re: OT Docs and knowledgeable baws....sciatic pain

Go to a DC

High dose naproxen or ibuprofen took the edge off for me. But you gotta protect your stomach with prilosec OTC or something similar.

The best stretch IMO is laying face down then push up with your arms leaving your pelvis on the ground. Hurts like hell for 2-3 seconds but after holding that pose for a minute the pain eases up a lot. The worst stretching for sciatic pain is anything that stretches the sciatic nerve, like touching your toes.

Hang in there for a few more months and try your best not to re-injure yourself. Avoid narcotics and back surgeons at all costs unless you are developing true muscular weakness.

I had sciatic pain from an L5 S1 herniated disc. Rest is what helped. I've learned I can't jog without a flare up.

quote:

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A lot of what we typically eat causes inflammation. This turns into pain with injury or age. Eating less inflammatory foods and taking anti-inflammatory supplements to get to the point where you can exercise and eventually lift is the only way to go

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This is flirting with quackery. He's talking about a trauma that has lead to a physical impingement on the nerve root. That sort of inflammation is not caused by food nor relieved by diet change unless it leads to weight loss for the obese.

What you're speaking of may have an impact on cardiac health and hsCRP levels, but not traumatic back inflammation.

Weeks of rest is what will help. Quit duplicating the insult to the nerve by overuse.

I have the same problem but now manage it pretty well. There are stretches I do almost every morning and I change up my sleeping positions. Sometimes with a special pillow under my knees or when I sleep on my side with it between my knees. On top of that, it still gets kinda bad at points. When that happens I go get "cracked" at my chiropractor for 1 to 2 or even 3 weeks (once a week). When I began this regimen, I was going to the chiro twice a wek for about two months, tho. I cannot vouch for every chiropractor, but mine has been a godsend. If you sit a lot at work, get up and move around when you can during the day. Sitting for long periods, and how you sit, can be really detrimental. Good luck man. It sucked for me for a long time, but now that I'm managing it, it only sucks that bad once in a long while.

MDGTiger, that's what I'm feeling with the pain in butt and calf and tingling toes....thing is over these two months , sometimes it will feel great , with pain at a 2 if 10 is the worst, for a day or two , but it comes back with a vengeance.

No wallet in back pocket, yoga, stretching, foam roller, stand as much as you can, comfortable shoes, maybe inserts for shoes.

Go give a good chiro 12 visits and see if it helps.

A good chiropractor or therapist can likely diagnose the source of your pain without an MRI. Once that is known, they can prescribe stretches and/or treatment that will gradually get whatever is impinging on the nerve root back in its place.

My therapist (haven't seen him in months now) has me doing five things:
1) McKenzie's flat and sideways
2) Hamstring and buttocks stretches
3) Isometric core strengthening, e.g., planks
4) Nerve gliding
5) Using a lacrosse ball to loosen muscle tightness.

It takes some time to.manipulate the tissue back in place but you can get better.