Sciatic Nerve Pain who has had it?

[P-Lar]

Early last year found out I had a herniated disc in L5/S1 which caused me tremendous sciatic nerve pain down the left side of my body. Tried every stretch and exercise I could find on the internet but nothing worked. Finally went to a specialist and got 2 epidural spinal injection shots. After the first one 75% of pain was gone. After the second one my pain was completely gone. It’s been 10 months now since that second shot and the pain hasn’t come back. Those shots were a life saver for me.

[warrington]

Stretch you thigh muscle
Hamstring
70% of sciatic nerve pain is due to a tight hamstring

[80transam]

Feel for you, I had that as well. Pain shot down the outside left leg to the toe. I remember couldn't walk 20 yards without taking a knee and just pretended to tie my shoes on the way in to the office.

I ended up having spinal decompression , steroid pack, and hydrocodone. That and a few months took care of it so far.

[glen]

I know it sounds strange but motion and strength. Walk as much as you can and stabilize stomach while walking. Start a abdominal exercise program. Single leg lifts and marching type core strengthening routine. Stretch. It is horrible to live with. I finally had a fusion last year

[GARY]

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.

L4.L5,S1 for me. First incidence followed me help load a BBQ pit onto a trailer at Bownanza. Immediately hit with sciatica and took my breath away. Laying on side was about the only semi relief I found. (tried steriod pills as well and they only offered some minor relief). MRI showed the structural damage and it was 1) surgery 2) waiting it out. My neurosurgeon was non invasive surgery kind of guy and guided me to wait as long as I could stand it, or until we started to any sort of loss of feeling in feet, legs when I had an episode.

That was in my late 30's (I am 55 now). I had a number of medium pain episodes until I hit 40 and I had another major one. When I came out of this one, I noticed a linger loss of feeling in my toes, so surgery it was and they trimmed off the burrs and cleaned things up (Laminectomy). Honestly, while I am far from "healed", I haven't had but two more bouts with back issues overall (the kind that knocks you down), but once and that followed a week hunt in mountains of Alberta and packing an elk out, followed by a round of golf when I didn't feel just right a month later. Out about 3 months this time. MRI showed structural damage still intact (which was expected). Not quite ready for another surgery at this point and given it was "just" extreme pain (no paralysis), I decided and found relief (NOT immediate) from

1) I took my physical therapy serious and still do today, still doing some of the key core exercises
2) I slowed down the golf as I am not just a casual golf AND never play when I don't feel "back" ready
3) Chiropractor and Acupucture both also offered relief, but nothing as much as
4) Yoga - I do Yoga religiously at least 3X per week and honestly belief it's done more for me than anything else


Additionally -

1) I cleaned up my diet and lost about 30 lbs. Keto seems to work for me in reducing inflammation (dead leg burn tied to Sciatica that flared up post surgery and really limited my sleep
2) I lift weights at least 2-3 X per week and found that too helps a great deal as it's lead to a stronger core

As some mentioned, exhaust the shots (works magically for my Pops), but offered me NO relief on no occasions.


Life with a bad back is just fricking miserable to be candid and it's worth exploring any/all options that may work for you.

Good luck!

[RJK70]

Stretch you thigh muscle
Hamstring
70% of sciatic nerve pain is due to a tight hamstring

Yep. See my dry needling comment above.


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[Dusty Britches]

as others have said - surgery to remove the herniation. Do it sooner than later. Mine calcified and was basically a rock rubbing on the neve, slowly wearing through it. Good thing is the pain was so intense I could barely breathe. Emergency surgery fixed it but my left foot toes often have no feeling.

[topwater blowup]

Had 2 Microdiscectomy's Left - 2006, Right -2011 ben fine ever since day surgery home in the afternoon.

Neurological Group of Texas very minimal surgery and very small incision.

[HighwayHunter]

Herniated my L5 when I was 18 in a bad fall. After 7-8 months of not knowing why my left leg felt like it was on fire and not being able to sit up right or workout I finally saw a doctor and had steroid injections. It’s worked for almost ten years now. Last year on New Year’s Day threw my back out dead lifting then just two weeks ago threw it out again swinging a kettle bell. Ice helps, I’ve heard cryotherapy helps a lot. I typically slow down on working out hard and stretch more and it goes away but this time it’s not getting much better. May go back in for injections again soon if possible, I’d like to get back to not having trouble putting my shoes on lol.


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[DEADEYE1]

Back

The shot hurts that bad?

I had the same problem but I ended up having back surgery, best thing I ever did. My L3 was also messed up, they go in and basically put a cushion between your 2 discs. I had surgery at 6 am and left the hospital on my own by 2pm. I was suppose to be out of work for 2 weeks but that never happened. I had surgery on Wednesday and was back at work on Monday. I just worked 1/2 days and would get tired but after 2 weeks of that I was driving myself to work. I own a small business so I don't recommend doing this but it is possible.

[BowhunterB]

L4.L5,S1 for me.


1) I took my physical therapy serious and still do today, still doing some of the key core exercises
2) I slowed down the golf as I am not just a casual golf AND never play when I don't feel "back" ready
3) Chiropractor and Acupucture both also offered relief, but nothing as much as
4) Yoga - I do Yoga religiously at least 3X per week and honestly belief it's done more for me than anything else


Additionally -

1) I cleaned up my diet and lost about 30 lbs. Keto seems to work for me in reducing inflammation (dead leg burn tied to Sciatica that flared up post surgery and really limited my sleep
2) I lift weights at least 2-3 X per week and found that too helps a great deal as it's lead to a stronger core

As some mentioned, exhaust the shots (works magically for my Pops), but offered me NO relief on no occasions.


Life with a bad back is just fricking miserable to be candid and it's worth exploring any/all options that may work for you.

Good luck!

This sounds a lot like me. Was told I could have surgery but would likely need another one in 10 years or so and it would be better to wait as long as I could.
Exercise helps for sure. I was told not to lift any free weights, but recently discovered that squats and lunges with some type of weights really seem to help.
I have been wanting to do Yoga but I am horrible about stretching and that type of stuff. Really need to try it.

[GARY]

This sounds a lot like me. Was told I could have surgery but would likely need another one in 10 years or so and it would be better to wait as long as I could.
Exercise helps for sure. I was told not to lift any free weights, but recently discovered that squats and lunges with some type of weights really seem to help.
I have been wanting to do Yoga but I am horrible about stretching and that type of stuff. Really need to try it.

I sure felt silly initially being the only man (or real man in my mind) in the classes with my wife, even more so when I was doing it in Calgary on single status assignment by myself ...until I realized I was the only man amongst a bunch of hot moms . Seriously, I think it along with losing some weight and cleaning up diet have been the keys to my managing my back. My daughter came in recently for 3 weeks from Scottsdale and worked from home. We went to the gym as a family, but we took off 3 weeks from yoga (longest I have went in 4 years). That combined with eating less clean really had my inflammation flared up....not to mentioned stiffness in legs and back (early warning for me). She has been gone 2 weeks and I have returned back 2-3 times a week along with eating clean and all that is gone. Not to mention it has greatly improved my sleeping, which is impossible with inflammation!

[bm22]

I haven’t seen this mentioned yet.

I had the same problem. Once I got the inflammation down the only thing that will help it is to lose weight.

1 lb of belly weight is 8 lbs of pressure on your spine. An extra 10 lbs = 80 most people carry an extra 20.

I have forgotten my own advice and gone back to 200 lbs. i am currently looking to get back to 180-175ish and I am 6 ft 1 in tall.

It is not fun and it is not quick but losing weight helps more than anything. If you get surgery usually it is only temporary. You fuse those vertebrae together the pressure goes up the spine.

I had trouble 14 years ago. Still doing good with no more shots or surgery if I can keep my weight down. I am just now starting to feel it creep up again.

[Stan R]

Just had a spinal epidural... it is better

[Death from Above]

Steroid shots…then i got busy with core work.