Sciatica

[Mandybstorm]

Suffering a bit at the moment. Had a mishap whilst dog walking. The dog suddenly lunged off to one side causing me to get a deep friction burn from the lead on the palm of my hand and also jarring my back. Spent a few days hoping it would 'go away' before finally visiting the doctors yesterday. I have done a bit of damage to my sciatic nerve so have been given diazepam and tramadol to numb the pain.

It is quite 'hurty' and bending is not an option at the moment! Hubby has taken a few days off to help me with the jobs I simply cannot cancel (animal carer) and also to drive me around as due to the new drug laws that came in this month the doctor said I was not to drive.

Hoping it has improved by Saturday as we are coming down to the Broads on Moonlight Shadow for the week.

Currently trying to do everything I can to improve it, warm baths, heat pads, knee stretching etc..

Any tips will be gratefully received!

[BroadScot]

Hi Mandy,

 

I have been the victim in the past of Sciatica, a very painful and disabilitating ache. I damaged my nerve lifting a fully laden storage heater. (my apprentice let loose 2cwt onto my back) One thing my doctor recommended was to lay flat on the floor, anno doesn't sound very appetising a thought, but it did help a bit. I was on DF118 tabs, pure codiene basically. My Doc then, was also a sporty chappie and played cricket with me. 

 

I hope you make a speedy recovery from it, but what ever you do, please do it very slowly, so not to streach the nerve again.

 

Iain

[lampini]

I had this, and found a session with an Osteopath very useful.. you STILL have to take it easy tho..!

Hope you feel better soon..

[Paul]

I feel for you, I have suffered with sciatica for many years, since injuring my lower back playing rugby as a teenager. It comes on seemingly for no reason and can be close to 100% debilatating. I'm alergic to benzodiazapenes so diazepam is not an option and I refused Tramadol because of the dangers so for me it used to be Coproxamol and Sodium Diclofenac. Coproxamol is no longer prescribed so now I tend to make do with Ibuprofen Gel. It's not great but does help a bit and doesn't seem to cause the same degree of side effects as ingested Ibuprofen. I don't find pain killers to have much effect. The best comfort I find is a pair of welly boot socks, one inside the other then filled with a kilo of long grain rice. Microwave it till warm and put it in your chair, right where the back meets the seat. I find lying flat very painful, I never can lie on my back, when it comes on the only place I get comfortable is the recliner chair, with the afforementioned home made heat pack (which you can reheat when needed).

[BroadScot]

Hi Paul,

 

When good electric recliners came on the market, I bought one. Worth every penny IMHO.

 

 

Iain.

[Paul]

An important point Iain, the recliner is electric. Unlike sprung ones they stay exactly where you put them and if like me your back starts to ache you can often move the back a couple of inches which makes all the difference. We have electric recliners on the armchairs and sofa and I would not want to give them up.

[littlesprite]

Hi Mandy,

I don't know how seriously you've trapped the nerve so don't want to be the harbinger of bad news but 21 years ago I trapped my nerve just pulling on a sock, 3 months later I was only just getting over it.

The initial pain was in the lower back at the point where the nerve was trapped, as the healing process took effect the pain slowly moved across the back and down the leg, sounds strange but is quite common with nerve damage apparently. I still have a weakness in the sciatic nerve after all these years and just have to take it easy for a day or 2 if I feel a twinge.

[BroadScot]

Yes, Paul, I have a dual motor chair just, a wee change in position and its all cumfy again. Martin, yup I did mine in 1978/9 its that long ago you would think it would clear up, but a quick movement even today and its still in the background niggling away grrrrr!

 

 

 Iain.

[dnks34]

I suffered my first herniated lumbar disc at 17 years old and had my first discectomy when 18. The second slipped disc (different lumbar one) came along when i was 29 and I had another discectomy at 33. Im now 34, back pain and Sciatica has been a huge part of my life so far, the discectomy sorts out the Sciatica but the back pain remains at differing degrees depending on my activities.

One thing that can sometimes help me is to lie on my back on a hard surface with my knees bent both legs together, then gently rock my knees left to right toward the floor just as far as is comfortable. It seems to free those pesky muscles up up a bit!

[BroadScot]

Thanks for that reminder of the floor excercise, dnks34

 

 

Iain.

[Poggymale]

I suffered my first herniated lumbar disc at 17 years old and had my first discectomy when 18. The second slipped disc (different lumbar one) came along when i was 29 and I had another discectomy at 33. Im now 34, back pain and Sciatica has been a huge part of my life so far, the discectomy sorts out the Sciatica but the back pain remains at differing degrees depending on my activities.

One thing that can sometimes help me is to lie on my back on a hard surface with my knees bent both legs together, then gently rock my knees left to right toward the floor just as far as is comfortable. It seems to free those pesky muscles up up a bit!

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[Poggymale]

This is very good advice - main thing is to keep moving. Was on the boat last year within a month of a discectomy - stern on mooring wasn't easy re getting on and off. Regular walks and a although different from me a few simple stretches may be worth a whirl, as is sitting & bending properly. Bit of reorganisation on the boat where things are kept to avoid bending also good. Hope you feel better soon.

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[dnks34]

Poggymale you are right about reorganisation of the boat to reduce bending, when you have a bad back bending is your enemy!

[Poggymale]

I can highly recommend the window cleaning sponge thing on a stick for cleaning the shower!

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[Rincewind]

Mandy, Dihydrocodeine (DHC) might be an effective pain reliever for sciatica but you'll need to get it from your GP as it's a prescription only medication. Arthrotec 75 (Diclofenac Sodium ) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and another superb pain reliever...again it's prescription only though. These two medications can also be used together as they are in different painkiller classes.

 

I used this combination for a while some years back for arthritic hip pain and they were a reasonably effective treatment.