Back pain/Sciatica

[Definitelyme]

I get awful sciatica when pregnant and my physio said never, ever use heat on it. It causes the nerve to swell and puts more pressure on it. She said only ever use ice packs on sciatica.

 

[Definitelyme]

I've heard acupuncture helps with sciatica does anyone know if this is true?

I had it years ago as part of my physio. Can’t say for sure it helped on its own, as had a full physio session with it, but it definitely didn’t do any harm.

 

[koko1234]

Get to a chiropractor! If you live in Essex I can recommend a fabulous one. I had a prolapsed disk that just went one day when I bent down to pull my jeans up.

Chiropractor will just put you back into place and your body heals itself. I despise physio as 9 times out of 10 they don’t know what they are talking about

Ah no i live in cheshire , but thanks for the advice will look around for a local one x
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I've been suffering with what is apparently sciatica for a couple of months now. Never had anything like it before, I think it's another joyous postpartum problem. I've just been plodding on and hoping it will go away by itself but no such luck. I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and was pretty much fobbed off. He told me to avoid bending and lifting and to sit on a high-backed dining room chair Pretty useless advice as I was literally sat there with an almost 7 month old, how do I avoid bending and lifting with him?!
I've been doing stretches and keeping moving as much as possible but I'm in pain when I sit to feed the baby or try get up while I'm holding him. I think I'll have to go back and hopefully see a different doctor.

Go back to your gp and ask for a mri just to rule stuff out and then you will know what’s causing it , your compressing the nerve when your sitting , I’ve been doing yoga on YouTube for sciatica and back injuries and trying to strengthen the muscle in my hamstring that’s where I get most of the pain and my bum cheek and it’s has helped lots, the pain is now like a dull ache compared to what it was and I’m now off pain medication I’m just praying it continues to improve , hope you get the help with yours as i can sympathise with the pain x

 

[Fizzwhizz2020]

I would really recommend an osteopath if you can afford it as they work wonders. I’ve suffered with back pain where it spasms and I can barely walk for weeks and that is usually followed by 3 months or so of siatica. It’s so excruciating. I went to a brilliant neuromuscular skeletal therapist and the back pain has never come back and never had siatica since. It turns out it wasn’t my back, but my hips and the fact that I used to lick my knees when standing. I tired every pain medication, heat patches, cold patches everything and it all just masked the issue x

 

[JLXRD]

Hi all,

I have had on and off back pain and sciatica since I was 21. I’m now 27. Earlier in the year I had 6 weeks where I was really limited in my movements I could do but it resolved itself after a lot of rest.

Last weekend I pulled something some how and since then it has got progressively worse to the point where today I can’t sit up or stand up today. I can’t even sit up long enough to eat a meal. I feel completely miserable.

The doctor will just tell me to do my physio stretches and if I’m lucky may give me a muscle relaxant but obvs I can’t call til Tuesday due to the holidays.

Anyone else suffer with this and have any tips to alleviate the pain? Any over the counter medicines?

I have tried a hot bath, hot water bottles, ibuprofen and deep heat today but I’m still in so much pain, I can’t even do most of my physio at the min so gentle exercise is a no for now.

I’m so scared of the prospect that this will take weeks again

 

[AngelDelight_2021]

Chiropractor recommended a tennis ball in back jeans pocket and roll it around whilst lying/sitting down. Said it hits the right place to loosen the area when not able to get to see her (she was quite a distance away and was worried about undoing her good work on the drive home in the car) used this tip many times since and it’s great

I might give this ago tomorrow as I’m in so much pain! My stretches and exercises just don’t seem to be helping much. Thanks for sharing

 

[Notworthy]

Thank you, I'm trying to get another appt now so I'll ask about that. I also used to see a chiropractor a few years ago but never went back after Covid. I think I'll look into that again but I just remember I was always tense and anxious before the ankle cracking! He'd have to tell me to relax x

Try an Oesteopath and tell them you don't want cracking unless absolutely necessary

 

[HoGi]

Alternate between hot and cold. So heat patch for 30 mins followed by an ice pack for 30 mins.

Try and be as normal as possible (easier said than done!) But tensing will make it worse

Walk as much as you can even if it is just shuffling round the house.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen

 

[Raininvain]

I once had it so bad I had to get on the bus for 1 stop!!. Eventually it went, I did that exercise where you hold your knee to your chest and put a belt round your ankle then move it to your chest. It usually takes a few weeks to clear. Its horrible.

 

[PunkRocker]

Difference between an Osteopath and a Chiropractor (healthcentre.org.uk)
I personally always use a Osteopath as I don't like the cracking plus 90% of back pain actually comes from the muscles, particularly the bum muscles

That's helpful, thank you. I've managed to get an Osteopath appt for this Tuesday so fingers crossed for some relief.

 

[JLXRD]

Alternate between hot and cold. So heat patch for 30 mins followed by an ice pack for 30 mins.

Try and be as normal as possible (easier said than done!) But tensing will make it worse

Walk as much as you can even if it is just shuffling round the house.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen

Ooh thank you I shall try cold, I was worried cold may make it worse.

I will keep shuffling thank you for the advice x

 

[Onepotatotwopotato]

Just be careful someone in my family had back pain and it was actually a tumor wrapped around the spine

 

[HoGi]

I get awful sciatica when pregnant and my physio said never, ever use heat on it. It causes the nerve to swell and puts more pressure on it. She said only ever use ice packs on sciatica.

The NHS website says hot and cold

I found neither alone to be effective, but alternating like I said above helped massively.

 

[Notworthy]

I'll 2nd the tennis ball or if you're really a masochist, a golf ball. I sometimes lie on the sofa on my side with the tennis ball just below my hip, absolute agony but it does work

 

[HoGi]

Ooh thank you I shall try cold, I was worried cold may make it worse.

I will keep shuffling thank you for the advice x

When I herniated a disc years ago and had back spasms as a result I was told cold but it hurt.

Was reading when it went again a few months back and saw about alternating and I must say it really helped me.

Also if you can afford it, buy a TENS machine. I bought one for about £30 off amazon and that has also helped. Especially when you can't take any more painkillers.

 

[PunkRocker]

Try an Oesteopath and tell them you don't want cracking unless absolutely necessary

Thank you, I'll look into that. What kind of thing would an osteopath do?

 

[koko1234]

I’m suffering really bad with sciatica at the moment , has a mri done , slipped disk , waiting months for referrals , had one session with a physio , told me run up and down the stairs ,can any one suggest anything to help me thanks in a lot of pain

 

[Ab235]

I've heard acupuncture helps with sciatica does anyone know if this is true?

 

[PunkRocker]

Ah no i live in cheshire , but thanks for the advice will look around for a local one x
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Go back to your gp and ask for a mri just to rule stuff out and then you will know what’s causing it , your compressing the nerve when your sitting , I’ve been doing yoga on YouTube for sciatica and back injuries and trying to strengthen the muscle in my hamstring that’s where I get most of the pain and my bum cheek and it’s has helped lots, the pain is now like a dull ache compared to what it was and I’m now off pain medication I’m just praying it continues to improve , hope you get the help with yours as i can sympathise with the pain x

Thank you, I'm trying to get another appt now so I'll ask about that. I also used to see a chiropractor a few years ago but never went back after Covid. I think I'll look into that again but I just remember I was always tense and anxious before the ankle cracking! He'd have to tell me to relax x

 

[Base2019]

I might give this ago tomorrow as I’m in so much pain! My stretches and exercises just don’t seem to be helping much. Thanks for sharing

I hope it helps and you feel better soon xx