Sciatica anyone

cher54

cher54

Cathlete
For the last three or four months, I've been having a pain in my left leg, starting in my left glute and radiating down my leg. The intensity of pain has gone from a little troublesome to all encompassing. From all indications, I believe it to be sciatica. I have had a spinal xray which didn't show much and pt, which did not result in any lessening of the pain.

I have adjusted my workouts to low impact only, but nothing really seems to help. I'm going in for a steroid injection the 18th and hoping this offers some relief, but I feel like it's more of a bandaid than a solution to the problem.

Curious if any of my fellow Cathlete' s have suffered from this malady and can offer any tips, resolution, etc. TIA!
 
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Sherry:

I wish I had something to offer you on this front, but alas, I have no experience or wisdom to offer. I can join your club in that I am dealing with my own recently diagnosed injury that will never go away and requires daily management, but I know nothing about sciatica. I hope someone chimes in for you with something useful to offer inspiration and hope. In the meanwhile, I wish you well and more days without pain ahead.

Clare
 
Hi Sherry, I've had my time with sciatica. I went to a chiropractor and that is what saved me. Of course, it does take time to feel relief because they are slowly making adjustments to loosen the grip or inflammation on that pinched sciatica nerve. Now I go monthly for a "tune-up" and have been pain free for a very, very long time. If I feel a little something, I call them up and get an adjustment and I'm back to being pain free. I also do specific sciatica stretches every single day (in the evening before bed). This is the link from FitnessBlender.com that I use for the stretches:
. I hope this helps.
 
Hi,

I had sciatic pain n my left leg like you described, 24/7 for 10 months. Nothing helped. Tried a chiropractor, physical therapy, an epidural shot (relief for 2 hours only). An MRI showed a herniated disk. I had microdisectomy outpatient surgery and that was what worked. The procedure was 30 minutes, with a 4week recovery. Actually was up and around the next day, however the surgeon wanted to be sure I was 100% before resuming all activites. That was 16 years ago and I have not had any pain since.
 
Clare, Thank you for chiming in with your supportive comments. You are the best and always offer your sincere care and concern.
Psusoccer17, Thank you for your comment. I have tried massage therapy as well. No help....thank you for the recommendation, though.
Workout, Thanks so much for your input and posting the video of those stretches. I will def check it out!
fox2star, Well, now a I have something that I can ask my dr. about. I haven't had an MRI yet, but I'm thinking that is the next step. It sounds like your surgery was easy, peasy so that is very heartening!

You guys are awesome! Thanks again, everyone!
 
cher54 said:
Clare, Thank you for chiming in with your supportive comments. You are the best and always offer your sincere care and concern.
Psusoccer17, Thank you for your comment. I have tried massage therapy as well. No help....thank you for the recommendation, though.
Workout, Thanks so much for your input and posting the video of those stretches. I will def check it out!
fox2star, Well, now a I have something that I can ask my dr. about. I haven't had an MRI yet, but I'm thinking that is the next step. It sounds like your surgery was easy, peasy so that is very heartening!

You guys are awesome! Thanks again, everyone!
Click to expand...

Sherry, I hope you get relief soon - I know that kind pain is awful. :)
 
I have had the exact pain you describe. Mine started in my left glute only. Eventually. It traveled down my leg. X-ray showed nothing. I went to a chiropractor for a while. It gave me temporary relief. I finally went for the MRI, which revealed two herniated discs L4 L5, and L5 S 1.
I had no pain when laying down. The second my feet hit the floor, it was horrible. It would be in my glute, then my thigh, and often it would skip to my calf. I lived that way for a good six months. I did PT, but again, it didn’t do much. I finally went for the steroid shot. It was a miracle. My pain was gone within two weeks. I felt so good, that I went back to my workouts. Dumb!!! Pain came right back. I had another shot but it wasn’t as much of a miracle as the first. It takes away the swelling in the area, but it does not fix the problem.
I was able to get back to doing Cathe, but had to modify big time. No more dead lifts, no more crunches, no more barbell on my shoulders... etc. Eventually my pain went back to just my glute, and then totally went away.
I have had flare ups here and there, but I can usually pin point what did it. The interesting thing is, now that my chiropractor knows about my discs, he will not touch me!!!
I would highly recommend getting the MRI.
I wish you the best. The pain is like no other, I know. It can get better on its own if you can give it time. Just be smart about your workout choices. I find that I can not do anything that bends me forward at the waist. If I listen to my body, she rewards me.
Good luck.
 
Yes. Life long exerciser, knew about 2 "wedged" discs (chiropractor verbage)but no backache since the 90s and increase in weight lifting/core, etc...never could run...never, but could do plyo...go figure..anyway, last NY Day I swung my leg over my dog, and thought I pulled a hamstring...hip got "bursitis" which cortisone always worked for, it failed...got another shot near "hamstring" ..failed....then pain went to outer thigh and finally by July woke up with a spasm from my left periformis area to my foot! Went to Ortho MD pal, hip doesn't fit in socket but not a biggie, but he thought it was spine...I balked...MRI later (I'm a nurse and in our unit we kind of push through stuff.) FOUR discs -one to the left, two protrude right and one protrudes toward center of body....AAARGH...got a tens - it helps..ice helps, NO YOGA (and I've taught since my teens)hip openers...they kill me, pidgeon sends me into orbit....PT - dry needling -helped....Walking makes it worse....I swear that tart cherry juice pills and some of the doterra things help ....but it flared again big time last week and its a YEAR now....so I think I'm going to go and get the nerve block.
 
gratefuldog said:
I have had the exact pain you describe. Mine started in my left glute only. Eventually. It traveled down my leg. X-ray showed nothing. I went to a chiropractor for a while. It gave me temporary relief. I finally went for the MRI, which revealed two herniated discs L4 L5, and L5 S 1.
I had no pain when laying down. The second my feet hit the floor, it was horrible. It would be in my glute, then my thigh, and often it would skip to my calf. I lived that way for a good six months. I did PT, but again, it didn’t do much. I finally went for the steroid shot. It was a miracle. My pain was gone within two weeks. I felt so good, that I went back to my workouts. Dumb!!! Pain came right back. I had another shot but it wasn’t as much of a miracle as the first. It takes away the swelling in the area, but it does not fix the problem.
I was able to get back to doing Cathe, but had to modify big time. No more dead lifts, no more crunches, no more barbell on my shoulders... etc. Eventually my pain went back to just my glute, and then totally went away.
I have had flare ups here and there, but I can usually pin point what did it. The interesting thing is, now that my chiropractor knows about my discs, he will not touch me!!!
I would highly recommend getting the MRI.
I wish you the best. The pain is like no other, I know. It can get better on its own if you can give it time. Just be smart about your workout choices. I find that I can not do anything that bends me forward at the waist. If I listen to my body, she rewards me.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Tell us more about what you can and can't do?
 
For the record, my intense pain was two years ago now, I think. When I was in intense pain, I didn’t do much in the way of working out. It was brutal. I did a lot of walking, but even that bothered me to some degree.

Now I do most upper body weight work, just with modifications. Tricep kickbacks are a no go because of the lean forward. I just do skull crushers instead. Bent over rows I stayed away from for a long time. I now can do them, but put one arm and one knee on the bench to help support myself.

I learned to brace my core. I do that with everything I do.
Because of such a low herniation, my SI joint is very unstable. I avoid any side to side motions with my torso. Cathe does quite a bit of this in kick boxing moves, and in some warm ups. When she has you agitate side to side, I stay forward.

Strengthening your core is key, but also is very difficult to do when you can’t bend forward or to the side! The only ab work I can do is if my low back does not leave the ground. Even her standing work can bother me.

I can do most lower body work as long as I don’t put a barbell on my shoulders. Instead I hold dumbbells at my side. Cathe’s deadlifts are no good for my back. I never do them anymore. Never! They cause me horrible pain. To quote my PT, he said that they shear the spine.
I can finally do Dixie cups again. In the thick of it, that lean forward was too much for me. I modified by putting the cups on my step, instead of the floor. Now I am back to the floor. Yay me!

Mountain climbers with the discs used to kill me. I think now that my core is stronger, and I am more stable, I can do them. Although too many days in a row, and my back starts talking to me.

Lately I have been having pain when I spin too much. Again, it is the leaning forward that seems to mess with me. So when Cathe does third position, I stay in second position.

Yoga is out. In the beginning when the pain was intense, I bought several yoga tapes. Little did I know, they were making me worse! Most yoga moves have you lean forward. Not good for herniated discs!!

You will learn what you can and can not do. Your body will tell you. Just make sure you listen. I was pretty stubborn at first, and pretty stupid. I lived in excruciating pain for a long time. I thought it would never end. I would dread getting out of bed, and having my feet hit the floor. The pain was so intense.
But look at me now. I have a hard time even remembering how long ago this all was!
It will take time, and patience, but it will get better! I am all for the cortisone shots. It was a miracle worker for me. Just realize that the injury is still there, so don’t go back to exercise like I did. It may take several shots for you to see a difference, so don’t get discouraged.

Hope this was what you meant about what I can and can not do.
 
i thought of a couple more exercises that bother me.
Rear delt flies, and fire hydrants. I think the fire hydrants messed with my si joint. It takes a strong core to stabilize yourself when you are on all fours, and lift a leg. I can now do side lying clams, but I stay away from hydrants.
When the pain was bad, I also stayed away from the move where you are are in a push up position, and you slide your legs out to the side on the discs. This move is in CSS. In fact I couldn’t do CSS for a good year, because a lot of the moves in it killed me. Now I do it no problem.

Also, no Superman’s! Ever! Most back exercises for bad backs, say to do this one. I can not. They cause me terrible pain. Anything that hyperextends my spine is a no go.
 
I have only experienced sciatica a few times due to some wonky things I was doing and it went away with stretching and rest. However, I have a family member and a few friends who have/had sciatica that was pretty debilitating. They did the same things noted above...PT, massage, chiro, injections, exercises and each of them had different results from each treatment. I have heard great results from the Chi Machine (SunAncon or SunHarmony brand, not a knock-off). You lie down and put your ankles in the machine and it wiggles you like a fish. Depending on your arm placement, it treats different areas of your body. Surprisingly, it hasn't hurt them (even though you are being wiggled) and they said it actually helped. I am considering getting one soon in the December sale from the feedback I have received (just for basic massage and I do have a bad back/neck). It is also considered a medical device, maybe your HSA would pay for it?

I also had heard great results from SOTA.com Magnetic Pulsar ("PEMF") for various forms of healing. Interestingly, the manufacturer states to be cautious with using the device with nerve pain, but my sciatica friends that used it said they were fine and got relief. I have received feedback on this machine for a few years, but never tried it (it isn't just used for active pain and injuries, it is used for many remedies). Well, I broke my foot and toes and bruised several bones on Thanksgiving and haven't been able to walk. I was told it would be about 46 weeks to heal the bruised bones, about 12 weeks to walk and pain for up to a year. Every toenail is purple and my foot was blue/black/purple. I was toying with the idea to buy other items from SOTA.com for awhile and decided to get the Magnetic Pulsar for my foot. I just received it on Saturday and have used it a couple of times the last 3 days. I am walking!! My two toes are still sore, but I can actually walk (with a slight limp). I hadn't walked since Thanksgiving or put any pressure on my foot. Also, the nails are somehow less purple (more red/pink) and my skin doesn't show any bruising whatsoever. I still have healing to do, but I am really taken aback. It could all be coincidental timing, but after hearing feedback from my friends and then my pretty sudden fast healing, I have to believe it is the machine. I am fuzzy on how it works, but it increases nourishing blood flow to the area and kills any bad things in the area. It also decreases inflammation (I had inflammation and dull achy pain along with nerve pain between all of the tendons). I was also doing toe Yoga and Essential Oils and Herbal Supplements since Day 1.

I know my foot pain is different than your back pain, but it may be an option. There is a coupon code for SOTA.com (5% off) as the machines can be pricey, but I can totally see myself using this everyday even if it is just for well being. All of their machines (and the CHI machine mentioned above) were all foreign to me, so I had to do a lot of reading since the SOTA website was vague. I did find info from BobBeck.com and ChrisBeatCancer.com (he had a very helpful podcast describing all of the machines.)

UPDATE: I just asked my friends who have used both machines stated above which worked better. They each said they are totally different machines. It seemed they got faster immediate relief from the CHI machine since you could feel it working in real time. Whereas the Magnetic Pulsar (PEMF) you don't feel the machine actually doing anything, so you may not associate any healing with the PEMF machine. But both said they would not get rid of either machine ever. Good luck to you.
 
MichelleRN said:
Tell us more about what you can and can't do?
Click to expand...
HI! 4 herniated discs not 2, but still no backache, doing the typical periformis/hip openers -always helpful in the past -put me into ORBIT.....so...never could run (but could do Cathe plyos -go figure), but walking can bug it too, feels like a hot poker into the hamstring....so I'm going easy on any weights with lower body, none at the shoulder, just on my thighs, not going deep....the pizza presses are ok but not with weight on ankle. Dry needling and acupuncture helped, ice helps...I won't take a narc and have found just 400 motrin takes enough edge off -struggling for lowest effecting dose.
 
I have a great chiropractor that treats my odd nerve pain stuff with foam rolling. But, do not try it without getting some imaging done first!!! I mean it! You could hurt yourself, permanently. I do like to use a tens machine (put the leads on the ends of the muscle that covers the area, and gently bring up the voltage until you feel a pleasant buzzing sensation. Don't hurt yourself either.) Also, either hot or cold may help. If hot helps, its probably a muscle. If cold helps, it might be arthritis. If its arthritis, some people get some relief taking ginger with food (be aware it can increase stomach acid. so if thats a problem, don't do it.) But, my best guess is that you have some knots that have got themselves in a twist, its possible that your spine or neck are out of alignment and your body is compensating by tensing up the other side. My chiropractor often solves my pain on the one side by working on the opposite side of my body. Sometimes, one side of my body is not pulling its weight and the side that hurts is doing the work for both sides of my body.
 
cher54 said:
For the last three or four months, I've been having a pain in my left leg, starting in my left glute and radiating down my leg. The intensity of pain has gone from a little troublesome to all encompassing. From all indications, I believe it to be sciatica. I have had a spinal xray which didn't show much and pt, which did not result in any lessening of the pain.

I have adjusted my workouts to low impact only, but nothing really seems to help. I'm going in for a steroid injection the 18th and hoping this offers some relief, but I feel like it's more of a bandaid than a solution to the problem.

Curious if any of my fellow Cathlete' s have suffered from this malady and can offer any tips, resolution, etc. TIA!
Click to expand...

Hi there,
Back in 2015 I developed sciatica when I began running with my sister. I did all manner of stretching exercises to help it. In the end, I just had to stop running and kept up with my in-home workouts and weight lifting. After some months, it finally disappeared and I have not had it since.
I personally did not want to involve any surgical procedures that was anywhere near my back because I have seen quite a few horror stories of people with back problems and the back surgery NEVER helped them, yet they kept getting the surgeries. it was nuts!

Anyway, hope that helps.
 
For about 15 years I've had occasional low back pain that my osteopath has diagnosed as sciatica. My most recent episode was helped greatly by my acupuncturist who attached what I think was a tens unit to the acupuncture needles in the area & also did some cupping on the area. I also have an unstable SI joint & she suggested Mary Helen Bowers' Ballet Beautiful programs for strengthening the core and gluteus medius muscles. I've found that yoga does help me. I especially need hip openers like pigeon poses.
 
Hi Again,

I posted above about the SunAncon / SunHarmony Chi Machine and SOTA Magnetic Pulser. I have now used both products for a couple of weeks and highly recommend both. Again, I do not have Sciatica, but have always had back/neck pain from degenerative disc disease and fused discs in both the neck and back. I have done chiro, PT, massage, etc. and get temporary relief, but nothing long lasting.

I have read the Chi Machine is at a lot of gyms or PT/Chiro offices...maybe see if you can try one out? My SIL was in a horrifying car accident and has tried numerous remedies without success. I am going to fly her out here to try both so she doesn't have to buy something in case it doesn't work. Both machines are a bit pricey, and trust me, I understand spending a lot of $$$ on recommended products that just don't work (for me). So, hopefully you can try one out?

With the Chi Machine (it wiggles you like a fish), I feel relief immediately while using it and my back and neck loosen and crack all throughout the therapy. I also put my hands/arms in different positions while using it and get different benefits. I also place my neck in different positions to get different benefits.

I have been recommended and tried so many different therapies, and these two items are the first to really make a difference (for me). It is too early for any long term reporting of benefits.

Good Luck.
 
Great thread. I have the beginnings of what I think is sciatica. It started after I did the Cathe Afterburn workout weekly which has a lot of mountain climbers, Spider-Man push ups, etc. I realize that the back of my body is week from sitting on the job too much.

I am going to focus on strengthening my hamstrings and inner thighs. I have some imbalances happening. I also need to see my chiropractor for starters. Thanks for all the excellent input here.


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I thought as I was reading these posts that, this is me! After a year of stretching, physical therapy, massage, chiropractic care, I decided to move further. Finally had an MRI to discover I have two herniated disks in the lumbar. Going this Thursday for the epidural syeroid shot. I'm just hoping for some relief. In the meantime, I'll continue turmeric in hopes it will kick in. Will be looking to add acupuncture to my healthcare. Anybody have this shot? How did it work for you?
 
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