Comments on: What Should I Do Now (lower Back Pain+sciatica)?

By: Kerrie

Kerrie — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:00:34 +0000

There is a yoga stretch that you can do that will help stretch your sciatica nerve and help relieve the pressure. I am 20 years old and suffer from it too and this really helped me. Its really natural and good for you too! Try googling the move, its easy and really helps!

By: stephanie k

stephanie k — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:30:49 +0000

Hi there,
I suffer from the same thing and have trouble walking to and have been wrongly diagnosed for the last 5/6 years. I was told i had restless leg syndrome and given a sheet of exercises to do in which i couldn’t do anyway ,until finally the doctors told me i had a bulging disc etc ,that hits on the nerves as to why i get the tingles u described and numbness i have tried many things to no avail, last option is surgery in which im not sure abt as i have been reading to many stories of it not helping, also having a fusion done can limit your movement by 50% ,i know this as i had a fusion done on my neck due to breaking it years ago and have lost 50 % movement. The only thing to help me relieve the pain is summer time (im from australia) as i have noticed its really bad in winter but i have relief in summer time and taking fish oil tablets, be careful with the exercise plans as sometimes they can do more damage. There is a site all about neck and back problems and help forums called http://www.spine-health.com/ its where people in similar positions as you and I can ask for advice or just read what other people have tried that has worked or not its a genuine site not spam etc.
good luck
the only temp relief until then is muscle relaxes like anti-inflammatories the best 1s i use are called voltarin rapid they are a doctors script only they do have milder forms at the chemist they might help and these never made me feel drousy or not with it but u must eat first to put a lining on your stomach and the rapids i used would work within about 10/15 minutes with any back or neck pain no matter how severe it was i would die without them lol and as i see your from cali they might be under a different name there but there not that IBUPropfen u mentioned, also when i had the steroid injection mine was done into the spine while i was under a scan machine not in the but lol and wasn’t long term relief.
hope u find something to help as i know how dam frustrating and painful its gets

By: Douglas B

Douglas B — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:31:51 +0000

All your back pain starts out with muscles being pinched and then the problems progress from there. Once you release the muscles you should release the majority if not all your pain. I don’t know of any proof that diet plays a role in this. I always think about our forefathers when I read something about diet and wonder how they could have gone for six months, and longer with what they had to eat back in the day.
Here is how to release the muscles in your back:
Back:
Place your left hand on your left knee. Place your right hand over your left shoulder and with your fingertips find the muscle next to your spine. Press on it and hold. Relax, take a deep breath and exhale and don’t tense up any part of your body. After about 30 seconds there should be a release happening and when it does slowly lower yourself forward onto your right leg. If you can lean over the outside edge of your leg it will be better for your release. Continue holding for a total of one minute. Then release but rest your body there for one minute longer. Then reverse and do the right side.

By: Natural

Natural — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:53:11 +0000

Most people with sciatica are prescribed pain-killers or anti-inflammatory medications to relieve the pain.
These generally provide some relief but have the potential to cause serious adverse side-effects. Medications are usually used in combination with physical therapy and stretching/strengthening exercises as well as hot and cold packs.
In severe cases of sciatic pain that does not respond to the usual treatments, conventional health practitioners may advise injections of anti-inflammatory steroids into the affected area.
These injections are not always very effective and can also cause serious side-effects. Because of the dangers, there is a limit on how many of these injections an individual can receive, not usually more than three per year.
Surgery to remove the herniated part of a disc is sometimes performed on people with severe symptoms like weakness or incontinence or if the pain is worsening despite treatment.
An alternative to conventional medication can offer the same benefits without the unwanted side effects. Natural herbal and homeopathic remedies have been shown to greatly relieve the pain and discomfort of sciatica, as well as prevent reoccurrence. Herbs such as Matricaria recutita, Arctium lappa and Devil’s Claw all have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and have been used for centuries in the treatment of backache and muscle cramps. Homeopathic ingredients such as Rhus tox and Colocynthis are also well known for the treatment of pain, muscle soreness and stiffness as well as nerve pain.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:37:34 +0000

Remember that about 50% of all back surgeries don’t work out. Once a procedure has been done there is no reversing it. They are going to want to do a decompression, laminectomy, and then a fusion. The problem with all of that is there is an instability that is present as a result of the laminectomy that will be stabilized with the fusion. Sounds okay until you realize that the surgeon is not worried about whether or not your spine is in a properly aligned position. There is also the issue that with a fusion the stresses that are normally present at each level of the spine are now shifted either up or down or possibly in both directions. This places an abnormal stress on those vertebrae and with time they break down. So a surgical option is the option of last resorts. Injections are not an answer as they can cause as much problem as anything else. Statistics show that manipulation may help but it is of short lived usage. What does help in these cases are two things. Posture is of the utmost importance. If you have poor posture then start to work on this for the better your posture becomes the less stress there is on the lower back. I am fairly sure that your posture is poor because of the way you speak. Posture is also a great way to realize what a person is thinking of themselves. Good thoughts equal good posture and bad thoughts result in slumping postures. The other thing that significantly helps is exercise. Most of the time therapists give stretching exercises that come from the 40’s and 50’s. They really didn’t work then and don’t work now. You need to work on two separate things. One is a very specific pattern of stretching and the other is resistance training. The resistance training doesn’t mean large weights but you can start with one pound. The stronger the muscles the less stress on the spine. The stronger the muscles the easier it it to move and thereby get stronger. The stretching is based on these four movements. Sit in a kitchen chair and raise the left arm up as high as it will go and note the height. Return the arm and now do the right arm. One arm will have gone up higher so start with that arm. Raise that arm up as high as it will go for 30 seconds and then rest it for 15 seconds. Repeat that twice more and then do the opposite arm exactly the same way 3 times. Now turn the head to the left as far as you can and then go to the right. One direction is going to go further so start in that direction. Turn the head in that direction as far as you can for 30 seconds and then rest for 15. Repeat this twice more and then do the opposite direction exactly the same way 3 times. Now get up and move around. There should be less pain and more mobility. Return to the chair and keep both the feet and hips planted as you turn the body to the left as far as you can without pain and then to the right as far as you can without pain. Remember never force a movement into a painful area! One direction will go further so start with that. Turn the body in that direction as far as you can without pain for 30 seconds and then rest for 15. Repeat this twice more and then do the opposite direction exactly the same way 3 times. Lastly, bring the Left knee up as close to the Right shoulder as possible without getting into any pain and then do the Right knee up as close to the Left shoulder as possible without pain. One combination will get closer so start with that. Bring that knee up as close to the opposite shoulder as possible without pain for 30 seconds and then rest for 15. Repeat this twice more and then do the opposite combination exactly the same way 3 times. Get up and move around. The pain should be less and more mobility should be present. Do this at least twice a day and more if possible. Also consider doing Pilate’s as this will help you with your posture and movements.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:30:30 +0000

I guess you can give a shot at treating your sciatica first and also try & soothe your nerves that get compressed due to that disc problem. Then, if you get relief from here, you will be in a better position to take action with regards to your spinal stenosis and 3 protruding disks.
An alternative to allopathic medication can offer the same benefits without the unwanted side effects. Natural herbal and homeopathic remedies have been shown to greatly relieve the pain and discomfort of sciatica, as well as prevent reoccurrence. Herbs such as Matricaria recutita, Arctium lappa and Devil’s Claw all have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and have been used for centuries in the treatment of backache and muscle cramps. Homeopathic ingredients such as Rhus tox and Colocynthis are also well known for the treatment of pain, muscle soreness and stiffness as well as nerve pain.
You will get details on these over here http://www.healthherbsandnutrition.com/p… and http://www.ehow.com/way_5306384_homeopat…

By: syrious

syrious — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:02:15 +0000

I feel for you. I had sciatica with exacerbations for about 20 years. Some required time off work. The last one started about ten years ago, kept getting worse, was max on arising and decreased through the day but got so bad by 77 yo I had to retire. I would be wheelchair/almost bedridden if I had not had three injections by a neurosurgeon in Bakersfield whose name starts with Ra…. He obviously knew what he was doing. I had almost given up on getting enough benefit from the shots to go back to work when, after 3 to 5 weeks, they started to work. In the interval I noticed some benefit but not enough to expect workability. By six to eight weeks I was able to return to work and in a few more weeks I was able to forget I ever had the problem. I very rarely have a slight twinge and have been 99% pain free during the past six years. Do I recommend those three shots? Enthusiastically!

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:36:47 +0000

I WOULD NOT be quick to do surgery- many people end up FAR worse after- even a neurologist told me that he sees MANY patients after their back surgery and they are worse off neurologically in many cases. Also, from what I have read, surgery is only effective in about 50% of patients IF they have it within 6 months of the initial event. There is a dramatic drop in successful outcomes as time goes by. You have had this for at least 3 years so unless an MD can promise you major relief I would not be quick to rush to surgery. Read the McKenzie book- 7 steps to a pain free life. Ice packs might also offer relief, along with correct posture, etc. These things take time. Keep losing weight until you reach your goal weight. Also begin eating well- google superfoods. This will take time but you can do it- take charge of your own healing- do a lot of research and keep track of what works in a journal.

By: Mall65.c

Mall65.c — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:33:50 +0000

Listen
You will be able to find the right treatment for your pain. I have lived with acute chronic pain for over 12 years and can help you. Please give me a couple of hours to explain it all to you and do some research on that California insurance plan. You must learn proper body mechanics, how to properly use your hinge joints together so that you do not put too much pressure on any part of your body. I promise to get back to you on this. What is your weight and how is your diet?? I don’t believe in no pain no gain therapy, you have a problem and the right doctor will discover the cause. I’ll be back
Lee

By: Traveler

Traveler — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:36:29 +0000

I developed a bulging disc between lumbar 4 and 5 by running too much on the
jogging trail and developed sciatica down my left leg.
You’ll have to decide if this is applicable in your case.
I bought the Teeter inversion table. You can invert yourself partially
or completely for spine decompression. It feels great.
It costs a few hundred but I like it. This is the best bang for the
buck as far as I’m concerned.http://www.teeterhangups.com/home.html
Your situation with spinal stenosis and 3 protruding disks is different than my case,
but I’m offering this as a possible alternative that might work. This reduced my symptoms and eventually eliminated my sciatica. In addition to this, I took daily doses of 100mg of Vitamin B6 which strengthens nerve insulation on the advice of my chiropractor. I’ve been taking this for months and feel in great shape at this point. B6 is water soluble and is eliminated from your body normally.