Sciatic Nerve Pain who has had it?

[Stros]

I have a herniated disc in L3. It has popped a few times since my incident in 2001 throughout the years, and the pain sucks during those times. Recently the disc has been hitting my Sciatic Nerve and I have pain shooting down my leg. I have done the steroid pills a month ago and it worked. Two weeks ago I was edging the yard and it popped again. This time the steroid pills did'nt work and the pain is getting worse. So my question is what have you done that works?

Thanks, and I'm going to the doctor again today.

[cbrown]

My dad had the same thing related to a knee surgery and I have had it due to a buldging disk. Dad went to a Chiropractor and with in a few weeks he was back to normal. His got so bad that if he stood still he had to sit down.

Both of ours have been helped by standing with your feet slightly apart and reach down your side to the ground (or as far as you can go). Same exercise if you were going to hold a plate or dumbbell in your hand and work your love handles. This was part of his rehab and worked great. When mine starts hurting it's what I do and the pain goes away.

Do this exercise each way a few times a day and see if it helps.

[arrowdynamic]

Laminectomy 1993. I had 3/8" herniated L5. I don't have much pain but I have lost the Achilles reflex in my right foot and experience sort of a numbness down the back of my right leg. Inversion table helps relieve pressure. Good luck.

[Mudslinger]

Physical therapy or the steriod shots (very painful). My first steriod shot lasted 4 years, the others not so long. Physical therapy helped eliminate every bit of pain after the steroid shots did not last very long and were so painful to get and my pain doctor and I did not want surgery.

[doghouse]

Been there. Steroid injections in the spine. Took about 5 treatments but they finally got me relief. Tried pills and chiropractor to no avail so finally went with the shots. Good luck.

[Stros]

Physical therapy or the steriod shots (very painful). My first steriod shot lasted 4 years, the others not so long. Physical therapy helped eliminate every bit of pain after the steroid shots did not last very long and were so painful to get and my pain doctor and I did not want surgery.

The shot hurts that bad?

[BuckySWT]

mine acts up a little from time to time if I haven't been to the chiro in a long time.

no herniated anything afaik, but things'll get out of whack and it'll start hurting.

wife taught me a stretch that loosens things up in the hip/lower back area and it does wonders.

lay on your back, knees up, feet down.
take one foot and pull it up over the opposite knee, then have a partner take that leg and push back toward you (think of stretching a hamstring, but with your opposite leg crossed over the one being stretched).

if you're muscles are tight down there, you'll feel it in a hurry.

after I'm all stretched out, lower back problems tend to get better for me.


My mom did accupuncture and had amazing results.

[Starman]

McKenzie exercises worked for me. Read the following info:

http://www.lasportsandspine.com/pdfs/McK-1-05-1.pdf

There is a lot more McKenzie info online.

It took a couple of months, but the pain gradually migrated back up the leg and finally disappeared.

I used ice packs, lots of Ibuprofen, and the exercises, and I've been pain free for 4 months.

Good luck to you.

[Target-panic]

Mine acts up from time to time. I can feel it coming on. The first time, I had spasms so bad it was like jolts of electricity up and down my leg. Went to the Chiropractor for 10 weeks and did accupuncture throughtout that time.

Now, I stretch the hamstring real good. I also set in the middle of the bed, pull the bottoms of the feet together between the legs, hook a large towel under my feet and over the ankles, lay back, holding the towel like ranes, letting the weight of my torso and the pulling of the towel slowly force my knees toward the bed. Instant relief for me.

[Mayhem]

i do, but mine hasnt acted up in a good amount of time, and i hope it doesnt start back.

[LDYBOWHNTER]

I know this will sound crazy but what worked for me was massage on the lower back and butt muscle good luck I know the how it feels

[Knox]

Same thing, siting down would kill me. Leg go numb and sharp pain down it. When ever it flares up I go to my chiropractor... The relief i get from goin is amazing. I feel your pain. Go to a good chiropractor!

[Conway]

I had the same thing, 11mm herniation. I ended up doing the herniated disk surgery. In and out in the same day.

[slayer]

Had the laminectomy twice on L4, L5. Steroid shots, inversion table, muscle relaxers help. Accupuncture helped me the most.

[tx10pt]

I haven't had it in years. Years ago I was having problems with it. Went to a different doctor, he said let me see your wallet. I showed him my wallet, not much in it, he said there is your problem. I was carrying my wallet in my back pocket and sitting down either driving or working and it put a kink in my back. I started carrying my wallet in my front pocket and have not had that problem in about 15 years.