Siatic nerve pain

Stephen1 · July 19, 2023, 08:13:34 PM

I am lucky, Cathy is a Yoga instructor and therapist and I do yoga once a week. Her specialty Yoga is geared to 50+ years of age. When I have problem with my back Cathy gets me stretching and exercising. It works.

doc henderson · July 19, 2023, 09:20:14 PM

traction is better than inversion for the neck since not much weight in an empty head! :D :D :D, inversion really pulls on the lower back with the weight of the torso + the empty head. both could work but it is what is easiest given the location of the problem. would be best to find a good local doc. If it is too hard to set up, folks will not do it.

firefighter ontheside · July 20, 2023, 07:16:13 AM

Thanks all. I will definitely get to stretching and maybe yoga after I get an appointment with the doctor. I will go see the one I saw a few months ago and go from there. One of my coworkers works for a spine surgeon office , but also have a doc who specializes in pain management and injections. I may go there for the injections when the time comes.

No doubt I have an empty head.

doctorb · July 20, 2023, 08:02:22 AM

Agree with much of the above advice. I would add that I would not see a spine surgeon initially. Rehab docs, Pain specialists, PM&R (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) specialists evaluate the cause of your pain and try to stem it non-surgically. Unfortunately, us surgeons often only see the scalpel pathway. When the first line of defense fails after considerable amount of effort and time, they will refer you to the surgeon.

doc henderson · July 20, 2023, 09:58:23 AM

I just went to my second physical therapy apt. for my neck and arm symptoms. If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail.

My colleague has had two neck surgeries and they turned out well, a discectomy I think. He is happy. still last resort, but the question is how long to suffer until crossing that line.

Old saw fixer · July 20, 2023, 12:59:52 PM

Quote from: doc henderson on July 20, 2023, 09:58:23 AMstill last resort, but the question is how long to suffer until crossing that line.

I went a long time before my total hip replacement, dreading surgery. Now I wouldn't hesitate!

firefighter ontheside · July 20, 2023, 07:45:57 PM

Thanks guys. I assume that my original doc is a surgeon, but perhaps not a spine surgeon. He is supposed to review my MRI and get back to me on treatment options. I could not get an appointment with him til middle of Aug. Assuming he gets back to me tomorrow or early next week, I will decide whether to make an appointment with him or find another doc. There is a practice that I have been to for my elbows that I assume has at least one suitable back doc and or pain specialist.

Doc Henderson, what's going on with your neck and arm?

doc henderson · July 20, 2023, 10:02:53 PM

some impingement C 5,6, 6,7. weak triceps x 2/3, pain/tenderness in rhomboid, tingle in the thumb and finger 1 & 2 or digit 123.

Ed_K · July 23, 2023, 09:43:37 AM

I tried everything listed above until I couldn't walk and pain so bad all I could do is lay fedal style and cry. Crawled onto gurney and into surgery. When I woke up I slide to the side of the bed got up and could walk again. That was in 1995, now it's getting bad again, now I'm waiting till my cancer numbers come down enough to have the surgeon do the ballon thing where they put a small balloon type thing into the L4-L5 where the disk used to be and blow it up, squirt some cement in and pull the baloon back out thru a small hole in my back. The Doc's can explain it better.

Magicman · July 23, 2023, 10:06:05 AM

I finally got sciatic nerve relief when I loosened my belt and started wearing suspenders.

doc henderson · July 23, 2023, 11:16:04 AM

Ed that is prob. a kyphoplasty, and it jacks up a crushed vertebra with a balloon and then glue goes in to stabilize with instant results if it goes well. it is for a compression fracture and goes in the center if the bone.

firefighter ontheside · July 26, 2023, 05:40:31 PM

I am working on getting the fluoroscopic guided epidural steroid injection scheduled. Im not impressed with the office im working with, but I think if I try to go somewhere else right now, it will delay the process. I think I will likely have this doc do this one and then schedule with a new doc for further care.

Ed_K · August 04, 2023, 09:27:44 AM

So Doc, what would be the best way to fix the disk between L4 and L5? not that this will be coming up soon.

doc henderson · August 04, 2023, 11:49:32 AM

It would depend on the issue on MRI, but surgery should be the last option other than the first. steroid epidurals help with PT. the people I know that have had the micro discectomy however are happy they did. always a chance of a complication or lack of relief that you must weigh the potential benefits against. find a good pain doc or neurologist to assess first. If the only option becomes surgery, then they can refer you. this is for the chronic conditions not for acute injury needing to be stabilized.

firefighter ontheside · August 04, 2023, 01:06:25 PM

My epidural was scheduled for Aug 14, but just got a call from the doc office that they had a cancellation and now I am going this Friday, Aug 11.

firefighter ontheside · August 12, 2023, 10:24:50 AM

I had the epidural yesterday. I thought it would be more painful than it was. Ironically my pain has not been too bad the last week, but I know it would come back. Hopefully now the pain won't come back and what I still have for pain will be reduced. The doc said that the damage to my discs is not as bad as what the MRI report sounded like. He brought up some pics and showed me some things and showed me where the shot was going to go in relation to the bulging disc at L5-S1. Feeling pretty good today and back at work. Luckily its a weekend and I can take it pretty easy. I got an injection in my elbow on Thursday and that hurt worse. Talked to the doc about surgery this fall for that.

Freedy201 · April 29, 2025, 04:36:21 PM

Been dealing with sciatica on and off for a few years, flare-ups usually tied to too much sitting or lifting the wrong way. I've had some luck with a mix of chiropractic, stretching, and staying active (even short walks help). Sounds like you're already doing a lot of that.

Out of curiosity, has anyone here tried the more natural stuff for nerve pain? I know it's not everyone's thing, but I've heard folks say the stardawg strain helped them take the edge off without the heavy meds. Personally haven't tried it yet, but it's on my radar if things get worse.

doc henderson · April 29, 2025, 05:06:42 PM

It is a nerve pain, so most meds do not work. stretching, PT, injection of lidocaine with a long-acting steroid. I have had it twice and lived with it the first time for 5 years. one injection and it has not come back. I did get foot drop for a day and that was the left. now on the right and better after injection, no foot drop. both time injured moving combative patients up in bed.

LeftFinger · April 29, 2025, 07:25:39 PM

I had sciatica since I was 14 yrs old I am 74 now.I was told Your lazy , It's all in your head ,yada yada , slow down, arthritis , yada yada , About 8 yrs ago I started falling down walking across the yard . They finally did a scan instead of the useless x rays and found a pinched nerve . I now have a titanium cage arounf my L5 and I am pain free at least from my back

Ed_K · May 10, 2025, 10:25:29 AM

I was reading the first page and came across Magic Man's comment on the belt and spenders. 3 week's ago I was having a rough time with my chaps falling down and started using the suspenders to hold my pants up and found that my back didn't hurt while I was cutting hemlock logs to length to saw into cant's for Rita's flower garden. So I tried wearing them and loosened the pants, well it's working great, not much pain at all.

Ya'all have a great day.

Magicman · May 10, 2025, 02:13:59 PM

I am glad that you picked up on that Ed.

The suspenders came to me quite by accident. For about a week following my appendectomy I took it easy here in the house only wearing pajama pants, etc. It finally dawned on me that my hip and leg pain was no longer there so I was wondering whether my appendix was somehow twisted around something and causing the pain. Further along in my recovery I started wearing jeans again an since I suffer from "noassatall" I had to wear a belt to hold the jeans up. The hip and leg pain returned.

My normal now is to wear a loose belt and trucker's suspenders. It does not take but 2-3 days wearing a belt only for the hip pain to return which further verifies the cause and remedy.