Sciatica issues - help OT Med types

80% of sciatica is caused by herniation of the L4 disc ( I wrote my graduate thesis on this subject). If medications aren't working then you should seek physical therapy, stretch your hips & lower extremities, strengthen your abdominal mm & core, lose weight and correct your ergonomics in activities of daily life.

physical therapy stretches help. if you're not too macho, look into yoga, it will be very beneficial.

have you had injections in your back?

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I exercise my way out of it every time. It's the only thing that works for me. Usually three or four days of continual movement/walking etc is enough to do the trick.

Here is your answer....


It showed up around 5 yrs ago....nagged the frick out of me in lower right hip/leg area ..funny thing...zanax seemed to releive it some....massage never worked, just seemed like the area deep in the joint couldn't be manipulated by hands...someone did tell me to use a tennis ball...I did and man did it release severe tension and pain....basically place ball while laying on floor Unger your hip area that hurts and roll ball around using your body weight on the pain area...it burned and totally warmed that area up and loosened...however did not cure pain until....

I got back into gym 5 days a week....I do elliptical trainer everyday for 30 minutes, seated cycle for 10 and stair climber for 10 minutes and ab work....I also do weights... After about a month(been back working out for 3 months)I forgot about the sciatica and then realized, hey where is the pain....it was gone,,,I dont even know it's there anymore....tbh I had been really frustrated and nagged badly by it...so glad it's gone...that's my story

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Try this routine. Its worked for a handful of people I know.

Is it pseudo sciatica or from the spine? I had pseudo from my piriformis being tight. I had to do stretches and strengthen my posterior chain by doing deadlifts. Now I'm pain free.

Also wallet will hurt it.

First, I'm not a "Med type" but have has some experience in this. Just some random thoughts for the OP to consider:

- There are three broad approaches:
1) Conservative - stretching and spinal decompression.
2) Shots
3) Surgery

- A good chiropractor or the like can usually tell where the problem is without an MRI. There are some self-tests such as the straight leg raise or laying flat on your back, having someone support your leg under the ham string, and then trying to press out with that leg. If these or it is aggravated by coughing, sneezing, or defecating, then it is likely a disk pinching a nerve.

- Alleve (take with food) will help with inflammation which will in turn allow you to stretch and move more improving circulation which promotes healing.

- As others have mentioned, there are stretches that can be helpful. Also, spinal decompression (I can offer some alternatives to the machines).

- Some people have very tight nerve clearances and even a small disk problem creates lots of pain. Others have more forgiving clearances. Their disks can be a mess and still be essentially pain free.

Hope some of this helps.