Who's had to deal with a pinched sciatic nerve?

[Toecutter]

Yep... I ended up with deep tissue thrombosis (not in my veins, in my lymph nodes) in combination with all of this in my left leg, so my lefty is permanently 15% or more swollen, depending on the day. I can gain or lose about 10lbs depending on activity just in water in my leg. What really blows is that's my clutch leg AND the bum nerve leg.

The good news is that once you get yourself a little figured out, it's manageable to a point. But my days of long road trips and walking around car shows for 12 hours are long behind me. I really have to watch myself out in the shop too. My spirit says "go go go", then the next day my body can't tie my shoes...

Anyhow... Get checked out OP. Waiting isn't going to make it any better. I'd suggest a chiro before drugs and PT. That didn't do me any good and cost a couple of kilobucks for not much of any result.

Thank you for your response. The doctor put me on steroids and muscle relaxers to try and help so I'm already on my second day of meds. The chiropractor will definitely be my next step.

 

[Toecutter]

The trades, dirt bike racing (long before the modern lite weight offerings these kids fly today) some full contact fighting and more than a few street fights/bar altercations. Always pushing my body. Well, as we learn with time our bodys are limited in the abuse we give them.

OP, drugs will not solve this. Pain meds might ease you through but seek out a good bone specialist (Chiro) because this will not go away. It will haunt you.
I hate pain meds.

I definitely hate pain meds and refuse to take them. I guess you can say I am afraid of them with all the horror stories you hear. I just hope the steroid pills he has me on helps in some way. I have to at least give them a try.

 

[thunderchicken]

I definitely hate pain meds and refuse to take them. I guess you can say I am afraid of them with all the horror stories you hear. I just hope the steroid pills he has me on helps in some way. I have to at least give them a try.

Seriously talk to your doc about gabapentin my understanding is that it is more of a nerve blocker than a pain med. And my foc and the brain & spine doc assured me it was non habit forming and no risk of addiction. Made a big difference for me and haven't taken any since the end of March last year

 

[Toecutter]

Just over a year ago, I woke up with back pain and it radiated throught the buttovk and down the back of my right leg. I tried working through the pain but it only got worse as I do a lot of manual labor. I first saw the family Dr and went through a few rounds of steroid/anti inflammatory pills and it helped some..some. After an MRI, found a pinched nerve between L2-L3 while waiting to see the specialist I was put on 300mg of Gabapentin 3x/day and that made life much more bearable. With it and a little help from Aleve, I was finally able to sleep again. Saw the brain & spine Dr and allowed them to give me an injection between the vertebrate and within a week was back to work without pain. The whole process for me took about 3 months of being on light duty with lifting restrictions and taking meds. The brain & spine Dr said once you have it, it can flare up at any time. But I have been mostly sciatic pain free since last March.
My dad has been fighting it for two years and refuses to fo the spinal injection but manages to get by with help again from Gabapentin.
It sucks but unless you have an office job, you will likely need to go see thw Dr again and get put on lifting restrictions and light duty.
Don't wait, don't try to tough it out

Thank you for your response. I was hoping when I went to the doctor yesterday that he would send me to get an MRI to see exactly what the problem was. Unfortunately he didn't do that and was sure I have a pinched sciatic nerve. My problem with not having an MRI is that he is just giving me the meds to help to relieve the pain without actually knowing what is causing the pain. Bulging disc or whatever it may be. I asked him about a shot but he said he thinks the oral meds are the way to go for now. He did mention gabapentin which I didn't know exactly what it did until I got home and researched it. If the meds don't work I am going to go back and see if he would be willing to give the shot a try.

 

[Alpo]

Thank you for your reply. I was thinking the same thing about getting better in a day or two. The doc only gave me 2 days off of work. The bad thing is I am on my feet all day and up and down stairs and have to work outside. Now that it's freezing cold outside that's probably going to make things worse.

I do have a longer and will try that tonight instead of not being able to get comfortable in bed.

It's funny you mentioned not standing flat footed. When I go to the bathroom to relieve myself I can't seem to stand flat footed. I have to alternate from foot to foot. I am in my 50's.

I'm definitely not going to lift anything whatsoever. I'm not even sure when to try and start the exercises he told me to do. I don't think he said when to start. I just don't want to aggravate whatever is going on. I will look into the stimulators.

Thanks again for your response.

If you are in Greenwood, I can loan you a traction device I got from the VA. It attaches to your hips and ribs and stretches/expands your spine. Sort of like the rack in medieval times. It works but it can also create suffering for awhile. Ask your doc. If he recommends it, I can loan it to you.

But, the best thing I have found is a TENS unit. They come in various configs and prices. I use one that covers an area about the size of a ham slice and turn that sum***** up as high as it will go. It works. This one at CVS looks similar. https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-mini-tens-pain-relief-system-prodid-456218

 

[Toecutter]

I had a lateral femoral sub-cutaneous nerve impingement once. When I woke in the morning, it took me 3-4 minutes to get myself out of bed. I could barely get dressed. This lasted for a couple months with regular chiropractic sessions with the doc doing a lot of muscle work.

The pain and lack of mobility didn't budge for about 2 weeks then ever so slowly got progressively better. Your injury, though different will most likely do the same. It will at some point start to get better.

It was the most extended pain I have ever felt.

My wife laughed.

My type of injury was caused by repetitive motions over the course of a weekend and a day.

Thank you for your response. It has only been about 3 to 4 days since this all started and only a couple days on the meds so I'm sure I'm just trying to rush things along. I hate taking any kind of pills and hate missing work. I am hoping you are right about the pain to start getting better. I tell you, you don't know how lucky you have been until you have a pinched nerve. I have never had anything put me on the floor like this thing has. I hate sitting around the house doing nothing. Like my wife said, I'm a terrible patient !

 

[Toecutter]

I had issues 2 years ago. I woke up for work got ready and bent over to put my shoes on and fell to the floor. I couldn’t walk or move my legs without the worst pain I had ever felt (on aside note I almost cut my thumb off and it didn’t hurt this bad). I finally made it to be where I laid for 2 days before I would get to the Dr. My wife had to pull the vehicle right to the front door so I could make it. I borrowed my dada walker just to get to the vehicle. I ended up entering the hospital in a wheel chair. My Dr put me on a bunch of medicines that didn’t do anything. He spent 3 weeks trying things that didn’t help. He even put me in a $1,900 back brace that was worthless. After 3 weeks my wife was talking to her OBGYN and she told her to call Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine. She called them and made me a appointment. It just so happened that the Dr also had an office at IU where he had me get a MRI. The next day I went to Greenwood and get two cortisone shots. As he was injecting my back I could feel the pain and pressure leaving my back. It took me almost 3 weeks for the numbing to go away from my legs but my toes are still a little numb today. I tell everyone I know that has this issue to call Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine today and have them look at you.

Thank you for your response. How long ago did you get the injections and have you had any problems since getting them? I am hoping that I am not just wasting my time with the meds my doctor gave me. I would much rather get one of the shots and get on the road to recovery. It's only been a few days but I need to get back to work. I am going back tomorrow but really don't think I can be much help if any and don't want to just go in and be sent back home. I have to try though. I am also in Greenwood so going to the place you went wouldn't be a problem at all.

 

[Toecutter]

Yep, have had it off and on for a few years now. Doc said I have degenerative disc syndrome, arthritis, getting older. So I think I am screwed it sounds like, I try to take it easy and stretch but my episodes have started with random acts, not heavy anything so no clue. It sucks.

Do you take anything for your health problems?

 

[Toecutter]

Physical therapy and the sooner the better. I've got permanent nerve damage because I was an idiot who waited too long.

Chiropractor visits have never done anything permanent for me. Sports medicine/physical therapy was a slow progression that resulted in permanent results.

Did you start your physical therapy while you were still in pretty bad pain and if so how did you deal with it? I honestly don't think I can do anything with the pain I am in now. I can't even stand up straight.

 

[Toecutter]

I ignored it and dealt with it for 20 years because I was STUPID. It got to the point that I could not stand-up straight, could not sit down, could not sleep, foot was cold or numb all the time and sometimes my entire body would seize up and I felt like I got jolted with a cattle prod. I finally had survey 12 years ago to correct it and I am now in the best shape of my life (since I was 17-21) at age 53 and enjoying a great quality of life. Don't let surgery scare you off if it is an option. I put it off for way to long and basically lost 10 good years of life because I was scared of it.

Dirty Steve

Thank you for your response Steve. What kind of surgery did you end up having that fixed your problem? Glad to hear you finally got your health problems worked out.

 

[Toecutter]

I don't know if it was specifically a pinched sciatic nerve, but I screwed my back up good one time cutting firewood. I have an outdoor boiler so my firewood is jumbo sized chunks. But when I got hurt, I wasn't lifting anything. I was bent over cutting with my chainsaw and turned slightly at the waist to roll a piece of wood out of the way. The pain hit me and I dropped to my knees. Down on all fours, the pain wasn't that bad. But hard as I tried, I couldn't stand back up.

I was out behind the barn, a couple hundred feet from the house, so I decided to just crawl back inside. About halfway, I realized how stupid I must have looked. This struck me as funny, so I began laughing my arse off. About that time the wife walked out the backdoor and saw me, crawling across the yard and laughing hysterically. She was convinced I had suffered some kind of psychotic break. It took me a minute to convince her to come anywhere near me, but she was eventually able to help me get standing up kinda straight-ish, make it to the living room, and roll me into my LazyBoy.

I sat there a couple hours, moving very carefully and deliberately until I convinced myself I was OK. I told the wife I was heading to the shower. She didn't think it was a good idea, but what does she know? I managed to stand, walk around the back of my chair into the hallway and open the linen closet door. Everything was OK until I bent to grab a towel off the shelf. Down I went again. I managed to crawl back to my chair, this time with the wife laughing hysterically. I stayed there till the next morning.

When I woke up, I could stand and move around without falling, but the pain was constant in my left, lower back. That afternoon I went to the Doc. I don't like pain pills and muscle relaxers, he didn't either. He said, I'll get you a toradol shot. I'd never heard of it. The nurse came in with a syringe and I started to roll up my sleeve. She was like, nope. Drop 'em. The instant the stabbed me in the butt with that needle, it felt like fire was inside my veins running down my leg. I asked if this was just supposed to make me forget about my back pain by causing worse pain. She assured me it would pass in a minute or two. It did. Within a half hour, I had zero pain. Doc said to take it easy for week and things should heal up. Luckily, they did. I have tweaked things a couple times since that, but never quite that bad.

Thank you for your response and what a great read. I can just see it now, you crawling around on all fours and your wife laughing. If I don't get any better within a week or so I am going back to ask for a shot. I have had so many people tell me they have had good luck with them and swear by them. I'm going to give the pills he prescribed me a chance to work since he didn't offer to give me a shot even after I asked him about it. I'm sure he's just trying to try first things first. Glad you got yourself straightened out. I would hate to see your wife put a leash on you while you are down on all fours. Just joking of course!

 

[Toecutter]

Sorry, double posted.

 

[Toecutter]

Seriously talk to your doc about gabapentin my understanding is that it is more of a nerve blocker than a pain med. And my foc and the brain & spine doc assured me it was non habit forming and no risk of addiction. Made a big difference for me and haven't taken any since the end of March last year

I will definitely ask him about it. Just looking for that magic solution we all strive to find.

 

[Toecutter]

If you are in Greenwood, I can loan you a traction device I got from the VA. It attaches to your hips and ribs and stretches/expands your spine. Sort of like the rack in medieval times. It works but it can also create suffering for awhile. Ask your doc. If he recommends it, I can loan it to you.

But, the best thing I have found is a TENS unit. They come in various configs and prices. I use one that covers an area about the size of a ham slice and turn that sum***** up as high as it will go. It works. This one at CVS looks similar. https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-mini-tens-pain-relief-system-prodid-456218

Thank you very much for the offer. I will keep that in mind for sure. I never heard of a TENS unit. I will have to read up on them.

 

[maxwelhse]

Thank you for your response. I am definitely going to try a chiropractor if the pills don't work. I have been doing the ice pack thing but don't notice much relief if any. I think it's still too early in the game to notice much difference.

I'm not sure sitting on an actual ice pack would be awesome, but the pads I linked are nice. Also keep in mind that is a therapy. You have do it consistently over the course of days for it to work. Ice therapy took me from out of the game for over a week last time to 2 days the next time. The key is to get on it as early as you can. The same is true of the chiro for me. Walked out no better than I walked in each appointment, but recovery time was MUCH faster over all after multiple visits vs. doing nothing at all.

But, the best thing I have found is a TENS unit. They come in various configs and prices. I use one that covers an area about the size of a ham slice and turn that sum***** up as high as it will go. It works. This one at CVS looks similar. https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-mini-tens-pain-relief-system-prodid-456218

I'll be ordering one of those. The chiro puts an electro shock thing on my back and I've been wondering about a home version. Money well spent if it's even 1/2 as good.

 

[ces6508]

I have had good luck with inversion table. Hanging from your ankles.

 

[KokomoDave]

I have also had good luck with Goodman Campbell brain and spine. I had Dr. Khairi fix my neck. Good stuff in that man.

 

[churchmouse]

Seems we are a bunch of beat up near cripples.....

 

[thunderchicken]

I have also had good luck with Goodman Campbell brain and spine. I had Dr. Khairi fix my neck. Good stuff in that man.

Not sure I saw the same Doc but Goodman Campbell brain & spine is who took care of me. I'd recommend them for sure

 

[Alpo]

Seems we are a bunch of beat up near cripples.....