Just curious. I've damaged mine and am trying to work through it with stretching and using 4-5 specific machines at the gym to help the afflicted area. Hopefully its a 2-3 week ordeal.
Anyone here ever damage their sciatic nerve?
- Thread starter Delco Lion
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If your sciatica isn't caused by chronic structural problems (herniated disc, spinal stenosis, etc), it should go away on its own. Exercise and movement help minimize the pain.
LOL!! A chiropractor damaged my nerve!!! I wasnt going to say how it happened, but a local "doc" damaged it while "fixing" my back pain. The guy is supposed to be pretty good.
Piriformis stretches work great and help tremendously to relieve some pain.
Hurt mine the week after PSU played in Ireland. My left heel has been numb ever since. I did the stretching excercises, which I believe, helped the pan to never come back. But the numbness in my left heel persists and will probably never go away. Good luck with it.
Stretched mine 3cm in a car wreck 13 years ago. Can’t sit for longer than an hour without tailbone throbbing.
I couldn’t feel my big toe for about 10 years.
I couldn’t feel my big toe for about 10 years.
Sounds like a herniated disc may have damaged the nerve and is still compressing it. That said, avoid surgery if at all possible.
I’ve had 2 back surgeries and received a set of exercises to do when mine flares up. If you’re interested, I can send them to you.
Best wishes getting through this.
OL
I’ve had a piriformis problem from the last week of August. Constant stretching and foam rolling has helped....but it’s a bast*<d
Anyone have, or use somewhere, an Innova Inversion table? I have a neighbor who swears by it and has no more problems with his back since he started using it.
I have bad back issues and have suffered herniated discs but my nurse wife is concerned about blood pressure issues when using an inversion table since I also have heart issues. Any thoughts on the inversion table?
I have bad back issues and have suffered herniated discs but my nurse wife is concerned about blood pressure issues when using an inversion table since I also have heart issues. Any thoughts on the inversion table?
I had a bad attack of sciatica in my right leg last year. I had numbness and pain that was so bad I couldn't walk more than 30 steps without stopping. I read all I could about it on line...did various exercises, used cold and heat, took Advil as needed, etc, and it slowly got better. It was 3 months before I was back to normal. Good luck.
Good info and discussion. Thanks. Most of the pain is in my quads, hammie, and glutes. There is some numbness, it's more of a weakness, but I am still able to use various machines that require my legs to lift weights.
I moved my sister for a whole day and the next morning had to go to the ER. dr, believed my muscles pinched my sciatica. that was 4 years ago. no pain now but I still have a small limp and that leg now gets night cramps. good luck with yours
It will take time. Just continue the stretching and don't over exert it. Just be patient.
Had the same thing happen. Had a herniated disk and let a chiropractor twist me before I got an MRI. Just made the situation worse and only surgery got rid of the pain, but I never got back all of the feeling and strength in my left leg, as the damage was already done. If you have pain down your sciatic, I highly recommend getting an MRI to assess the situation before letting a miracle working bone cracker bend you like a pretzel.
Chronic sciatica sucks. I sleep on one side until I can't stand it then roll over to the other side. Keep repeating this through the night which doesn't contribute to a good night's sleep. The worst part is the pain down the back of my leg when driving for more than 20 minutes at a time. I load up on Alieve but it doesn't help much.
I have sciatica, disc degeneration, and stenosis. The neurosurgeon didn't want to operate due to possible complications. I tried spinal injections. I felt like a new person for about 3 weeks until they wore off. The pain management doctor also recommended I see a psychologist to help me mentally cope with the pain. I was tempted to kick him in the nuts then suggest he go see a psychologist.
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Extension exercises, on your belly and lift up onto your forearms, that will take pressure off the nerve...also stretch your hamstrings in a comfortable position
I had herniated discs with a lot of pain and ended up getting steriod injections. They were painful as well but have worked great. Some pain still exists but much better than before shots and better than surgery.
I’ve heard of some bad experiences, but without a doubt, mine turned a month-plus rehab stint into a 2 week hallelujah miracle. Just sayin’!!
The chiropractor I go to will not twist you up like a pretzel like some will do. She loosens up the muscles using pressure points and gently pushes the vertibra back into place. I’ve been to the other type and they take about 30 seconds and they are done but they force it back in place. Most of the time it goes right back out of place because the muscles are used to holding it in another place. Believe me it works!
I hurt my sciatic around the end of this past August. The pain went down my left leg, all the way down into my left foot. I couldn't sit comfortably and really could only lay down without MUCH pain. My PCP directed me to their PT group. I was skeptical, as friends had successful treatment for sciatic issues by chiropractors. And the day of my first PT appt I began symptoms that eventually was diagnosed as pneumonia. So the treatment for pneumonia delayed my PT for a few weeks. By the time I got over the pneumonia my sciatic had settled down, but I began about 4 weeks of PT. The PT did help me a good bit. In fact it got my hip and leg much more flexible. I should continue the exercises as I felt really good afterwards each time, but it's a matter of how much time do I want to be running to PT. In fact the day of my last PT appt I went right to the golf course and the flexibility improvement added about 20 yards onto my drives - hope I can pick that back up in the Spring!!!
I have a two friends that swear by it and according to them it will take take time because you will not be able to hang for 20min your first time. They are serious goffers with historic back problems and they love their inversion tables. My orthopedic said to skip the expense and spend 20mins stretching or yoga and get better results.
I've had several sciatic bouts. The first one I went to a chiropractor, and it took him a while before he straightened out. That worked out well for a good number of years. Exercise didn't really help.
The next bout I used the tennis ball method. If the muscles that surround the sciatic nerve goes into spasm, it will cause sciatic pain. The method I used gave me relief in about 5 minutes. You should be able to find info on it on Youtube or something similar. Also I've used moist heat, which helps quite a bit.
My last bout is due to stenosis and degenerative disk. I've had it off and on for 6 yrs. Decompression helps somewhat, & chiropractor helps (not one that twists the back). Physical therapy offered mediocre results. I was going to get a back operation, but the outcome isn't really guaranteed. I've seen several people that had the operation with worse results. Pain management with ibuprofen seems to help, but not crazy about the side effects.
The next bout I used the tennis ball method. If the muscles that surround the sciatic nerve goes into spasm, it will cause sciatic pain. The method I used gave me relief in about 5 minutes. You should be able to find info on it on Youtube or something similar. Also I've used moist heat, which helps quite a bit.
My last bout is due to stenosis and degenerative disk. I've had it off and on for 6 yrs. Decompression helps somewhat, & chiropractor helps (not one that twists the back). Physical therapy offered mediocre results. I was going to get a back operation, but the outcome isn't really guaranteed. I've seen several people that had the operation with worse results. Pain management with ibuprofen seems to help, but not crazy about the side effects.
I stretched mine and even after PT it was about 2 yrs. healing. I'm sure age has something to do with it. I'm 71. I did everything they suggested but it's a SLOW process.
Yoga. Best thing I have ever done. I don’t put on a toga and meditate or anything. It’s the stretching and the core strength it gives me which is the key. Takes 30 minutes a day, max.
Be patient. Nerve issues (and muscle issues) can take a few months to improve. It will probably be a lot longer than 2-3 weeks, but if you follow your physical therapy regimen, it does get better. Hopefully you are working under the guidance of a good physical therapist, back specialist or a chiropractor. Any of those three can be really good if you choose a good one.
Please tell me on a documented, scientific basis how the vertebrae are pushed back into place. Inquiring minds would like to know. Is it magic? Because it must have been magic for them to get out of place, unless there was a major (and I mean major) force applied such as in a severe acceleration deceleration injury and you likely would be paralyzed.
I had sciatica down my right leg. At the chiropractor, the rack and electrical stimulation (on max) worked best. At home simple stomach crunches (sit ups had too much range of motion) and pushups worked great. So did walks uphill. I avoided ibuprofen since it takes several days of continuous use to decrease inflammation, and that really bothers my stomach. Cortisol steroids finally eliminated the problem, although I still get some pain every now and then. My father (and we think his) had stenosis. My dad had surgery to remove some bone from the inside of his vertebrae, and I suspect I will need it at some point too.
I have an inversion table and i love it. I've had lower back issues since my jr year of HS football 20+ years ago. I've been to chiropractors countless times with little long term relief. I bought myself a cheap inversion table and used it religiously for a couple weeks to get used to it. I never hung for more than 5... maybe 10 minutes. Knock on wood, my back hasn't been this good since I was a kid. I dont use it very often and now only get on it occasionally. For people that live with back pain, i dont know why you wouldn't want to give it a try. You can pick one up for less than $150.
I'd advise anyone to be diagnosed and have the diagnostic tests run when possible before embarking on any route or action for a nerve involved pain situation particularly in the spinal area.
I "celebrated" the 45th anniversary of a broken neck and spinal trauma last Sat. I have no memory of 10 hours that day and have been told I should have perished or been paralyzed, e.g. Christopher Reeve., the same type of injury. That trauma ended up in a dozen herniated discs in the cervical & thoracic spine causing a massive muscle spasm across my entire back, neck, and shoulders. Chronic Bodywide Muscular Pain is my daily companion. Pain Management is who I now use.
I could go on for hours but the point is to be certain of your issue before treatment as incorrect treatment is detrimental and seemingly every practice has the answer as does everyone. I would not denigrate the personal experience of any poster as you live your own reality but my reality is not inclusive of other's realities and my diagnosis is not the same nor is my treatment plan.
We traveled to Lancaster County to visit our grandchildren, daughter, SIL and sleeping in their bed was tough to do, very uncomfortable, meaning painful. No night is pleasant but by the third night, it was very painful. How I wish there was a way to remove the incessant pain. Someone mentioned a psychologist discussing ignoring the pain or something of that sort. I do something like that on my own. I call it - zoning it out. While I feel it in the background I don't concentrate on it until it becomes outright unbearable. Much like the tinnitus, unless I think of it I don' t concentrate on it but I always hear it. When I think of it or someone mentions it the sound is far louder, I lose my blocking mechanism. This makes the whole problem a bit more liveable. To all who suffer from a pain issue, may you find some relief, I know your pain.
I "celebrated" the 45th anniversary of a broken neck and spinal trauma last Sat. I have no memory of 10 hours that day and have been told I should have perished or been paralyzed, e.g. Christopher Reeve., the same type of injury. That trauma ended up in a dozen herniated discs in the cervical & thoracic spine causing a massive muscle spasm across my entire back, neck, and shoulders. Chronic Bodywide Muscular Pain is my daily companion. Pain Management is who I now use.
I could go on for hours but the point is to be certain of your issue before treatment as incorrect treatment is detrimental and seemingly every practice has the answer as does everyone. I would not denigrate the personal experience of any poster as you live your own reality but my reality is not inclusive of other's realities and my diagnosis is not the same nor is my treatment plan.
We traveled to Lancaster County to visit our grandchildren, daughter, SIL and sleeping in their bed was tough to do, very uncomfortable, meaning painful. No night is pleasant but by the third night, it was very painful. How I wish there was a way to remove the incessant pain. Someone mentioned a psychologist discussing ignoring the pain or something of that sort. I do something like that on my own. I call it - zoning it out. While I feel it in the background I don't concentrate on it until it becomes outright unbearable. Much like the tinnitus, unless I think of it I don' t concentrate on it but I always hear it. When I think of it or someone mentions it the sound is far louder, I lose my blocking mechanism. This makes the whole problem a bit more liveable. To all who suffer from a pain issue, may you find some relief, I know your pain.
I have a Teeter inversion table. Yeah, it really helps. I've tried all kinds of stretches and exercise. The best for me is an exaggerated mountain climber. Just "climbing" as far as I can reach with the forward leg. Seems to stretch everything that needs to be stretched. I suspect it's all about hip mobility. As little as 20 or so a day does the trick (although I do more because it is a great exercise).
Get a mri if it continues to hurt. I had a moderate herniated disk s1. What helped me was walking and keep stretching hamstrings they were very tight for me just keep moving if it is mildly herniated it Will eventually go away with exercise and stretching but it all depends on you pain threshold. Pain effects everyone differently i work construction so it wasn’t as hard due to my line of work. Good luck. And wouldn’t recommend going to chiropractor from personal experience
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