NFB Sciatic Nerve

[Performin Norman]

I have sciatica. It affects the nerve going down my right leg. I was out washing a car one day and never had any back issues. All of a sudden my leg went numb and I had to go to the emergency room because the numbness because excrutiating pain. To make a long story short, I had 3 epidurals and it doesn't bother me at all any more.

[Mixedpuppy]

My 2 cents.

Who evaluated your injury? I would request a referral to Orthopedics or Neurology. If oral pain meds and steroids don't work they may suggest steroid injections around the injured nerve periodically. The worst injuries I have heard of get seen by Neurosurgeons and referrals to Anesthesia (Pain Clinic). If it is restricting your mobility then you have a problem. If you have an upper level injury that makes you unable to control bowel or bladder control then you have a serious emergency. Blue is bad.

[Al 96 Ram Air T/A]

My $0.02...


Have same thing...gets me a couple of days a year.

First off, disc problems can be exaserbated by dehydration. Since your discs are made up of mostly water, when your body is low, so are your discs. When the discs collapse, pressure increases squeezing the nerves radiating out from the vertebrae. Hence, increasing fluids keeps the discs soft and full of fluids, minimizing the effects. Most people have back problems in the summer because this is when we sweat more, and don't drink enough. Beer doesn't count... Alcohol will dehydrate you faster.

Second, stretching helps...alot. One of the best excercises you can do is ...while standing upright, place your hands on your lower back, and gently...repeat, gently, arch your back. (it kind of looks like you are bending your spine in the reverse direction, pushing out your stomach.) Do this several times a day, for a good thirty seconds each time. What this does is force the jelly-like substance in the discs forward, relieving the bulge on the rear of the disc wall which is pressing on the sciatic nerve.

Another excercise I do is, while lying on my back, pull in your knees, one at a time. This helps to realign the spine. It also increases circulation which helps your body heal itself. Any analgesic OTC medications (Tylenol, Advil, etc.) will help as well.

Finally, the best excercise you can do for your lower back is sit-ups. A doctor once told a very obese friend of mine, rather bluntly, "The reason your back hurts so much is because your huge front is pulling on it...lose weight!". In other words, your abdominal muscles do more than just help us to get girls. They hold in our organs PLUS keep us upright. When our abs. are weak, the lower back muscles, (which are very weak) try to compensate. When this happens, the discs suffer.

I also take glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM when it flairs up. Not sure if it works, but there is growing evidence that it doesn't hurt. Besides, even if it's just the "placebo effect" my sciatic doesn't come on too frequently, and usually only lasts a couple of days...maybe a week at most. I've beatin' my back up over the years from hockey, soccer, wrestling, and volleyball, so I know where you're coming from. We have to take good care of our backs, because once they go, we're done.

[Hemogoblin]

It's funny you mentioned this because I'm currently studying to become a doctor and we are dealing with this now in one of our case studies. Not to mention, I suffer from the same condition. That nerve, once it gets compressed, or whatever may happen, isn't "really" a correctable condition. Sure you can treat it, but never really fix it. Depends on what and how it happened but with me, it started when I was younger and playing soccer. Having played for over 16 years or so, it just got worse. When I was a carpenter for 3 years before grad school, I was basically bent over all day with a 10 lbs. nail gun and it really aggrevated the condition. What would help though was if I stretched out that area and kept stretching thoughout the day. I had it right in the upper left area of my glutius (my butt!) and when I would apply direct pressure to it, it would hurt like heck, but would feel better. It would also make my leg go numb. It really is a pain in the butt (no pun intended) and can seriously cause a lot of discomfort. I can't really make any suggestions (because I am NOT a doc, yet anyway) but seek medical advice and stretch that area really well. I found that a heat pad also worked well. But I have to say, now that my carpentry days are over, it has passed, and has never bothered me since then. Knock on wood! LOL Good luck with it :-)

Cheers,
Steve