Take your time, don't rush things, you will be up and paddling before you know it. The acute pain, what you are/were feeling takes some time to calm down, so any stretches or exercises you do start slowly. One of the best things you can do is stretch your hamstrings...they play a vital role in lower back pain . Also I try not to put on weight and keep my abs strong which will help keep back pain away.
best of luck and know there is light at the end of the tunnel
stoneaxe:
It sounds a lot like what I was going through last winter. I have the bulging discs, spinal cysts, etc. I ended up getting some cortisone injections and a facet block. Those helped with the pain radiating down my leg but what ended up causing most of the pain, and especially in my butt/hip...exactly where you say...was the sacroiliac joint. My PT manipulated it...basically pushing down on my hip...while I did back extensions. The pain is very similar to sciatic nerve pain. Tell me...do you paddle mostly left sided? He suspected my unbalanced paddling and weighting my right leg (I'm righty) could be causing it. Since I've gotten back on the water I focus on balancing my technique and I do exercises he gave me...so far so good. I still get twinges but nothing too bad.
Luc Benac:
--- Quote from: stoneaxe on March 07, 2017, 01:55:06 PM ---It sounds a lot like what I was going through last winter. I have the bulging discs, spinal cysts, etc. I ended up getting some cortisone injections and a facet block. Those helped with the pain radiating down my leg but what ended up causing most of the pain, and especially in my butt/hip...exactly where you say...was the sacroiliac joint. My PT manipulated it...basically pushing down on my hip...while I did back extensions. The pain is very similar to sciatic nerve pain. Tell me...do you paddle mostly left sided? He suspected my unbalanced paddling and weighting my right leg (I'm righty) could be causing it. Since I've gotten back on the water I focus on balancing my technique and I do exercises he gave me...so far so good. I still get twinges but nothing too bad.
--- End quote ---
+1 for this. I do that along with changing stance on purpose. Front foot forward then left foot forward then as soon as a little bit of breeze downwind taking a semi-surf stance again changing right and left. I find that its really help with the pain while paddling and post-paddling. It is the advantage of a stable board. If I stay stuck in a parallel stance only, it takes between two and three km before I start wondering why the Hell I am paddling :-)
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