Sciatic nerve pain

[hoosierdoc]

I like Aleve. Two OTCs twice a day for 440mg. Last longer than Motrin. Take Pepcid or Zantac If doing nsaids for a few weeks, help prevent ulcer or irritation of stomach

 

[printcraft]

I feel ya!

My leg and back have been on fire for the last month.
Going for MRI on Monday, on my second series of steroids now.
XRAY showed bone spurs.

I haven’t slept more than a few hours each night for the last month.
This blows.

 

[thunderchicken]

I like Aleve. Two OTCs twice a day for 440mg. Last longer than Motrin. Take Pepcid or Zantac If doing nsaids for a few weeks, help prevent ulcer or irritation of stomach

Right on. Thanks for the info doc

 

[thunderchicken]

I feel ya!

My leg and back have been on fire for the last month.
Going for MRI on Monday, on my second series of steroids now.
XRAY showed bone spurs.

I haven’t slept more than a few hours each night for the last month.
This blows.

Lack of sleep or regularly interrupted sleep sucks

 

[printcraft]

Lack of sleep or regularly interrupted sleep sucks

I’m exhausted, when I finally drop off the pain wakes me up again about hourly.
It sucks because sitting in a chair is the worst position, so I walk and stand around the house to get relief.
Standing for hours because sitting is fire and laying down only seems to be better when I am on my stomach. (I hate sleeping on my stomach)

 

[1911ly]

I have been dealing with it for about 10 years. I am to the point that I need injections about ever 6 months to be able to get around. They let me get around. I just had another round of shots this last Wednesday. I did physical therapy helped. Not all the exercises worked for me.

I would stay away from Chiropractor or at least talk to your doctor first. I had 0ne adjustment that took me 3 months to get over. I was not happy. I go to a pain specialist now. I have lots of arthritis so it is a life long battle now.

Best advise I can give is to not let it go as long as I did.

 

[bwframe]

I like Aleve. Two OTCs twice a day for 440mg. Last longer than Motrin. Take Pepcid or Zantac If doing nsaids for a few weeks, help prevent ulcer or irritation of stomach

Thanks again for your professional contributions doc!

 

[yeahbaby]

As to the Chiro.....get the right one. We have used a Chiro for years. He is the reason I am walking upright and still able to work. My lower back/neck/shoulders are junk from the trades and having to much fun in this life. Some things are beyond pills and medications. The right one will know if he can help. Choose your poison.

Preach on about this. Last April started having some serious back issues. Had a MRI, then off to the surgeon. Of course he wanted to do a microdiscecotomy with no guarantee the problem would not crop up again. Talked to folks at work that referred me to a chiro In Valparaiso. It took some time but I'm as good as new now. Back to fully working out and everything. There was no pressure to purchase months of visits like a lot of practices do. I go every couple of months for a tune up. But all is good.

 

[ATOMonkey]

I go to Dr. Jackson in Plainfield. I really look forward to my visits every month with him.

He has a digital X-ray machine now (much better than the old films) and uses that to determine what kind of treatment you need based on your spinal assignment.

I didn't think I had any issues, but my wife convinced me to go. I had some pretty serious misalignment in my neck (too much head down desk work), and a vertebrae that was wedged in my lower back.

I'm only 38, and I wish I had started going earlier. Chiropractic done monthly is one of the BEST investments I've ever made as far as quality of life goes. I feel as good or better than I did ten years ago. He also does "emergency" work form me whenever I dislocate a rib, or my lower back acts up. Between chiropractic and regular exercise (I eat like crap), I'm in the best shape of my life.

It's just like everything else though, you need to pick a good one. If the Dr. wants to start doing adjustments without ever doing any diagnostic work, then he/she probably isn't the one for you. Chiropractic is an actual science, just like everything else, and should be treated as such. I started out with traction and electro-muscle therapy along with my weekly adjustments. Now I'm down to monthly maintenance work.

 

[thunderchicken]

Well I think this afternoon I will be calling the clinic and get an appointment to start getting this checked out. Hopefully it will include anti-inflammatory meds that may offer some relief. Yesterday, other than going to church I stayed home and just rested on the couch and took a nap. This morning I woke up the same way.
I'm thinking clinic visit with meds, maybe an xray and go from there.

 

[bobzilla]

Wife has dealt with sciatica for as long as I’ve known her. Last year she was referred to a chiro. 2 months in and she had more movement and less pain. She hasn’t had a flare up since February. Previous it was almost monthly.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Curious: Do you wear your wallet on the side that the pain is on?

Regardless: Either move your wallet or make it much much thinner/smaller.

And along with back stretches - work on strengthening your abdominal muscles. This is one of the single-most helpful things to ward off back issues. (That, and lifting correctly)

 

[thunderchicken]

Curious: Do you wear your wallet on the side that the pain is on?

Regardless: Either move your wallet or make it much much thinner/smaller.

And along with back stretches - work on strengthening your abdominal muscles. This is one of the single-most helpful things to ward off back issues. (That, and lifting correctly)

I have thined my wallet down to bare necessities and have started carrying it in my front pocket. Started doing stretches last night and this morning.

Well I did get an appointment for tomorrow morning to get the ball rolling

 

[4sarge]

Mine Comes & Goes. Losing the Wallet Helps when I drive for long Periods of time. Good Luck

 

[PGRChaplain]

QUOTE=thunderchicken;7751116]What kind of back exercises?[/QUOTE

Start here;
https://www.balancedback.com/blog/safe-exercises-for-bulging-disc

 

[DCR]

(1) STRETCH !!! 10 minutes / 2-3x / day
(2) Ride a stationary bicycle. Start with 5 minutes, go slow, work up to it.

I have battled this off and on for maybe 50 years. STRETCH
I have 10-12 stretching exercises that I do fairly regularly. When I stop doing them for a while, I throw my back out and/or my hips hurt. If I stick with it and stretch 2-3x / week for maintenance, I never have a problem.

 

[sugarcreekbrass]

I use an inversion table, and that has worked wonders. I messed up my back in my mid 20s roofing a house. I went a chiro and he got me straightened out. Told me the do's/don'ts that others have already stated. Since then I try to sleep on my back, even though I wake up in all sorts of positions! When I wake up on my stomach, my back hurts. For the past 15 years, I will get flare ups or I will tweak that nerve just randomly. When it is bad, my pain is mostly low right back, just above my waist. Sometimes, I can feel my back is about to go out before it does. This is when I will start hanging. People say you should do it on a regular basis, just like going to a chiro regularly. I just hang when needed. Sometimes it just takes a day or two. Sometimes it might take a few days. I have had my inversion table for about 4 yrs and haven't needed to go to a chiro since. I would be sure to ask the chiro about using a table if you have major back issues.

 

[j4jenk]

I go to Dr. Jackson in Plainfield. I really look forward to my visits every month with him.

He has a digital X-ray machine now (much better than the old films) and uses that to determine what kind of treatment you need based on your spinal assignment.

I didn't think I had any issues, but my wife convinced me to go. I had some pretty serious misalignment in my neck (too much head down desk work), and a vertebrae that was wedged in my lower back.

I'm only 38, and I wish I had started going earlier. Chiropractic done monthly is one of the BEST investments I've ever made as far as quality of life goes. I feel as good or better than I did ten years ago. He also does "emergency" work form me whenever I dislocate a rib, or my lower back acts up. Between chiropractic and regular exercise (I eat like crap), I'm in the best shape of my life.

It's just like everything else though, you need to pick a good one. If the Dr. wants to start doing adjustments without ever doing any diagnostic work, then he/she probably isn't the one for you. Chiropractic is an actual science, just like everything else, and should be treated as such. I started out with traction and electro-muscle therapy along with my weekly adjustments. Now I'm down to monthly maintenance work.

I couldn’t agree more..... I’ve seen my Chiropractor for over 5 years with very similar results.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Be careful with the Ibuprofen. Its toxic to your liver when used daily.

TROOF! My dad almost poisoned himself trying to self treat his pain. But it saved his life. While getting an ultrasound to check out some organ damage, they stumbled upon a AAA. (aortic aneurism... like when your garden hose support fibers fail and it bulges. If it blows out you are dead from internal bleeding before the medics can even get there.) Now I get to go get checked every 10 years because its hereditary.

Curious: Do you wear your wallet on the side that the pain is on?

Regardless: Either move your wallet or make it much much thinner/smaller.

And along with back stretches - work on strengthening your abdominal muscles. This is one of the single-most helpful things to ward off back issues. (That, and lifting correctly)

That was my problem. I cant put stuff in my back pocket and sit now.

I couldn’t agree more..... I’ve seen my Chiropractor for over 5 years with very similar results.

A good chiro is helpful for many issues. I get similar symptoms, but my pain typically radiates outward toward my back at the belt line directly above the hip socket from just above my tailbone. Like Im getting stabbed with an icepick. When it gets bad I go in for an adjustment and life is good again for a while. Chiros arent the end all be all, but they can help. And rarely will they hurt. As others have said, if they dont start with xrays and thorough diagnostics, or insist that you MUST visit them x times a week for an undetermined duration, run away. All the good chiros I have seen have taken the attitude of "if you need me, call in and schedule a follow up." Ive never had one that left me with an open ended schedule. Thats a red flag as the need should be patient driven.

 

[thunderchicken]

Well I went to see the Dr yesterday. She is inclined to believe the nerve pain is being caused by inflammation. So for the next few days I get to take Prednisone and a muscle relaxer. She also wants me on a 20lb lifting restriction and to follow up next week to see how I feel. I have had plenty of sore, achy muscles in my life but back pain SUCKS.