sciatica page

[fat belly frog]

Hi,

Anyone here suffer or suffered from sciatica? any tips on how you have alleviated pain?

I have had it for the last 10 months or so, currently I am on the mend and its about a 2 on a scale of 0 to 10 with 0 been "fine" and 10 "drop on the floor and cant get up" I have a slight narrowed lumbosacral disc and slight scoliosis due to a short leg from a rectified (at birth) club foot.

I have tried in no particular order, Bowens, naturopathy, herbal concoctions, trigger point threapy, remedial massage, Pilates, Manipulative physio, chiropractors, Egoscue technique, EMF, Mind over pain, Reiki, traction...

It does stop me from doing things, It will flair up and I can be sore for a week or so after some activities, I want to get back to been fit enough to catch flies and swim in the pond. I currently do Pilate's once a week, stretch/yoga poses every night, and manage it by limiting sitting at home or moving heaps at work (desk bound job).

Diets ok, 9 weeks of Primal with minimal cheats. I still have some dairy 2-3 times a week and eat tomatoes, capsicums chillies etc so I will try and eliminate all dairy, nightshades, nuts and fruit for a month... Is there anything else to watchout for eating wise. I do take fishoil tablets and magnesium, silica and a BCAA sup.

Cheers

FBF

[Daemonized]

I had that a couple years ago and it put a dent in my workouts. I really hated not being able to do what I wanted when I wanted without pain shooting up my back. My solution was to get an inversion table. The inversion table enabled my back to heal and I still get on it every morning before work as maintenance and my back is fine these days. I'm working out, in great shape, and even doing dead lifts these days.

[Andtckrtoo]

I suffer from sciatic nerve pain as well. I can usually manage it with a foam roller. I roll after every weight and cardio session, concentrating on my lower back/hip/upper hamstring area. If I feel a twinge, I immediately foam roll and it, so far, has prevented another flare up. Eoin Finn, on Power Yoga for Happiness has a Happy Hips workout that concentrates on stretching the hips - that seems to help as well (warning - Eoin is a little corny - there are some things he says that make me burst out laughing - but he's good and really knows his stuff).

[Mav3rick]

Sometimes sciatica is caused be a tight/inflamed piriformis muscle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome

Try these stretches
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/f...formis_str.htm
http://www.drbackman.com/piriformis-muscle-stretch.htm

I also recommend a variation of the sitting stretch of placing your leg on a hip height object and dropping your body weight

[Lojasmo]

Sometimes sciatica is caused be a tight/inflamed piriformis muscle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome

Try these stretches
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/f...formis_str.htm
http://www.drbackman.com/piriformis-muscle-stretch.htm

I also recommend a variation of the sitting stretch of placing your leg on a hip height object and dropping your body weight

Agree with this.

[stef]

I've had sciatica. Every step feels like hot knives are shooting up your leg. The only thing that turned it around for me was when I stopped trying so hard to fix it with yoga and spine work and pushing through. Finally I just laid down on the hardwood floor for a few days with my knees propped up on the couch and didn't do anything but watch TV. That's when it started to get better. Sometimes trying too hard is counterproductive. I feel you, it is just horrible.

[Bolivar]

Sometimes sciatica is caused be a tight/inflamed piriformis muscle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome

Try these stretches
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/f...formis_str.htm
http://www.drbackman.com/piriformis-muscle-stretch.htm

t

Welp, I'm glad I sit like that pretty much all the time (the one in the chair of course)

[Kyle C.]

I have a slipped disc, which I think was pinching the sciatic nerve. It's awful. You can;t squat, deadlift, anything fun. I found that doing a lot of glute work really helps stabilize the lower back, and thinks like sprinting and weighted chin-ups are major parts of my exercise routines. But seriously, stretch and strengthen the glutes/hams.

[kiwineil]

FBF - i too have sciatica ... from too much sport as a youngster and a bow leg which means my right leg is shortet than my left ..

i tried physio, chiro, drugs, shoe inserts etc and what works to keep things in general to that 0-2 range (on yr scale) is 1. bikram yoga and 2. acupuncture ...

i do bikram 2-3 times a week and my flexibility has gone thru the roof, and get acupuncture once a month. On acupuncture, the first time i went i was at level 8 or 9 on yr scale .. two days later i barely noticed it .. and this from an avowed scpetic i am now an advocate .. give it a go

[fat belly frog]

Thanks for the replies. Yep the constant niggle dose suck a bit but I am able to walk, surf on occasions and go to work so I cant complain too much. Well maybe I could complain about going to work a bit more...

I do use a spikey ball to release piriformis along with a couple of piriformis stretches and I have had trigger point therapy and massage to release it (it was tight). I use a wooden roller to loosen the facet joints along the spine again l4/l5 was tight. These have both helped reduce the pain but not completely heal it.

I have borrowed a NUBAX machine this week which basically puts the spine into traction similar to an inversion table and use that a couple of times a day or before/after activities and that's seems to be helping. I have been using a wooden block and doing a yoga pose which puts the back into extension and traction and that has helped reduce the pain but again not completely fixed it.

Haven't tried the week of full rest but do do Egoscue exercises every now and then which are basically lay on your back with feet on chair and relax for 10-20mins which again have helped reduce the pain.

Cheers FBF