OT: sciatica pain relief

[bdgan]

Anybody have success with medications for pain relief? Last year I had an epidural injection that helped for a while but didn't last. Really tough sitting on soft furniture or driving more than an hour.

I think someone on this board mentioned CBT oil. Is that legit or just snakeoil?

 

[JeannieNeedsAShooter]

How about an inversion table? It helped me.

 

[Indian rocks rich]

How bout good old fashioned exercise. And concentrate on keeping your core tight while exercising.

 

[Indian rocks rich]

Anybody have success with medications for pain relief? Last year I had an epidural injection that helped for a while but didn't last. Really tough sitting on soft furniture or driving more than an hour.

I think someone on this board mentioned CBT oil. Is that legit or just snakeoil?

Walking is a good start and stretching the areas that feel tight

 

[bdgan]

How about an inversion table? It helped me.

I haven't tried that but some swear by it.

 

[jim cummings]

 

[bdgan]

How bout good old fashioned exercise. And concentrate on keeping your core tight while exercising.

I do that and I've been through physical therapy and even tried a chiropractor.

 

[psuro]

I do that and I've been through physical therapy and even tried a chiropractor.

If you have tried everything else -Chiro, inversion tabke stretching etc-then go to a medical professional.

 

[fizzyskittles]

Go to YouTube and search for piriformis stretches, hip flexor stretches ( always work both sides) and the McGill three. Works for me . Chiropractic and PT often fail because they don’t address the soft tissue well enough.
There are near 20 specific spots that can cause impingements that will cause sciatic pain.

 

[OhioLion]

Anybody have success with medications for pain relief?

If you don’t mind sharing your email, I’ll send you exercises I was given that have helped myself and others.
I don’t know the process of private messaging here, but if you do that with your email, I’ll take care of getting those to you.

OL

 

[wlawn]

Driving...put a solid pillow at your low back. Don't forget hamstring stretching and laying on your belly and do some back extension.

 

[novaclassof90]

8 wks of PT and continuing the exercises they gave me has done the trick for me. Tons of traction and electic stimulation really helped during PT.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

Get an at home TENS unit. Amazon has some really good ones. I got an 8-lead for less than $100 and it’s helped immensely.

 

[penst8]

Anybody have success with medications for pain relief? Last year I had an epidural injection that helped for a while but didn't last. Really tough sitting on soft furniture or driving more than an hour.

I think someone on this board mentioned CBT oil. Is that legit or just snakeoil?

Listen to fizzyskittles and follow the stretches you will find for this. I’m a runner and fought this recently for close to a year. Two athletic trainers told me the same- stretching the area is the way to get rid of it. Be patient, it felt better quickly but took a while to go away. BTW - I couldn’t sit driving a car longer than 20 minutes without ALOT of pain/discomfort. Keep a hard ball (Lacrosse type) in your car and put under your leg when pain hits

 

[bdgan]

Keep a hard ball (Lacrosse type) in your car and put under your leg when pain hits

Thanks for the suggestion.

I have disc degeneration, sciatica, and stenosis. The surgeon is reluctant to operate and the pain under my thigh is really bad when driving. I walk a lot (without pain) and I work out on an elliptical in the gym. I also do stretches as prescribed by PT but not every day. I should do better.

I'll try the ball under the leg.

 

[nitlion93]

I had sciatic pain. Tried stretching and then chiropractor for 6 weeks with no success and until insurance would approve an MRI. Results showed I had a herniated disc that fragmented where a piece lodged against my L5 nerve. No amount of stretching was going to fix it. Options were to take pain medicine until body naturally absorbed fragments within could take up to 6 months or get outpatient surgery to immediately remove fragments. I chose the latter and was part of the 10% who did not get immediate relief. It took about a month to heal the compressed nerve and get pain free.

 

[Indian rocks rich]

I do that and I've been through physical therapy and even tried a chiropractor.

Did you have an mri done

 

[Delco Lion]

I injured my back in December and have a herniated L3-4 disc and nerve compression-sciatica. The spams and pain in my left leg were over the top for the first 45 days. Walking was excruciating. It was the first time in my life I ever used oxycodone scripts that docs have offered me. Used them for 30 days and the docs said thats it.

I have been in PT since Feb. 1 and also do some of the stretching exercises mentioned. I did get a spinal injection on March 1. Just got clearance to go back to the gym.

I am hopeful to be symptom free by May 1. Its been a long painful recovery and I have some pretty bad muscle atrophy/shrinkage. I have used CBD since Feb 1 or so.

I use drops, creme, and gel. The creme and gel take away pain within an hour. CBD products are not cheap. My son gets me CBD products from a large grower in CA and I also have bought from Ananda Hemp Products who are very well regarded. Being honest, pot has helped with the pain as well. I recently got a PA medical marijuana card. I would also see a doc if you haven't already.

https://anandahemp.com/

 

[ForesterGump]

I've had sciatica and the best sources I found was to get relief through pressure points. If the muscle is in spasm around the sciatic nerve, you need to release that spasm to relieve the pain. I've had deep muscle massage that has helped. Stretching the piriformis will help. The one that worked for me was to lie on a tennis ball at the pressure point. It released the spasm within minutes.

If your problem is not muscular, then most of those remedies won't work. My back has now gone to degenerative disk disease and stenosis. My pain isn't when I sit, but when I stand. So, it is probably different than yours.

I go to a chiropractor, but chose wisely. I went to one that liked to twist and turn. It made the problem worse. PT didn't help. Inversion works somewhat, but isn't a cure all. Walking seems to help loosen things up for the day. I try to get a couple of miles in during the morning.

I do use CBD oil. I also find gummies work and are convenient, especially when you're on the go. It doesn't do away with pain, but helps to control it. Read up on it before you get into it. There is no standard dose. You'll have to figure that out on your own. Find a reputable manufacturer, and there are lots of them. Cost depends on strength. The downside is CBD is not long lasting.

 

[Delco Lion]

I've had sciatica and the best sources I found was to get relief through pressure points. If the muscle is in spasm around the sciatic nerve, you need to release that spasm to relieve the pain. I've had deep muscle massage that has helped. Stretching the piriformis will help. The one that worked for me was to lie on a tennis ball at the pressure point. It released the spasm within minutes.

If your problem is not muscular, then most of those remedies won't work. My back has now gone to degenerative disk disease and stenosis. My pain isn't when I sit, but when I stand. So, it is probably different than yours.

I go to a chiropractor, but chose wisely. I went to one that liked to twist and turn. It made the problem worse. PT didn't help. Inversion works somewhat, but isn't a cure all. Walking seems to help loosen things up for the day. I try to get a couple of miles in during the morning.

I do use CBD oil. I also find gummies work and are convenient, especially when you're on the go. It doesn't do away with pain, but helps to control it. Read up on it before you get into it. There is no standard dose. You'll have to figure that out on your own. Find a reputable manufacturer, and there are lots of them. Cost depends on strength. The downside is CBD is not long lasting.

I swear the chiropractor I went do caused my disc damage. I had some back pain from taking a Christmas tree off the roof of my car. Went to the chiropractor and he did some very violent cracking and twisting, and next thing I know, I had to go to the ER with spasms and I couldnt hardly walk. He said my hips were out of line, and never mentioned a disc/sciatica issue. He had to see after several visits I had all the telltale signs of a disc injury with sciatica

 

[Fayette_LION]

Anybody have success with medications for pain relief? Last year I had an epidural injection that helped for a while but didn't last. Really tough sitting on soft furniture or driving more than an hour.

I think someone on this board mentioned CBT oil. Is that legit or just snakeoil?

First you have to get the inflammation to go away. Try anti-inflammatory meds. Try to find one that works for you. After that, inversion table helps and what worked best for me was walking and stretching. I still have a tough time sitting on a soft couch. Stay away from that soft couch, it only inflams the nerve more.

 

[bdgan]

Did you have an mri done

Yep

 

[PSU_Chicago]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I have disc degeneration, sciatica, and stenosis. The surgeon is reluctant to operate and the pain under my thigh is really bad when driving. I walk a lot (without pain) and I work out on an elliptical in the gym. I also do stretches as prescribed by PT but not every day. I should do better.

I'll try the ball under the leg.

try foam rolling too. try the bike at the gym instead of the elliptical .. less impact but still good for legs, core and stamina. You have to do all of this stuff every day. No days off!

 

[kijanacat]

I changed shoes and it did wonders for me.

 

[PSU_Chicago]

I changed shoes and it did wonders for me.

I got some inserts and it helped me....