Feel My Pain - Sciatica

[Du1point8]

you noticed skiing helped which I presume was due to the core muscles strengthning...

Did you every think about one of these:

http://www.humantouch.com/ht-board.html

You can pick them up off ebay for relatively cheap amounts (ignore the $ sign its my server is in US at work)...

These machines can do for you what skiing did, just in more surfer/snowboard style...

I have heard good reviews off them for people with back problems.

[marksx]

db said:

ask the doc to refer you to a physio, they'll give you stretching excercises that will help.
if you find it more comfortable to lie on you side, try putting a pillow between your knees.
swimming may help, but DO NOT use breast stoke

Why can't you use breast stroke?

Does it do more harm than good?

[Du1point8]

marksx said:

db said:

ask the doc to refer you to a physio, they'll give you stretching excercises that will help.
if you find it more comfortable to lie on you side, try putting a pillow between your knees.
swimming may help, but DO NOT use breast stoke

Why can't you use breast stroke?

Does it do more harm than good?

arching of the back whilst doing it whilst the others the back is usually striaght?

(I could be wrong though)

[sharpfocus]

You really should take the cocodamol prescribed. Walk as much as possible. I had a physio recommend lying on my front and pushing up with my hands to arch my back, repeating however many times.

Nothing really helped, took two years before the NHS gave up and operated. They reckon the first few weeks are your best chance of resolving it so I'd do everything you possibly can to avoid doing yourself any further injury. Hope it gets better soon.

[gifdy]

Du1point8 said:

you noticed skiing helped which I presume was due to the core muscles strengthning...

Did you every think about one of these:

http://www.humantouch.com/ht-board.html

You can pick them up off ebay for relatively cheap amounts (ignore the $ sign its my server is in US at work)...

These machines can do for you what skiing did, just in more surfer/snowboard style...

I have heard good reviews off them for people with back problems.

Yes - but I think the twisting action specifically targets the muscles I'm talking about as well as general core strengthening.

I don't have a goatee and low slung trousers so boarding not really appropriate. I have been watching the price of these though : http://www.ski-simulator.com/ . Need to convince myself I would use it enough ....

[db]

Du1point8 said:

marksx said:

db said:

ask the doc to refer you to a physio, they'll give you stretching excercises that will help.
if you find it more comfortable to lie on you side, try putting a pillow between your knees.
swimming may help, but DO NOT use breast stoke

Why can't you use breast stroke?

Does it do more harm than good?

arching of the back whilst doing it whilst the others the back is usually striaght?

(I could be wrong though)

that's what i was told, although it kinda contradicts the stretching exercises i was shown. the next poster mentioned lying on your front and doing push ups but keeping your hips on the floor.
best advice was to avoid ironing

[zax]

gifdy said:

It sounds like you're in a similar position to me so thought I'd share my findings. I don't get sciatica but suffer a lot from lower back pain. I've also had everything from traction to acupuncture and nothing really helped. What I did find was that after skiing I had a couple of months where my back was really good. I then found this book :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Back-RX-15-Minute-Day-Pila...

It's written by a doctor/physio from the US PGA tour. He noticed that golfers with a lot of flexibility in the hips didn't suffer from back pain - those with less flexibility were always knocking on his door. So he figured that if you can increase the flexibility you should suffer less and designed a set of exercises to help. They are simple to do and he has three different regimes from recovery through to building core strength. This seemed to tie in with what I found with my skiing and it really works well for me.

More recently I had an assessment at a Chiropracter and while his treatment didn't work for me he believed my issue was with the quadratus lumborum muscle group which again ties in with skiing and the Back Rx exercises. I've just started working on specific exercises which stretch (rather than build) these muscles.

If you have similar symptoms maybe worth a try ?

Thanks, I'll check it out. Strangely I did have a couple of months with no issues this winter, and was doing a lot of snowshoe hiking. Maybe coincidence, maybe some relation to a slightly modified walking style, who knows. Can't do that one all year though