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Sciatica is kicking my...

How about the feeling of pins and needles in your legs when things are starting to heal???? Weird..
Yup, pretty odd. Truthfully it is probably the return of being able to feel, an ability that had been lost. I have permanent loss of feeling in some of my toes on both feet.
 
How about the feeling of pins and needles in your legs when things are starting to heal???? Weird..
I must be healing 24/7, pins and needles are a constant all the way to 3 toes in right leg and foot.
Same feeling about 90% of the time in my hands because of a couple herniated disc in my neck.
I swore off surgery for a while, the last one lasted 9.5 hours, prostate and bladder removal, any more and they just might turn me into the "bionic man".
 
Before doing surgery and drugs, I would try old fashioned physical therapy.
My lower spine is one half of a circle.
I'm limited to lifting 25 pounds.
Medicare limits you to $2,500.00/year for physical therapy.
The exercises are very simple. You can do them at home with no equipment.
I went to a MD who does the sports medicine for the University of Louisville.
Every time I get a twinge, I do the exercises and I'm good to go.
 
"Card-carrying" member of the club here, too. Not sciatica per se, but enough old injury damage (muscles) that the nerve down through the hip and upper leg is perpetually inflamed. And nerves seem to hate being inflamed.

Everybody's specific condition can differ so widely from anybody else's, it's hard to suggest certain things to try.

What's worked for me:

  • Stretching, several times daily -- specific stretches for the lower back, hips/flexors, glutes.
  • Strengthening of the leg, hip, back and "core" muscles -- much greater strength and flexibility yields better posture, better ability to keep the hips/legs doing what they're supposed to do, and aids "bad blood out / good blood in" from all the exercise.
  • Exercises not involving pounding, running around, and otherwise working on strengthening those things while not standing so much. So, no treadmill/walking; rower instead. Little to no standing ellipticals; seated cycling instead. Much yoga, Pilates, stretching.


What's not worked nearly as well:

  • Epidurals -- they've only worked for a couple of weeks, and the limits on frequency of such steroidal injections takes it off the list for me. Many people experience a few months' worth of relief. Not in my case.
  • Any sort of over-the-counter meds. Nothing seems to reduce the perpetual inflammation ... except improved strength, flexibility, and increase of foods deemed to help reduce the body's inflammatory response. (Of course, the inflammation immediately surrounding the injury area is primarily due to that injury and all the scar tissue, which no dietary intake will alter. So, it's a case of every little bit helping at least a little.)

Of course, many people have vertebrae issues and/or disc issues, or other bone issues near where the spinal column splits into the sciatic and heads down through the pelvis to the legs. Impinge upon a nerve branch anywhere along that chain, and ... well, you know.

Hopefully one or more changes (with or without a doc intervening) will get you through all this pain and onto the road to avoiding it.

Good luck.
 
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"Card-carrying" member of the club here, too. Not sciatica per se, but enough old injury damage (muscles) that the nerve down through the hip and upper leg is perpetually inflamed. And nerves seem to hate being inflamed.

Everybody's specific condition can differ so widely from anybody else's, it's hard to suggest certain things to try.

What's worked for me:

  • Stretching, several times daily -- specific stretches for the lower back, hips/flexors, glutes.
  • Strengthening of the leg, hip, back and "core" muscles -- much greater strength and flexibility yields better posture, better ability to keep the hips/legs doing what they're supposed to do, and aids "bad blood out / good blood in" from all the exercise.
  • Exercises not involving pounding, running around, and otherwise working on strengthening those things while not standing so much. So, no treadmill/walking; rower instead. Little to no standing ellipticals; seated cycling instead. Much yoga, Pilates, stretching.


What's not worked nearly as well:

  • Epidurals -- they've only worked for a couple of weeks, and the limits on frequency of such steroidal injections takes it off the list for me. Many people experience a few months' worth of relief. Not in my case.
  • Any sort of over-the-counter meds. Nothing seems to reduce the perpetual inflammation ... except improved strength, flexibility, and increase of foods deemed to help reduce the body's inflammatory response. (Of course, the inflammation immediately surrounding the injury area is primarily due to that injury and all the scar tissue, which no dietary intake will alter. So, it's a case of every little bit helping at least a little.)

Of course, many people have vertebrae issues and/or disc issues, or other bone issues near where the spinal column splits into the sciatic and heads down through the pelvis to the legs. Impinge upon a nerve branch anywhere along that chain, and ... well, you know.

Hopefully one or more changes (with or without a doc intervening) will get you through all this pain and onto the road to avoiding it.

Good luck.
I wonder if water aerobics will help. I've done it before and it's low impact on the knees and hips, don't know how it will help my back but I'll ask my pain specialist.
 
If the pain has an acute onset you may have a herniated disc. An MRI is the best imaging technique for diagnosing this. Unfortunately many of us "elder folks" have degenerative arthritis as a cause of back pain. This causes so called spinal canal and foraminal stenosis a narrowing of the bony canal in the center of the back and the openings on either side all of which carry nerve roots. This compresses these nerves and causes sciatica. The treatment for this condition is much more difficult as it usually involves multiple levels and is an ongoing condition. The results of treatment is long term, varied and often unsatisfactory. When our ancestors long ago on the African savanna began to walk upright we could see the approaching dangers but it left us with the legacy of chronic back pain.
 
Card carrying member also. L%-S! fusion, 4/5 laminectamy. I get nerve block every six months and facet joint injections two weeks after the nerve block. It keeps me from kicking the wife and yelling at the dog, or is it the other way around? I also take Tramadol and muscle relaxer when it is nearing the time for shots. My "shooter" Doc is good, using an Xray, and he knocks me silly with Versed, so I can let him noodle around and I can tell him when he is "on" the spot, but I never have any recollection of the procedure. When it is really bad I have a Hydroculator pad that I soak in water then freeze. I wrap it in a folded towel, put it right in the center of my bed, lay on it all night with my mattress heater on and microwave heated corn bags (Dried whole corn in a linen sack) around me. That keeps the cold to just my lower back. One or two nights of that and it usually eases up. I know that violated the ten minutes on, twenty off rule, but it works.
 
go see a pain management specialist after the mri
I saw one and he ordered an MRI which I did today. I'm not due to see him till the end of the month but I'm going in next week, they should have the results by then.

He also referred me to an orthopedic spine surgeon. He's has fellowship training and board certified for spine surgery. I don't want to get cut but I'm looking ahead. I also have a neurosurgeon I can go to and lean towards him. Seems like with sufficient training they're both pretty close but the neurosurgeon can work inside the spinal canal and not the orthopedist.

I want to explore all noninvasive options before any surgery which as I read is not always successful.

In any case I want to thank everyone for their responses and personal experiences. I have learned some things which I can take with me and ask the good questions. Again thanks to all for your time :) .
 
Mousegunner, ask the two surgeons if they will work together, many do, each doing their own part.
You are correct non evasive procedures are band-aides, they don't last, and some just don't work. On the other hand, surgery doesn't always work either, ask me how I know.
Whatever you decide good luck.
 
I saw one and he ordered an MRI which I did today. I'm not due to see him till the end of the month but I'm going in next week, they should have the results by then.

He also referred me to an orthopedic spine surgeon. He's has fellowship training and board certified for spine surgery. I don't want to get cut but I'm looking ahead. I also have a neurosurgeon I can go to and lean towards him. Seems like with sufficient training they're both pretty close but the neurosurgeon can work inside the spinal canal and not the orthopedist.

I want to explore all noninvasive options before any surgery which as I read is not always successful.

In any case I want to thank everyone for their responses and personal experiences. I have learned some things which I can take with me and ask the good questions. Again thanks to all for your time :) .
MacKinsey back exercises/maneuvers via a good physical therapist, unless you have a disc fragment detached.
 

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