Help! Sciatic pain!

**alarosalpn** · 02-09-2011, 10:42 AM

Does anyone have a remedy for sciatic pain?
I'm missing a day from work today because of it

I'm supposed to work tomorrow and Friday too but when I walk the pain gets so bad that I feel like I'm gonna fall! It's horrible...
I think I'm gonna have to go to the Drs...

**nuisance26** · 02-09-2011, 10:44 AM

~I get this horribly when I'm pregnant. The only thing that provides any relief is yoga.~

**savvy_sniper** · 02-09-2011, 11:54 AM

Chiropractor works for hubby.

**alarosalpn** · 02-09-2011, 12:03 PM

nuisance-that's the last time I had it! 6 +years ago...DS is 6...

I was out of work for 5 months!

**Darlene** · 02-09-2011, 12:37 PM

I'd go to the doc and get some relief with pain meds. Big hug, I've been there & know how bad it hurts.

**alarosalpn** · 02-09-2011, 12:41 PM

I just called and made an appt with the Dr...I cant take the pain anymore...my whole body is shaking!

**checkerkitty** · 02-09-2011, 12:49 PM

I'm not a doctor but I think alot depends on why you have the pain. You need to go to your doctor to find out where your problem originates. There are lots of things that can cause sciatica. If you have piriformis syndrome, where the piriformis muscle in your backside gets too tight and irritates the sciatic nerve (do a google search for piriformis syndrome), some stretches might help.

I have had sciatic pain for almost 9 years now. I started having problems during my first pregnancy. However, I had a deep tissue massage a few years before that first pregnancy and when the MT pushed on my glutes from the top of my hip down to my thigh, I thought I was going to come off the table it hurt so badly. I think the sciatica was waiting to come out. There is a stretch that I do that seem to help.

I lay on my back and put my left ankle on top of my right knee right at my thigh. Then I link my hands under my right knee/thigh and pull it towards my chest. Then I switch sides. I learned this in a Pilates class I took. It hurts. A LOT. It does seem to help though. However, this may not help you if you don't have piriformis syndrome.

John Berardi - Pain In Your Butt

**checkerkitty** · 02-09-2011, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by alarosalpn

I just called and made an appt with the Dr...I cant take the pain anymore...my whole body is shaking!

Good! I know how badly it hurts. I hope you can get some relief and some long term help!

**daylily** · 02-09-2011, 02:08 PM

Google Dr Jolie Bookspan and find her blog. Search for sciatica in her blog. She is great. Her advice has really, truly helped my back pain.

**heartofmine** · 02-09-2011, 02:22 PM

I have it too and the pain can be horrible. Glad you've called a doctor.

**Ramona** · 02-09-2011, 02:42 PM

Ask the doctor for muscle relaxers and pain meds. Ask if you can put a heating pad or hot water bottle on your painful area.

Ask her/him if you can do this exercise now or if you have to wait:
Get flat on your back. I do these in bed. Bend both knees. Bring one knee to your chest using your hands and hold it for the count of 10. Do this 10 times. Repeat other leg.

Hugs to you.

**frugalfoster** · 02-09-2011, 02:47 PM

Naproxen (Aleve)..... on a regular schedule and ICE not heat...what you have is a swelling of the disc on the nerve ....only ice will bring the swelling down...heat makes it feel better but does not help...put the ice pack in the waistband of your pants...

**mauimagic** · 02-09-2011, 06:07 PM

The exercises of Ramona and Checkeredkitty are both good. For a simpler version of CK's, lie flat on your back, bring the knee of the non painful isde up, then rest your other foot on your inee and gently and I mean gently put pressure on the unupported knee - does this make sense? I can see it in my mind!!

eg. lie on back. bend right knee and slide it up. Rest outside of left foot on right knee. Put your hand on your left knee and gently put some pressure on it.

Chiropractic can relieve stress on nerves by vertibra manipulation. Massage offers muscle relaxation and eases tension too.

good luck and let us know what happens.

**Jamauk** · 02-09-2011, 07:19 PM

another stretch that I use when my sciatica acts up (my sciatic is usually on my right side). Lay flat on my back. Pull my right knee up to my chest. Use my hands/arms to very gently and very slightly angle my knee towards my left shoulder.

This one is especially good if it is your piriformis that is putting pressure on the nerve.

Ibuprophen works best for me to ease the pain enough that I can get some good stretches in. Yoga works well, too.

**alarosalpn** · 02-09-2011, 07:31 PM

Thank you for all the love and advice...
The Dr gave me Prednisone for inflamation and Ultram for pain...I took one Ultram but it isnt doing much...

She gave me a few print outs of excercises to do and certainly will be doing them tonight when I go to bed...If I get down on the floor,I wont be getting back up!
I'm out of work til Monday....I'm praying that the pain will be gone by then cause I'm not even sure I have time to use for these 3 days I'll be missing...