@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.
@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.
@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.
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.
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.
The only exercise that helped me in the early stages was the Cobra. And ice packs helped.
The worst mistake I made was using heat. You are suffering from inflamed muscle and capillaries. You don’t want to expand them.
On what String says about heat, fall off enough horses (l was pretty good at the falling part when l started over jumps in my 30s), RICE is the best idea for the first 48 hours. Rest, Ice, Compression ( but don’t go too tight), Elevation. After 48 hours heat may be ok. But don’t start there until the major inflammation risk is past. This was also the right approach when l went airborne off a horse that l made a boo boo on and he bucked me off, and his hoof landed on my ankle. Happily flat and in muddy spring ground, and l was wearing my leather riding boots. No breaks, but it was a moment to make no mistakes in the RICE regimen.
Plan is to take the Prednisone in the morning, after a good breakfast. I’m a good sleeper, I can drink caffeinated coffee 1 hour before I go to sleep and be asleep in minutes. My wife is very jealous of my sleeping ability.
Good luck. I only had trouble during the heavy dose days. I normally am asleep in minutes, which also makes my wife jealous. Wide awake at 3 am isn’t my thing.
Soft landing indeed, Prednisone seems to be doing it. Was not that uncomfortable on the plane, had an aisle seat so that helped, I was able to stretch my left foot when it needed it. I’m here In Bentonville at my sons house. I’m here to pick up my grandson and bring him to NJ next Tuesday. This is part of a grand plan that’s been going on. Next Friday we are taking my grandson to our Pocono house, on Sunday I pick up my sister in law flying in to Wilkes Barre airport from St. Louis, the next day my son will fly in and I’ll have to pick him up as well. Monday my daughter and her family are coming in, by the time it ends we’ll have 11 people staying at our house. Daughter and her family live in Cambridge UK and come every summer. They have one year left in Cambridge and then will return to the US.
Update, have pain in the morning, ate something, took my prednisone and went for a long walk (6 AM), saw an Armadillo, came back by 7:15 and Prednisone is starting to work, leg feels better. Walked 7 1/2 miles yesterday! Did 3 miles this morning. Yesterday went on a hike in Hobs state park, in the Ozarks, springs everywhere and limestone bluffs, pretty area and different from what I’m used to in the Northeast.
