Sciatica Questions

[jeffsmom11]

I need help. I am living a nightmare called sciatica and I hear a million different things. It started 6 months ago with nurabness and stinging in the thighs. My doc said that it was because I was over weight and my fat was pressing on the sciatic nerve causing this so I needed to diet and exercise. Well I did just that. My company went out of business and I lost my job and insurance 2 weeks before I felt this pop and mind nurabing pain shot from my butt cheek down to my ankle which was soon followed by my hunched over back. So I called my aunt who is a nurse and she said it all sounded like sciatica. I went to a chiropractor who was offering free xrays and he said my L5-S1 disc was gone. I went 5 days a week for 3 weeks and honestly while my back was less stiff it did absolutely nothing for the pain that shoots down my leg which when I walk and/or stand to long re-flares up my back. Vicious circle and a waste of my unemployment money so I gave it up. He kept preaching exercise yet when I told him over and over again I can't do them all he would say is try. Well this all started 3 months ago and I don't know what to do. How do you get your nerve unpinched? Especially when I cannot lay on my stomach because the pain is so bad it makes me vomit, literally. I cannot do any of the exercises with the exception of that chair exercise on those video's all over the back pain/sciatica websites. It has done nothing. I can bring my knee to my chest and my heel to my crotch but I cannot roll over, lift my butt from the floor if I am laying on my back or pretty much do anything on my back. Thank God I am a side sleeper but going from side to side is excruciating. So how do you get rid of it if you can't do the exercises? Are there like beginner exercises for those still in pain? I have a TENS machine that I use but does that help "cure" it or just mask the pain? Please help me!!!

 

[helly35]

Hi, my name is Helen and I am new here too but I just read your message and it sounRAB almost just like me, I have had a bad back for three years now and have had such problems since, I have a nurab left leg and toes and bottom of my foot, I also have shooting pain down inside of my leg and lower back. I have seen a specialist and had MRI scan which showed a disc pressing on nerve (Sciatica) etc, and in August last year I went into hospital for a Microdiscectomy, Simple keyhole procedure to free off nerve.....since then I have had so many more problems with pain and swelling of my ankle at achilles tendon area, cramp in my calf muscles and lower back pain that I have been transfered to consultant at back pain management clinic and am on so many tablets I rattle when I walk, I will continue to walk my beloved doggies even if I have to lie down for half a day afterwarRAB but...the shooting sciatic type pain has gone. You really need to see your doctor to get him to take you seriously enough to recommend you see a back specialist at a local hospital, who will then follow through with treatments and examinations hopefully. I hate having a 'bad back' people never take you seriously, if I had a leg or arm in plaster they would pull out a chair fo you or send you flowers, however bad backs are just sniffed at! Hope you get some relief soon...let me know, Helen.:wave:

 

[jeffsmom11]

The problem is I don't have any insurance. I'm an automotive worker living in Michigan so I don't forsee a job very soon. I am trying to branch out in other fielRAB but who wants to hire a person who cannot walk and without a job I can't get health insurance to fix this. Vicious circle. I am hoping to wake up one day and the pain is gone long enough for me to get professional help however I was hoping that there was something I could do in the mean time to hurry it up.