Ask Me Help Desk - Sciatica healing?

I've had sciatica (self diagnosis) for about two and a half months. I was a powerlifter and I've had a couple back injuries before from powerlifting but one day I started to feel a pain in my left butt cheek. It progress down my leg to about the top of my calf. The pain was bad enough for me to leave work for a while. The longer I stood on it, the more pain I felt. I'm not a doctor but from everything I've read, most people heal within 6 weeks to a few months. I have been much better but the pain is still there at times especially at night when I'm sleeping. I can usually only sleep on my stomach/side. As far as standing and walking, I was at a point where I couldn't do either without feeling a great deal of pain. Now I can stand or walk for long periods with some pain. The more I walk, the more the pain lessens. So has anyone had a similar situation? Is it healing?

It sounds like a nerve is still being impinged on. I personally would go to a good chiropractor, knowing a medical doctor will give me muscle relaxants and pain pills, treating the symptoms, but not addressing the underlying cause. A chiro will get the pressure off the nerve and relieve the problem permanently.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wondergirl

It sounds like a nerve is still being impinged on. I personally would go to a good chiropractor, knowing a medical doctor will give me muscle relaxants and pain pills, treating the symptoms, but not addressing the underlying cause. A chiro will get the pressure off the nerve and relieve the problem permanently.

I did go to a chiropractor but I think he just assumed the nerve was impinged naturally. I don't think he thought about a slipped or herniated disk. He popped my lower back a few times and I actually haven't returned to his office since for fear of it becoming worse. I don't want to go to a doctor for the reasons you stated already. I want a permanent fix not just a pain reliever. Time has been good to me but I fear I'm taking too long. Is there anything a chiro can do without popping my lower back?

Be sure to tell him what you said to me. Yes, there are things he can do by stretching your back, moving your legs in various ways, etc. I have a good friend who is a chiro. I'll email him about this.

My chiropractor responded --

"Good grief...he needs a correct diagnosis, proper X rays...etc. Yes likely a disc!!!! But with in 6 treatments, if standard chiropractic care has not helped...he needs an MRI. Correct Dx means correct treatment."

Please send him my thanks. Unfortunately I don't have insurance but my back is more important than money. I was hoping it healed on it's own but I'm glad to have received your advice and your chiro otherwise I may have stubbornly waited even longer. I will go to see a chiropractor on Monday and give him all the details. Again, thank you and please send my thanks to your friend.

Find out where the chiro graduated from. There used to be two major chiro schools -- in Davenport, IA, and National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, IL (a mile from me--my chiro friend is a grad and their clinic is where I met him as an intern back in the early '80s--I was one of his first patients and his wife had their son on my birthday :)). The IA school grads tend to say they can treat and cure back problems, cancer, and hangnails, believing realigning the spine can cure anything wrong with the patient. The Lombard school is more realistic. There are more chiro colleges nowadays, so check into the chiro's educational background and philosophy of healing.

I live in a small town so I doubt my chiro is anything prestigious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ali18ninja

I live in a small town so I doubt my chiro is anything prestigious.

Not prestigious -- but he went to a chiro school somewhere, so find out his philosophy of healing. If he goes into raptures of how treating the spine will cure every illness known to man, I'd be very careful. Are you limited to only one chiropractor choice?

I've been to his office once before. He doesn't seem to have that sort of philosophy of healing. But no I'm not limited to just one. He's just the only one I know and have been to.

Well, ask him to do x-rays and even an MRI, as my friend suggested. Or at least do a gentler chiro adjustment each time (warning him of your pain)--more with stretching. And ask him about exercises you can do at home and positions to avoid.

I don't think I would be able to afford an MRI but I will ask him about an x-ray for sure. He adjusted my back once while I was laying down and it did seem a bit forceful but it didn't hurt. I've been feeling less sciatic pain since then but not nearly enough to feel relief. I used to stretch on my own but it never helped. Sometimes I felt it made it flare up more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ali18ninja

I've had sciatica (self diagnosis) for about two and a half months. I was a powerlifter and I've had a couple back injuries before from powerlifting but one day I started to feel a pain in my left butt cheek. It progress down my leg to about the top of my calf. The pain was bad enough for me to leave work for a while. The longer I stood on it, the more pain I felt. I'm not a doctor but from everything I've read, most people heal within 6 weeks to a few months. I have been much better but the pain is still there at times especially at night when I'm sleeping. I can usually only sleep on my stomach/side. As far as standing and walking, I was at a point where I couldn't do either without feeling a great deal of pain. Now I can stand or walk for long periods with some pain. The more I walk, the more the pain lessens. So has anyone had a similar situation? Is it healing?

I own and operate backpainco.com, and sciatica issues are our #1 complaint from our customers. Unfortunately, sciatica pain can stem from a number of causes. From simply sitting with poor posture in a car to serious underlying problems, sciatica pain can be felt almost immediately.

For in-home care, anti-inflammatory medications and temperature therapy are good places to start. The most basic cause of sciatica is having swollen lumbar muscles or a bulging disc that puts unnatural pressure on your sciatic nerve. I'm sure from your research, you've seen that it starts at the base of your spine and extends down into your legs. The anti-inflammatory medications will help reduce swelling in your lumbar muscles while the temperature therapy will help increase blood flow (healing) to the localized region.

While you are trying to recover it is imperative to maintain a light, active routine. Walking, swimming and yoga have worked for a majority of our customers. As far as your sleep routine, make sure you use a leg cushion to maintain proper spinal alignment while you sleep on your side. Naturally, your higher leg and hip will collapse while sleeping on your side. Proper alignment will ensure your sciatic nerve is in its natural position while you zzzzz.

As a powerlifter, I'm going to assume you spend a lot of time in the gym. You may have perfect lifting techniques however a majority of injuries come from other movements in the gym you may overlook. This includes moving weights on and off your bar. And because you're probably stronger than an average person, I'm going to assume you move things easily during normal day activities. This would include carelessly lifting a heavy box from one room to another without proper techniques. Our Everyday Back Brace is one of our most popular and highly rated products. It gives its user that little extra support and acts as a reminder to maintain proper posture while walking, sitting and lifting.

I hope this information helps. Naturally, I'm going to recommend some of our products. Truth be told, your pain relief efforts can be begin with simple over-the-counter medications, an ice pack and a hot bath.

Kind regards,

Beau Schmitt - Owner
BackPainCo.com

Quote:

Originally Posted by backpainco

I own and operate backpainco.com, and sciatica issues are our #1 complaint from our customers. Unfortunately, sciatica pain can stem from a number of causes. From simply sitting with poor posture in a car to serious underlying problems, sciatica pain can be felt almost immediately.

For in-home care, anti-inflammatory medications and temperature therapy are good places to start. The most basic cause of sciatica is having swollen lumbar muscles or a bulging disc that puts unnatural pressure on your sciatic nerve. I'm sure from your research, you've seen that it starts at the base of your spine and extends down into your legs. The anti-inflammatory medications will help reduce swelling in your lumbar muscles while the temperature therapy will help increase blood flow (healing) to the localized region.

While you are trying to recover it is imperative to maintain a light, active routine. Walking, swimming and yoga have worked for a majority of our customers. As far as your sleep routine, make sure you use a leg cushion to maintain proper spinal alignment while you sleep on your side. Naturally, your higher leg and hip will collapse while sleeping on your side. Proper alignment will ensure your sciatic nerve is in its natural position while you zzzzz.

As a powerlifter, I'm going to assume you spend a lot of time in the gym. You may have perfect lifting techniques however a majority of injuries come from other movements in the gym you may overlook. This includes moving weights on and off your bar. And because you're probably stronger than an average person, I'm going to assume you move things easily during normal day activities. This would include carelessly lifting a heavy box from one room to another without proper techniques. Our Everyday Back Brace is one of our most popular and highly rated products. It gives its user that little extra support and acts as a reminder to maintain proper posture while walking, sitting and lifting.

I hope this information helps. Naturally, I'm going to recommend some of our products. Truth be told, your pain relief efforts can be begin with simple over-the-counter medications, an ice pack and a hot bath.

Kind regards,

Beau Schmitt - Owner
BackPainCo.com

Thank you for the advice! I used to take Advil but it never really relieved the pain. I took four 200 mg liquid capsules. I have an ice pack and I use it everyday, twice a day. I do walk for 45 minutes about once a day and it really does relive the pain but only when I'm out walking. After I'm done walking, I usually take a shower and the pain returns but less painful than normal. Sitting down is the best relief. I used to powerlift but after this I stopped for fear of further injuring my back. I truly don't know if squatting and deadlifting heavy cased the pain. From the research that I've done, it could very well be the case but I did have great form on each exercise. I also pick up objects from the ground using deadlifting techniques that I learned. I will take a look at your website. Thank you for the advice.