Does anyone have sciatic nerve problems?

[whitelop]

This is day 2 of my sciatic nerve acting up. Its happened since I was in my early teens, but I don't remember it being this bad EVER. I can barely walk, I feel crippled. It goes through my right hip, all the way down my leg, into my knee and then to my foot. It made my toes go numb this morning.

Does anyone else suffer from sciatic nerve problems? How do you make it feel better, other than taking pain relievers? Those only last a short amount of time then I'm hurting again.

 

[Blue eyes]

Oh, I'm not sure. I do remember that being a common problem while pregnant. A good massage usually worked it out. The pressure point is kinda in the upper half of the buttocks. I remember our lamaze teacher showing the hubbies how to massage their wives.

Pressure on the right spot might help. (Hubby shouldn't mind trying to find the right spot... :big wink: )

 

[whitelop]

LOL! You're too funny Suzette!

 

[sugarbunnies]

Occasionally , like last night, I will step down on my foot (normal walking), and a terrible, sharp pain will shoot through my foot, enough to make me curse. It is some sort of nerve pain, but not sure if exactly sciatic.

 

[audrinasmommy88]

I have been having this problem since i got pregnant. It was so bad one night I went to labor and delivery because I thought I was in labor. What helps me (since I cant take pain relievers except tylenol) is a nice warm/hot bath, heating pad on my lower back and lie on the side opposite of the pain.

 

[Apebull]

audrinasmommy88 wrote:

is a nice warm/hot bath, heating pad on my lower back and lie on the side opposite of the pain.

:yeahthat:

I had problems with my sciatic nerve with both kids. And now I continue to have it if I'm in the car to long or sit wrong or just because it wants to remind me it there. I would say massage and heating pad help. Sorry your in so much pain, and how weird mine is always down the left leg.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Mayflower moving van ran a red light at 50 mph and t boned me--spine has all kinds of bad things now. Usually I use ice then heat and it goes away, so far, in about a week. Nancy goes for injection every 3 months and has had 5 surgeries.

 

[degrassi]

Chiropractor and a heating pad

 

[whitelop]

I'm going to try the heating pad and laying on the opposite side tonight, see if that helps.
It is so bad today that I can barely stand up or walk.
Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[Blue eyes]

whitelop wrote:

LOL! You're too funny Suzette!

I know it sounds funny, but there's truth there too. Hard pressure on that spot WILL help work that out. You'll know it when hubby finds the right spot. He'll have to push around to find it but you'll really feel it when he does. He should use 2 fingers to push on it.

 

[whitelop]

Blue eyes wrote:

whitelop wrote:

LOL! You're too funny Suzette!

I know it sounds funny, but there's truth there too. Hard pressure on that spot WILL help work that out. You'll know it when hubby finds the right spot. He'll have to push around to find it but you'll really feel it when he does. He should use 2 fingers to push on it.

I'm going to get him to press around tonight and see if that helps. I hope it does. Sometimes I want to stick a fork in my upper butt! I know that sounds nuts.

 

[MiniLopHop]

I have that issue when my fibromyalgia gets cranky. I can't take antinflammaries because of the risk of GI bleeding and strong pain killers make me puke. I did find Arnica pain relief cream (thank you Alma!) and it really helps. You can get it on line or where they sell homeopathic things.

Alternating ice and heat helps. I use a hard massage ball or golf ball for pressure. I lay flat on the floor and put the golf ball under my right butt cheak, then roll around until I find the right spot. Oh dear goodness you will know when you hit it! Put as much pressure as you can stand and try your best to relax into it. I know, relaxing into the pain is counter intuitive but will get easier with practice. The goal is to make the muscle freak out so much it lets go. I would start with 15-30 seconds at first and work your way up as you can tolerate. My husband tends to let go when I start swearing, so the golf ball works better.

Good luck. The pain is no fun. It tends to wake me up at night feeling like someone is pouring boiling water from my low back down my leg, burns like heck.

 

[whitelop]

I can't take anti-inflammatory's either because they kill my stomach. I don't usually take anything stronger than Motrin because I don't like the way they make me feel. So that stuff is out of the question.

Tonight I'm going to try everything that you guys have suggested!

 

[gmas rabbit]

Len lifted a outrigger boat by himself and popped his hips out. Had sciatic nerve pain for weeks. Finally broke down and went to a chiropractor that uses your own body to put things back in place instead of forcing the issue. She also uses some sort of electric impulse therapy. Wow what a difference. She always told Len a hot soak and then ice. Hope you find some relief. The arnica cream Brandy mentioned is a flower based cream with anti inflamatory qualities. Works really well.

 

[whitelop]

Alma, would a mustard plaster work on my sciatic nerve? I just googled it and it said it helps with inflammation. I saw you put something about mustard plasters on another thread. My great grandmother used to use them when she was sick, I remember it from when I was a kid.

Well, I also have a cold and I've been coughing for a week now, I think that the jarring nature of coughing is what caused my sciatic nerve to act up.

 

[gmas rabbit]

Definitely, sorry didn't notice your reply until now. Have done it with swollen and sore knees and actually a couple of times on a sore back. You could do it a couple of times a day. Just make sure that you wrap the area up nice and warm after, like a pair of soft pjs instead of jeans or a long sweater. I snuck one into the hospital one time when mom was in there and put it one her. She had a bear of a nurse that wasn't into that sort of thing. As far as a cold goes, it will loosen and break a cough up almost overnight. Just don't go out and get a chill afterwards. Mom was a great believer in mustard plasters, we always got them as kids when we were sick. Always pissed us off because even if you felt better after, you were not allowed outside. lol

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Almost forgot--my doctor prescribed a TENS unit for me. Sends electrical pulse between 4 pads and helps break up the spasms I get. ray:

 

[MiniLopHop]

Hi Moragan. How are you feeling? Is anything helping? ray:

 

[whitelop]

Not really. The last 2 morning I've woken up in agony. Like have to yell and swear pain.
I made a rice heating pad last night and slept with it on my back most of the night, it helped while it was on. My husband did rub my back last night, but I wasn't having a spasm so I couldn't pin point where the pain is coming from while he was rubbing.

But I will say that once I get moving around, the pain comes and goes. I don't know whats going on, but this is the worst that its been, ever. Even when I was pregnant it wasn't this bad.

But thank you for the concern Brandy! And thank every one for the advice on how to manage this. I'm going to try everything everyone suggested. I think I'm going to try a mustard plaster tonight to see if that will help.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Hot tub and pool helps too--seems like getting all the weihgt of the skeleton will let things align better, sometimes.