Sciatica - how long does yours go on for?

[Justin Passing]

Strange extra pain and numbness when I woke this morning. Google revealed all.
I'm now housebound, because that adds to other things.

I just read one of those reviews of reviews of treatment outcomes, and none of them is much good.
Some relief, for a while, looks like all you can expect whatever they do, unless it gets better by itself.

 

[StephenStephen]

Keep mobile, find a decent physio or osteopath, consider asking for gabapentin if the pain becomes unmanagable...

 

[Old Salt]

Stretching it out, keep active but mine usually improves after about 7/10 days but can take up to 4 weeks with odd twinges and feeling the effects.

 

[fillyboy]

Strange extra pain and numbness when I woke this morning. Google revealed all.
I'm now housebound, because that adds to other things.

I just read one of those reviews of reviews of treatment outcomes, and none of them is much good.
Some relief, for a while, looks like all you can expect whatever they do, unless it gets better by itself.

Keep mobile, find a decent physio or osteopath, consider asking for gabapentin if the pain becomes unmanagable

I got it about 20 years ago, a chiropractor sorted it. Came back about 5 years ago in various forms, dozens of chiropractor sessions later, it's more or less here to stay. Most days getting out of bed is quite painful, last year I had a week where it was all I could do to sit up on the side of the bed, insert my feet into my underpants, at which point mrs filly would come round and pull me up, then pull up my underpants and put my socks on for me, then I'd go off to work and was ok most of the day, as long as I keep moving, it's ok.

At the moment, it's not too bad, I'm a builder/decorator/plasterer so obviously active but 'heavy' work is a no go area for me, actually, I find all work 'heavy' at the moment.

Painful as it is , resting is not a cure. As Stephen says, keep moving, it helps a lot.

 

[Justin Passing]

I'm already maxed out on Gabapentin for sth else. Generalised arthritis impedes so I take codydramol and ibuprofen.
I tried a mobility scooter. Damned thing vibrated so I'm waiting for feeling to come back in my hands!

 

[crystal ball]

I was diagnosed with Sciatica at first but ended up with a double hip replacement , never looked back.

 

[Justin Passing]

I was diagnosed with Sciatica at first but ended up with a double hip replacement , never looked back.

I haven't seen a doc yet, so maybe it's not sciatica, but it fits wot google says!

 

[fillyboy]

I haven't seen a doc yet, so maybe it's not sciatica, but it fits wot google says!

Doctors aren't great for that sort of 'complaint;, they don't recognise chiropractors and will refer you to physio instead.
First time I had it, the Chiro identified it as tension in the buttock muscles putting pressure on the (ic5 nerve I think) which was good because a couple of weeks of massaging me bum completely cured it. I gather the problem now is age (I'm 66) and narrowing of the spinal whotsit can cause pressure on nerves.

 

[Dork Lard]

I've been hit with impossible back pain 3x now & there's no apparent cause of it I can think of. The first time it got me I was bed ridden for 2weeks, at first barely able to shuffle to the toilet.

The doc' was beyond utterly useless. The chiropractor (I think) helped a little with a few ongoing stretching exercises. It was a little old lady in't t'village who found me my cure the 2nd time it happened, she gave me a tiny little pill of low dose Valium (Diazepam), very valuable these days as it's almost impossible to pry it from your doctor (no more trips to Las Vegas medical conventions, see). The 2 times I have had the need to use it the relief has been almost instant & I now carry a simple little pill in my wallet.

You probably won't find any & your doctor certainly won't prescribe it, but if you ask around hard enuff you might find someone willing to sacrifice their 'emergency' pill.

 

[Justin Passing]

Valium (Diazepam)

Got some.
And Tramadol, and Oxycontin, zombie drugs.

 

[noseall]

Strange extra pain and numbness when I woke this morning. Google revealed all.
I'm now housebound, because that adds to other things.

I just read one of those reviews of reviews of treatment outcomes, and none of them is much good.
Some relief, for a while, looks like all you can expect whatever they do, unless it gets better by itself.

Stretch exercises, lots of them. I have had sciatica half my life.

 

[Odds]

If i have any lifting to do in a garden then i'll use a back brace and take heed of any strain where i reach my limits; if i go over those limits i have to deal with the pain, usually with a cold pack/hot water bottle combination...then a session in a massage chair which really does work. Different settings make it an all-round aid to regaining a semblance of movement the following day. Painkillers help, and voltarol/co-dydramol keep the demons at bay when the pains spread across my shoulders and down both arms, sometimes so bad i can hardly lift them to drink a cuppa.
You never cure a bad back - and i've heard all the jokes, too, but if you suffer from it in any way it's nothing to laugh about.
After six months of sanding down doors and furniture i'm still paying the price in both wrists and elbows, six weeks after i stopped.
Getting old sucks.
And any medication doesn't come cheap, either. Seven quid for a small tube of voltarol, ffs.

 

[crystal ball]

I get Fenbid Forte 10% gel on prescription free, might be worth an ask at the GPs

 

[Burnerman]

For genuine sciatica, the pain will be felt down the back of one or both legs, often across the small of the back and rarely where the injury took place i.e in the spinal cord.
If there is any change in the bowel or water works then medical advice is vital immediately.
It's a desperate affliction and often lasts two months.
You may find that sitting is impossible but there should be relief when standing or lying down.
You have every sympathy - I still have a sort of numbness in the sole of my left foot after my last attack years ago.
John

 

[Deleted member 292770]

Stretch exercises, lots of them. I have had sciatica half my life.

digging holes for a living is tough.