Siatica

[Davey S2]

Anyone suffer from this?

I'm sure I have it.

I gave my car its spring clean on Saturday and after having bent down cleaning the sills and wheels I had a really bad pain in my lower back which then got worse throughout the day. Its concentrated in my lower back and top of my buttocks.

Its not muscular pain. I have a strong back and do a fair amount of back work in the gym (didnt go last week so not a strain from that).

Is it possible that I could have put pressure on the siatic nerve while bending down?

Taking ibuprofen which helps but is there anything else I can do?

[GarrettMacD]

I'm currently recovering from a bout it!

Started on the right hand side muscle of my lower back (about waist level) then moved down to the right butt cheek, and is now on the right leg.

It has been a slow recovery (about 5 weeks) but that wasn't helped by me not resting it (one weekend I filled an entire skip while clearing out the garage).

Plenty of rest, Ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory, coupled with freezing the area with a bag of frozen peas, quickly followed by a hot bath.

I have also been seeing an Osteopath. They will charge around £50 for your first visit and consulation, which should last for 1hr. Further treatment should be for 30min periods for a couple of weeks. That should cost around £30 a go.

Plenty of rest is the biggest single factor in your recovery.

[E21_Ross]

Davey S2 said:

Anyone suffer from this?

I'm sure I have it.

I gave my car its spring clean on Saturday and after having bent down cleaning the sills and wheels I had a really bad pain in my lower back which then got worse throughout the day. Its concentrated in my lower back and top of my buttocks.

Its not muscular pain. I have a strong back and do a fair amount of back work in the gym (didnt go last week so not a strain from that).

Is it possible that I could have put pressure on the siatic nerve while bending down?

Taking ibuprofen which helps but is there anything else I can do?

quite possible you may have a muscle just touching your sciatic nerve. from the sounds of it, you say it's over both sides? generally pretty rare to get sciatica on both sides, but of course it's possible. as suggested, see a decent osteopath or chiropractor. it could be some small muscle damage causing a local inflammatory response, and that puts pressure on both sciatic nerves (if you have damaged some spinal muscles for instance). is the pain 24/7, is it worse with certain positions/movements?

[bazking69]

Snap.

I haven't suffered with sciataca for years. Yet I was washing wifeys car yesterday, stood up quickly and struggled to stand up straight. fk. Not this again. bks. st.

I've been alternating between scorchingly hot baths and laying on a hot water bottle since which has helped massively.

Off to the doctors to get some dyclofenac in the morning (muscle relaxant) and going to take it easy for a while. I can stretch my left leg out OK so it should calm down and go away hopefully.

[Davey S2]

It doesnt feel like its down one side. More like right in the small of my back / coccyx.

I had it before a couple of years ago and think that was when bending down cleaning my car for quite while.

[Lastinclass]

I have suffered with inflamation in the sciatic nerve on and off for 15 years. It can flare up from nowhere. I know it's hard and bloody painful but walking and gentle cycling helps my back immensely when I get a spell of it.

[MoonMonkey]

I think I have this too after a 5-a-side game last week. Pain is in the lower back but down both arse cheeks and down my legs. My lower legs / feet feel a bit like jelly, really weak. I have taken it easy over the weekend but sure it's got worse. I hope I haven't severed my spinal cord :-(

[E21_Ross]

MoonMonkey said:

I think I have this too after a 5-a-side game last week. Pain is in the lower back but down both arse cheeks and down my legs. My lower legs / feet feel a bit like jelly, really weak. I have taken it easy over the weekend but sure it's got worse. I hope I haven't severed my spinal cord :-(

haha trust me, you haven't for starters, the spinal cord eventually ends to form 'corda equina', the sciatic nerve is made from several parts of what is known as the sacral plexus. this is formed from the corda equina, so after the spinal cord itself technically finishes. severing the spinal cord is ruddy rare too luckily trauma to certain areas are not though. also, it's worth noting the sciatic nerve only supplies the back on the thigh, then splits behind the knee into 2 more nerves (tibial and common fibular) to supply those areas. it does not supply the feet. so if you are getting feet problems, it's unlikely to be sciatica (or certainly just sciatica)

i'll shut up now!

[E21_Ross]

Davey S2 said:

It doesnt feel like its down one side. More like right in the small of my back / coccyx.

I had it before a couple of years ago and think that was when bending down cleaning my car for quite while.

right, if you could do this for me....if you feel near the bottom of your back, either side there are 2 bony 'lumps' is the pain near there? this picture might help:



is it near where the arrow is, and is it just one side? if so, it might well be sacroiliac joint pain. can have similar symptoms to what you have described and is also very common. if it is that, the pain would probably be worse just towards the middle, and down a small amount from where the arrow is.

if not, then it's not that

edit: lovely car btw davey s2! also, you are only 15miles away from me (it says cardiff). i might be able to sort you out with some cheap chiro treatment if you'd like? if you are half interested PM me and i will see what the prices are down here. but initial consultation is usually over an hour which i know is a lot of time.

Edited by E21_Ross on Monday 8th March 17:17

[macp]

Wifey lying in bed now had to collect her from work as she couldnt drive and was struggling to walk without pain.She has seen an NHS physio who says it is sciatica.It seems to be low down and on one side and the pain can shoot down one leg.Not seen her this bad before poor bugger and really want to find a way to help her and try to find some kind of treatment.A friend has suggested the Bowen technique.Any ideas would be most helpful.

[E21_Ross]

macp said:

Wifey lying in bed now had to collect her from work as she couldnt drive and was struggling to walk without pain.She has seen an NHS physio who says it is sciatica.It seems to be low down and on one side and the pain can shoot down one leg.Not seen her this bad before poor bugger and really want to find a way to help her and try to find some kind of treatment.A friend has suggested the Bowen technique.Any ideas would be most helpful.

chiropractic. not that i'm biased. but i mean it though, see a decent chiropractor. note decent. a lot of the 'older' generation chiropractors, IMO, don't always use the latest, evidence based care. it's definitely worth a shot. might be worth seeing about an MRI before hand to check for any other problems such as disc herniation.

Edited by E21_Ross on Monday 8th March 19:42

[macp]

Thanks

She is in serious pain and cant even sit down to go to the loo because of the pain.Like I say I have not seen her in this kind of pain before.

Quite worried about her tbh.

She tells me that the pain is not shooting down her leg but is very acute.

Edited by macp on Monday 8th March 20:15

[rlw]

whisky and ibuprofen works every time.

[E21_Ross]

macp said:

Thanks

She is in serious pain and cant even sit down to go to the loo because of the pain.Like I say I have not seen her in this kind of pain before.

Quite worried about her tbh.

She tells me that the pain is not shooting down her leg but is very acute.

Edited by macp on Monday 8th March 20:15

if she is in that much pain take her to A&E. i don't think a GP will be much good here (they are useless at neuromusculoskeletal stuff!!!) if she can be ok for tonight, i would phone all the local chiropractors and get an appointment asap. just for the record, in pain, acute is in relation to length of time (under approx 6 weeks). where, in relation to that picture i posted a while ago, is she getting the pain? does she know what she did to bring it on (fall, lifing a weight etc). can she lie in any position where the pain goes away? for tonight, just some pain killers as posted below......

rlw said:

whisky and ibuprofen works every time.

sadly, for only a short period of time. it's my opinion it's always better to treat the source rather than the symptoms. but for now, yes.

[macp]

E21_Ross said:

macp said:

Thanks

She is in serious pain and cant even sit down to go to the loo because of the pain.Like I say I have not seen her in this kind of pain before.

Quite worried about her tbh.

She tells me that the pain is not shooting down her leg but is very acute.

Edited by macp on Monday 8th March 20:15

if she is in that much pain take her to A&E. i don't think a GP will be much good here (they are useless at neuromusculoskeletal stuff!!!) if she can be ok for tonight, i would phone all the local chiropractors and get an appointment asap. just for the record, in pain, acute is in relation to length of time (under approx 6 weeks). where, in relation to that picture i posted a while ago, is she getting the pain? does she know what she did to bring it on (fall, lifing a weight etc). can she lie in any position where the pain goes away? for tonight, just some pain killers as posted below......



[

Pain is central lower back not as low as coccyx but all around the hip area.It was brought on today by standing up or sitting down and felt like her back had seized up.If she lies propped up in bed its bearable but any movement brings on pain and nausea.Im feeling a little alone here so the help is much appreciated.

[E21_Ross]

macp said:

E21_Ross said:

macp said:

Thanks

She is in serious pain and cant even sit down to go to the loo because of the pain.Like I say I have not seen her in this kind of pain before.

Quite worried about her tbh.

She tells me that the pain is not shooting down her leg but is very acute.

Edited by macp on Monday 8th March 20:15

if she is in that much pain take her to A&E. i don't think a GP will be much good here (they are useless at neuromusculoskeletal stuff!!!) if she can be ok for tonight, i would phone all the local chiropractors and get an appointment asap. just for the record, in pain, acute is in relation to length of time (under approx 6 weeks). where, in relation to that picture i posted a while ago, is she getting the pain? does she know what she did to bring it on (fall, lifing a weight etc). can she lie in any position where the pain goes away? for tonight, just some pain killers as posted below......



[

Pain is central lower back not as low as coccyx but all around the hip area.It was brought on today by standing up or sitting down and felt like her back had seized up.If she lies propped up in bed its bearable but any movement brings on pain and nausea.Im feeling a little alone here so the help is much appreciated.

earlier you said it's just on one side, but above you say all around the hip area, so i'm guessing you mean just one side yeh? the nausea is what has confused me a little. i'd hope it's just caused by the pain response, if so she must be in a lot of pain. if it's that bad mate ask if she wants to go to A&E. i wouldn't have thought pulled a spinal muscle if it was just standing or sitting up (unless she was doing this all day long...perhaps). if it's as bad as you say it is sounds like she might need some pretty hefty pain killers. certainly if the pain has not subsided come morning time, i wouldn't be too surprised if she got some form of imaging done like MRI to rule out (or not...) possible disc herniation, nerve impingement etc. the trouble is of course without being there i can't know the exact pain type, exact location of pain (specific structures have specific pain areas of course) and so on.

ultimately, if the pain doesn't go away......A&E. I think a chiropractor would probably send you straight to A&E if she's in that much pain. i almost certainly would, probably following an MRI or x-ray film, depending on physical exam.

let me know how it progresses. i'll keep checking the thread.

Edited by E21_Ross on Monday 8th March 21:02

[macp]

Sorry my mistake but at the moment the pain is definitely emanating from the lower back in the centre and around the hips.Then stiffness at the front of her hips.She is walking around at the moment and standing still and she is not having pain but can feel pressure.I think we can make it through the night but depending on how she is in the morning I will get her to A&E and or the docs to get her in for a scan.So do you really think chiropracter is the correct route ?

I should also mention that she stands and sits all day long in her job as a podiatry assistant.

Edited by macp on Monday 8th March 21:36

[stackmonkey]

Davey S2 said:

Anyone suffer from this?

I'm sure I have it.

I gave my car its spring clean on Saturday and after having bent down cleaning the sills and wheels I had a really bad pain in my lower back which then got worse throughout the day. Its concentrated in my lower back and top of my buttocks.

Its not muscular pain. I have a strong back and do a fair amount of back work in the gym (didnt go last week so not a strain from that).

Is it possible that I could have put pressure on the siatic nerve while bending down?

Taking ibuprofen which helps but is there anything else I can do?

Damn, sounds like what I'm seeing doc about later this week.
I'm ok sitting, I'm ok standing, walking, doing stuff.
It's going from sitting to standing and vice versa that hurts...

[E21_Ross]

macp said:

So do you really think chiropracter is the correct route ?

Edited by macp on Monday 8th March 21:36

instead of a GP over a neuromusculoskeletal disorder....errrr yeh i wouldn't even think twice about it. if the chiropractor can't do anything they will at least refer you to someone who can. also, a chiropractor will generally give a st about who you are, unlike a GP. If she's still in intense pain tomorrow, i would first go to A&E. if all they do (quite likely) is say 'take these pain killers and get some rest and see how it goes' i would take the pain killers, if still not much better (bare in mind with pain killers it will FEEL better - by no means would it necessarily be getting better) after another day or 2 then see the chiropractor.

if a gp turns round and says get some bed rest, walk out of there clinic and straight to a chiropractic clinic. the problem is you don't want the problem to become chronic (long standing). chronic low back pain generally has a far worse outcome than acute cases...which is why you should get her seen to as soon as possible.

hope this helps.

edit: stiffness at the front of the hips is an interesting one. the main hip flexor muscle (psoas) is important for low back stability. it could be something like a damaged muscle, if it were my guess is probably one called quadratus lumborum. a key spinal stabiliser.




however....it's been a while since i did pain referral for that muscle so i should probably look that up!

let me know how things go tomorrow.

Edited by E21_Ross on Monday 8th March 21:54

[macp]

E21_Ross said:

macp said:

So do you really think chiropracter is the correct route ?

Edited by macp on Monday 8th March 21:36

instead of a GP over a neuromusculoskeletal disorder....errrr yeh i wouldn't even think twice about it. if the chiropractor can't do anything they will at least refer you to someone who can. also, a chiropractor will generally give a st about who you are, unlike a GP.

Point taken thanks

Have you heard of the McTimoney Method ?