Tell me about sciatica. Please!!!

[Okiemommy]

My daughter was only 7lb 4oz when born, but by 6 months, she was 22 lbs. (and only on breastmilk ) since she was so heavy and couldn't walk yet, I carried her on my right hip. i developed sciatica. Chiropracters made it worse(and even sent my back inot spasm). I suffered for about 8 years with it, I went to physio, which helped alot, but didn't get rid of it totally, and then I found a good massage therapist. After ONE visit, I have not had it return. In your situation, you might have different results, especially with the one leg longer than the other thing going on. Listen to Free. And get a good massage!

Thank you! I'm noticing a trend with myself. I have to be injured to treat myself to anything....

 

[Okiemommy]

I had this problem last year and I got rid of it.
It really was dibilitating. I couldn't sleep. the only position that did not have pain was when I was walking... hard to do 24/7

I had a cat scan. This eliminated the concern of bulging disc. You need to eliminate that concern first. If you have it then the treatment may be different, and I can recommend a treatment for that also.

But if the disc is not bulging then you likely only have an edema problem in tissues surrounding the nerves. Physical therapy can be very helpful to develop core strength and I did a lot of that but it did not cure. I used the Dr Christophers cayenne ointment rub and that was somewhat helpful. It allowed me to sleep at night which at one point I was so grateful for I figured if I never cured at least I could now sleep.

Gradually it improved with therapy and massage was helpful too! But still not gone. After all the specialists I finally talked about it to my general practitioner. She said that we should try shots of vitamin B12. She gave me a bottle of methylcycobalamin (sp?)
I took 1000mcg once a week and I put it in the hip with leg sciatica that hurt the most. In about two weeks all pain was gone. B12 can really help in quite a few healing processes, especially things that involve nerves.I also use the Dr Christophers ointment with a damp washcloth on top and then a warm (not hot) water bottle on top.

I doubt you will ever get that unequal leg length back to normal. Most people can't or are not willing to do the kind of therapy it may require and finding a massage therapist that can really do it will be a feat in and of itself. Most chiropractors cannot fix it permanently. But what can be fixed it the position of your feet at rest when you are laying flat on your back. They should not be sticking straight up in the air but each should lay to the side on the outer aspects of the foot. This ridgety can be corrected with alignments and it will reflect in a better pelvis positioning. Of course if the difference is extreme corrective shoes would be the answer.

Also, when I was in the midst of my pain my chiropractor really made it worse!

I still need to continue with my core strenghtening exercises and sometimes I get a sensation that it is coming on again so that motivates me to keep up.

I have to remember b-12 shots!! For several reasons.

Yep, the chiro has made my pain worse also.

 

[freemotion]

It sounds like you might want to explore switching chiro's. Find one who does more than address the spine. They are out there, but like most professions, you want to find someone in the top 5%.

To find a good massage therapist, ask around, starting with your chiro. Some of the best don't need to advertise. I don't, dh doesn't. That doesn't mean that if someone advertises, they aren't good....no! Many advertise out of habit, it seems, even though their appointment books are full! I have friends that are like this. I'm too cheap!

You might find a teacher at a massage school, too. That doesn't mean they are good, either, but there is a better chance, or they would know someone.

Guys who have been LMT's for many years tend to be very good, especially if it is all they do for a living. It was much harder for a guy to make it in this business ten years ago, so if his practice is thriving, he is probably VERY good. Sorry, ladies, just something I've observed. Not necessarily true today, but it was back then....no one wanted to go to a guy...not women, not men. So they had to be super fantastic in their work in order to get and keep clients.

Call and ask them how they would approach sciatica. Even if you don't understand every word, you will get an idea as to whether they seem to know what they are talking about. Print out what I wrote and follow along when they talk....see if they mention anything I wrote. Many LMT's just spread oil and can only talk about relaxation. Frankly, I can relax in my garden, reading a book, snuggling with my animals....all for free. When I pay for a massage, I expect some serious reduction in pain in my body.

Or you can interview a few and take notes, and then send me your notes and I will happily vet them for you!!!

 

[Javamama]

Try the exercise program I do - it's called T-Tapp. It is rehabilitative and will help fix skeletal imbalances. I had a bowed leg and within a month it was visibly straighter. It's a great, short (15 minute) workout, with lots of add ons if you want. There are lots of people on the T-Tapp forum who have fixed major problems and no longer need chiropractic care. www.t-tapp.com
The woman who created it - Teresa Tapp - broke her back when she was a teen and has fused vertabrae in the lower lumbar. She created the moves to help deal with her pain.
There are video examples on the t-tapp home page.

This is not a new thing - it's been around for at least 10 years. The reason you probably haven't heard of it is because she is dedicated to keeping the program true to what she created, she will not sell out to anyone. Teresa is a very, very smart lady and doesn't want anybody to take it and mess with it, because it works perfectly the way it is designed. It is doing very well by word of mouth and a few magazines have featured it.

 

[patandchickens]

Two other things to toss out there for consideration:

I have had sciatica, sometimes pretty bad, off and on since the early '80s when a horse I was riding fell on landing from a jump and rolled all the way over me, installing hairline fractures in a couple vertebrae. I have found that often I aggravate it without realizing it, by bad posture or sitting in a bad chair for too long or letting my shoes get too worn-down (even if they still feel comfy to my feet) or sleeping in a comfy-but-unhelpful position, or, as someone mentioned, habitually carrying a kid on my left hip . I have found it helpful, when it blows up, to reevaluate my shoes and the positions that I spend a lot of time in, and sometimes I can find an easy way of correcting things that really helps.

Secondly, a couple years ago I had *terrible* back pain, like I could barely walk more than twenty feet and my husband had to do all the horse and chicken chores for months and the kids didn't to go anywhere much. It had a sciatica-like component but also with major 'plain ol' back pain', you know? Personally I think it was pinched nerves and/or bulging disc. You know what fixed it, though? Getting an xray (which ironically showed no disc problems). The xray technician INSISITED that I lie totally flat on the table, which was incredibly painful (like, worse than childbirth). But he was a meanie and MADE me do it. Augh! But I think I must have realigned something, because it felt markedly better once I got off the table, and within a week I was walking pretty normally and within a month or so it was basically all gone.

I am not sure how useful a specific take-home message there is from this; but IMO it does suggest to me that pain is not *always* a useful protector, and sometimes things that hurt actually do fix a problem. (I have also twice unintentionally 'fixed' very arthritic wrists by falling out of a hayloft, not that I am recommending this of course ).

Best of luck, back problems are the *pits*,

Pat

 

[livingrn]

I don't often reply to post but this one has gotten my attention. I too had sciatica pain. After mri I was found to have SI joint dysfunction. As the years have gone by I have learned alot. But pain is my constant companion. I have tried it all, chiro, physical therapy which specialized in this condition, pain management with injections which were a very temporary relief. Just a thought you might want to check out.

 

[Okiemommy]

Thanks for your replies everyone! And thanks livingrn for offering help! I appreciate it! I am going to explore all my options, so this is helpful information.

I have an appt on Monday to go to a massage therapist/slash chiropractic office. I will let you guys know what I find out, and how it goes. They seemed familiar with my problem, so I am looking forward to talking to them in depth about what I might be dealing with. I will print off some of the information that I have received here and ask them about it. I really appreciate everyone's help!!!

 

[abifae]

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[hwillm1977]

One thing I forgot to mention that has helped with my back....

Belly dancing!

Been doing it for 6 years now

I don't think that I could ever see myself belly dancing in a million years, but I admire the people who do!!

I would like to try Zumba once I get my back "fixed"

I do hoop dancing (hula hoops, like when we were kids but different)... LOVE that, and it usually helps me with any stiffness/soreness, although I don't have sciatica my best friend does and she really likes the hoop dancing.

Like this:
http://www.hooping.org/archives/003100.html

I've always wanted to try belly dancing too.

 

[hwillm1977]

yea belly dancing! i have a giant heavy hula hoop made out of piping right now to loosen my lower back.

That's what my hoop is for dancing with... black water piping with fancy coloured electrical tape wrapped around it Cost about $5 to make.