Back pain/Sciatica

[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

 

[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

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[JLXRD]

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.

I’ll pop some ice packs in the freezer I think and try it tomorrow.

I was looking at a tens machine on Amazon earlier for about £30, but wasn’t sure if it would help much so will definitely have another look! Thanks.

 

[HitchhikingGhost]

I had sciatica and turned out it was a slipped disc.

Docs kept fobbing me off and said they could put me on a wait list for physio. Eventually they gave me an MRI where the disc had herniated so much I had to have it operated on. Just to say keep going back to your docs if you're still suffering as the constant pain made me miserable

 

[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.

 

[GetOffMyLawn]

Ugh I feel your pain, in fact... I’ve been suffering with sciatica on and off for the last ten years and Currently suffering with a flare right now. The hot and cold method is really effective, as is regular pain medication - the key is consistency though; space out the tablets at regular intervals and try not to eek them out. I also take amitriptyline but have other co-mornidities/underlying health issues. The idea is to get maximum pain relief. I can’t comment on TENS as I have epilepsy so please read the section for pre-existing medical conditions carefully!

and please... even though your body will protest, keep moving. If after a week it hasn’t improved, I’d think about seeing your gp just to confirm it is sciatica and not something else (slipped disc etc). Hang in there

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[Jxtina]

I suffer with sciatica too - it flared up just before Christmas. I got some extra strong ibuprofen from the chemist and I also use the deep freeze cream/spray. Heat does nothing for me but cold works wonders.

 

[JLXRD]

I have put an ice pack on this morning after a big struggle getting out of bed so hoping it does some good! Felt a bit painful to start with but now just numb so fingers crossed it is doing me some good

 

[Plasticbox]

I had sciatica and turned out it was a slipped disc.

Docs kept fobbing me off and said they could put me on a wait list for physio. Eventually they gave me an MRI where the disc had herniated so much I had to have it operated on. Just to say keep going back to your docs if you're still suffering as the constant pain made me miserable

this exact thing happened to me. I was fobbed off for years and was on the strongest pain relief you can imagine for years. Had an operation and was sadly addicted to the medication so had that to cope with too.People commented after my operation and said how different my face looked as I wasn’t in constant pain. I would 100% recommend you push for a MRI or pay privately for one.

 

[LennyBriscoe]

I hate to be a scaremonger but my husband had had bouts of sciatica over the years and thought it had happened again in 2015 but it got worse quickly and it turned out he had Cauda Equina Syndrome. He spent 5 months in hospital and is lucky to be walking again, albeit he is disabled.

I think that is fairly rare and you obviously know your own body best so please don’t hesitate to speak to your Doctor if it gets worse.

 

[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

 

[Base2019]

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

 

[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

Lock my knees . No wonder if have had back trouble trying to lick them

 

[AllSeeingEye123]

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

Ask for a hospital scan. Someone close to me had back pain and it went to the hip. At the start they had to push themselves up from a chair or get up more sidewards. They didn't have any symptoms of anything serious (blood at toilet, weight loss, feeling ill etc) so they wasn't worried. Gradually over a couple of weeks it got better and better but they still went for a hospital scan they were sent to when at their worst. The result came back with a bit of arthritis to put their mind at ease. Now it's around three months later and it's no pain at all helped on the way by stuff like Deep Heat and Tiger Balm. When it did hurt exercise helped such as a brisk walk rather than stiffening up stuck on a sofa.

 

[Ab235]

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

 

[swimming]

I’m pregnant and currently suffering badly with sciatica. I’ve been to my chiropractor today who did some trigger point pressure on the area near my bum cheek and oh my god it hurt so so bad but he said he could feel the blockage in the fibres releasing under the trigger point so my sciatica should ease up with a couple of treatments.

Ive nothing against taking pain meds but in my experience they just mask the underlying issue. Go see a chiropractor or at the very least, bother your GP if this is an ongoing issue