Your Sciatica

[Scarlett]

My friend has recently developed sciatica after doing some heavy lifting. He is only 35, and this is his first experience of pain! Have you had sciatica, what did you do to help it, and how long did it take to resolve?

[hellywelly4]

It's dreadful. I had it many years ago and ended up laying on the floor to get relief from the pain. Eventually I went privately to a physio who gave me some heat treatment and it did go. All I was doing was pulling a weed up.

[Scarlett]

Helly, any idea how long you had it for, and what the heat treatment was called?

[hellywelly4]

Sorry, no. I’m going back far too far to remember. I have had acupuncture with electric currents more recently though. That was for a lower back problem following an operation for severe spinal stenosis and that really worked. I think if you could find someone who offered the same treatment it might be worth a try.

[Scarlett]

Do tell me about the acupuncture with electric currents- sounds like something that is worth trying?!

[hellywelly4]

I had it done by the Back and Neck Clinic in Nantwich, but I’m sure there are similar places. It was about 2 years ago and I haven’t had any trouble since. It’s Dr Richard Ridings and he was excellent (I was 80 at the time and very anxious about it). He has a web site if you want to google it. I’m not sure what the actual treatment is called.

[fripfrip]

Gentle exercise and lots of walking help sciatica pain.

[gingejbee]

My sciatic (nerve-root) pain was caused by a damaged lumbar disc. The only relief from the pain was a maximum dose of (prescribed) diclofenac while I waited for surgery at a local (excellent) orthopaeddic hospital. The surgery did the job. 14 weeks to get back to work from start to finish.

[Scarlett]

Thank you Helly. I will look into that. Ginge- how long did you wait before resorting to surgery? Was it a disc decompression surgery?

[gingejbee]

I had an MRI scan and was told that surgery was necessary because the bulging of the inner material through the disc wall was so bad...no alternative! This was many years ago when waiting times were much shorter. And, yes, "decompression" is what they tend to call it...basically removing material that is pressing on nerve roots.