String, Cobra is also what worked best for me. I also used an inversion bench that helped initially, but the exercises in McKenzie’s book had the most effect: https://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/mckenzie-therapy-mechanical-low-back-pain
Lower back/hip/down upper leg/around to front/along shin and then the top of foot. Been there done that.
Had a soft mattress for years and it caused lower back pain. I was doing yoga, core exercises, and getting nowhere. Changed to a firmer mattress (Sleep Number than I can adjust the firmness) and my problems are almost gone.
@TreeA10 said:
Had a soft mattress for years and it caused lower back pain. I was doing yoga, core exercises, and getting nowhere. Changed to a firmer mattress (Sleep Number than I can adjust the firmness) and my problems are almost gone.
We like our Sleep Number mattress.
back about a dozen years ago I had the problem off and on occasionally. It was so bad in mid-2007 that after sitting in a car I had to practically craw out, holding on to the door to support me for a minute or so before I could walk while all hunched over like an old man. After about a dozen or so steps it felt a little better. I went to see a PT (a nice young lady named “Buffy”). She gave me some floor exercise to do with rolled up pillows.
At about the same time, in the fall of 2007 I was invited to paddle in the 440 mile Yukon River quest the next June. But team paddle training had to begin immediately. Buffy said that it probably would not hurt if I started out easy.
It wasn’t bad, so I paddled a few hundred miles in training that fall. And it all felt better the more times I paddled.
End of story, I paddled in the Yukon in the 2008 season ( for the first of what was to be 4 more years of racing on that river). I have been free of back pain ever since. So I credit proper hard canoeing technique for a continued pain free back.
Also try body massage. Our Chiro, who is also a Sports Kinesiologist graduated from MSU, recommended we try massage in compliment with her manipulations. It is a great combination for us.
Exercises that work for you, in my case stretching like yoga and low impact stuff like walking and core exercises. And for me monthly chiro and massage. I got tired of hurting all the time. This regimen has fixed and kept away both lower and upper back issues, after l went thru a year of more frequent work to get things initially corrected.
At a certain age in your life, not hurting usually costs time and/or money. Because of all the fun you had before that. But l am happy to put that in compared to having a dire disease.
Good posture and sitting up straight are key elements for me. The plank is great for core strength. Don’t bend over to pick up stuff squat instead.
Suffering from symptoms for 18 months now. The initial pain episode was about 2 months, but lingering neuropathy right foot and some flairs continue. Physical therapy for 6 months was probably beneficial, stretching, nerve glide movements. . I have had back problems for 40 years, but this was my first taste of sciatica. At least I’m not pissing my pants. My PT is a paddler and actually recommended NO paddling until it was cleared. I just changed seats and stretch a lot more.
@Celia said:
Exercises that work for you, in my case stretching like yoga and low impact stuff like walking and core exercises. And for me monthly chiro and massage. I got tired of hurting all the time. This regimen has fixed and kept away both lower and upper back issues, after l went thru a year of more frequent work to get things initially corrected.At a certain age in your life, not hurting usually costs time and/or money. Because of all the fun you had before that. But l am happy to put that in compared to having a dire disease.
Or dying
@Paatit said:
Suffering from symptoms for 18 months now. The initial pain episode was about 2 months, but lingering neuropathy right foot and some flairs continue. Physical therapy for 6 months was probably beneficial, stretching, nerve glide movements. . I have had back problems for 40 years, but this was my first taste of sciatica. At least I’m not pissing my pants. My PT is a paddler and actually recommended NO paddling until it was cleared. I just changed seats and stretch a lot more.
If I waited until mine cleared, I wouldn’t have paddled the last 20 years.
@string said:
@Paatit said:
Suffering from symptoms for 18 months now. The initial pain episode was about 2 months, but lingering neuropathy right foot and some flairs continue. Physical therapy for 6 months was probably beneficial, stretching, nerve glide movements. . I have had back problems for 40 years, but this was my first taste of sciatica. At least I’m not pissing my pants. My PT is a paddler and actually recommended NO paddling until it was cleared. I just changed seats and stretch a lot more.If I waited until mine cleared, I wouldn’t have paddled the last 20 years.
I guess it was “ON” TOPIC after all Andy. We could start are own message board.
@Paatit said:
Suffering from symptoms for 18 months now. The initial pain episode was about 2 months, but lingering neuropathy right foot and some flairs continue. Physical therapy for 6 months was probably beneficial, stretching, nerve glide movements. . I have had back problems for 40 years, but this was my first taste of sciatica. At least I’m not pissing my pants. My PT is a paddler and actually recommended NO paddling until it was cleared. I just changed seats and stretch a lot more.
My last surgery I had a spinal Stimulator installed. It has eliminated the peripheral neuropathy in my legs. In the realm of back surgeries, pretty mild except for the Paddling restriction for 3-4 months.
Had a couple of bad days and decided to go to a pain specialist. I was concerned because I need to fly to Arkansas tomorrow and the thought of sitting in an airplane seat for 3 hours had me shaking in my boots. Ibuprofen did nothing for me! Doctor prescribed Prednisone for me, oral dosages. 4 today and tomorrow, 3 the following 2 days then 2 and finally 1 for the last two days. I’m hopeful that I have a reasonably comfortable flight!
Take Benadryl after the first dose if you want to sleep at night. If you are typical, your face will flush and you’ll feel like you are in hyper drive.
Benadryl takes the edge off.
Doctor told me to take Tylenol. And no ibuprofen.
In the good old days you would have been given an opiate for pain. Tylenol has been marginally effective for me.
Benadryl is not a pain killer.
If you do find a really good chiropractor (unfortunately a lot of them are ineffective quacks) they can help. My mom fell on icy steps in her late 70’s, catching her foot and causing a spiral leg fracture plus a blown disc. Months of forced inactivity due to a toe to hip cast only exacerbated the back pain. She used to have to lie flat on the carpeted floor in agony, take pain meds that made her woozy and was often unable to drive (she had been quite spry for her age before the accident and regularly went to the gym.) The docs wanted to operate on the disc and she was dreading that. (She and I both have always had major problems with anaesthesia.) Instead we found a very good chiro, referred by her GP as a matter of fact, who had well-staffed rehab clinic. He did manipulations to relax the muscles and skeletal torsion that the pain was causing, then had her do targeted exercises for strengthening support muscles in the back and increasing flexibility and relaxation. Results were remarkable – relieved the chronic pain and she was able to avoid the surgery and get back to walking, driving and just general daily comfort. The pain never returned.
I know that would not work for everyone, but It’s certainly worth trying if you can find good resources.
I had bouts of sciatica (as well as trapezius spasms from a loose neck vertebra) from injuries and overuse at various times during my years as a construction electrician and only a good chiro was ever able to fix me up – all that orthopods did was give me drugs that dulled but didn’t correct the problems. I took the chiros’ advice long term and regularly do abdominal and back strengthening exercises – also have been attentive to maintaining careful daily routines. Just sitting down sideways in a car seat (facing away from the inside of the car) and carefully lifting and pivoting your hips and legs into the vehicle instead of putting in one leg and twisting your torso inside like most people do can prevent a lot of strain to your lower spine and hip joints. Practices like Pilates and Alexander Technique can teach you to use your body more efficiently without strain.
The doctor gave me a whole series of exercise’s to do, which I will start doing tomorrow…after I land.
More on the prednisone… It tends to only be an issue when you start the stuff, but agree with String it is counter productive go sleep. Or any steroids. I had my droopy left eyelid fixed outpatient, twilight anesthesia. But even with that lightweight anesthesia, which had some steroids to manage swelling, l found myself eager to start my Christmas cards at 3 am.
I realized it was drug induced enthusiasm. Violated doc’s orders and had a beer to get some sleep.