sciatica

I have had sciatica on and off for many years and so has my older son. My son recently had a MRI scan and was told exactly what you say, he has a bulging disc which is aggravating the sciatic nerve. I think the prognosis varies from person to person and it is a matter of managing it by keeping mobile and doing exercises, in some cases it returns and in others it doesn’t. I was given a sheet of exercises by the Health care assistant at the GP surgery but they seemed to make things worse so I looked on you Tube and found exercises specifically for sciatica, Bob and Brad are pretty good and the exercises are very straightforward. I did their exercises twice a day, every two hours seems a bit drastic but I suppose it’s down to what you can manage.

I don’t know anything about acupuncture so can’t comment on that. You seem to have been given conflicting advice, perhaps you could ask your GP for a referral to a consultant.

Thans for the reply. I honestly do not think a consutant is required. My sciatica is mild and like I said, most of the time it is not painful. I said to the physeotherapist it is a question of managing it and knowing what to do and what not to do. I am fortunate that my sciatica is not that bad and that I do not have numness or tingling in the leg. It is annoying more than anything

As with everything some physios are better/suit you better than others. I’ve had some excellent ones but also some who weren’t giving much help. Sad to say the nhs one I went to offered little- the rest I paid privately for. Good luck

Jane43

I have had sciatica on and off for many years and so has my older son. My son recently had a MRI scan and was told exactly what you say, he has a bulging disc which is aggravating the sciatic nerve. I think the prognosis varies from person to person and it is a matter of managing it by keeping mobile and doing exercises, in some cases it returns and in others it doesn’t. I was given a sheet of exercises by the Health care assistant at the GP surgery but they seemed to make things worse so I looked on you Tube and found exercises specifically for sciatica, Bob and Brad are pretty good and the exercises are very straightforward. I did their exercises twice a day, every two hours seems a bit drastic but I suppose it’s down to what you can manage.

I don’t know anything about acupuncture so can’t comment on that. You seem to have been given conflicting advice, perhaps you could ask your GP for a referral to a consultant.

Thanks for the mention of Bob and Brad. I was watching them on utube for my knee exercises but forgot what they were called.

MayBee70

Jane43

I have had sciatica on and off for many years and so has my older son. My son recently had a MRI scan and was told exactly what you say, he has a bulging disc which is aggravating the sciatic nerve. I think the prognosis varies from person to person and it is a matter of managing it by keeping mobile and doing exercises, in some cases it returns and in others it doesn’t. I was given a sheet of exercises by the Health care assistant at the GP surgery but they seemed to make things worse so I looked on you Tube and found exercises specifically for sciatica, Bob and Brad are pretty good and the exercises are very straightforward. I did their exercises twice a day, every two hours seems a bit drastic but I suppose it’s down to what you can manage.

I don’t know anything about acupuncture so can’t comment on that. You seem to have been given conflicting advice, perhaps you could ask your GP for a referral to a consultant.

Thanks for the mention of Bob and Brad. I was watching them on utube for my knee exercises but forgot what they were called.

My current physio said never get exercises from the internet because each person is different and you have to have exercises specifically t ailor made to your specific circumstances. An exercise on youtube may do you more harm than good because of the nature of your condition. My physio said there is not one set of exxercises for all.

Nobody has commented on the amount of time I was told to do the exercises. Every two hours is a bit extreme I think but my physio said the more often the better/ I am very disappointed that every time I had my appointment with the physio and I was manipulated, it did not hurt. I think that was because I walked to the appointment and walking undid any aggrivation that I may have had beforehand. He actualy said to me at the last appointment, oh each time I see you you are better and better so you dont need to come so often.

We have left it that I take a few weeks break and only go back i I have a paoblem.

I am really having doubts about him, but having said that, he was better than the osteopath I saw before

Some years ago my then chiropractor showed me these exercises as a paring gift before he moved to Barcelona.
It was a parting gift to save me a lot of money at the clinic.
Myself and everyone I’ve passed them onto agrees with me that they work 100%
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgY7uWPOlRA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGFwcZs73dA

ok I have wathe the video you posted. The exercises are done laying down and when I was seeing the osteopath she got me to do the bring the knees to the chest exerise an said do that at home twice a day.

When I started seeing my physiotherapist and told him about that nee to chest exercise, he said she should not have told you do do that because it is wrong for you. He has given me all standing exercises which bend and strech my muscles. I have posted one of the exercises I found online. The other exercise is to do something like this

www.youtube.com/watch?v=arhtb4mtMYk

I would be interested to know what people think about the staning execises v the laying down ones because my physio has never told me to do any laying down ones at home.

Also is two hours between each set of exercises too often in a day. When I said I could not manage every two hours he sai oh but you must do them every two hours.

Isnt that overdoing it and straining my body??

My OH had extremely painful sciatica a few years ago. Tried a chiropractor who kept treating him but with no relief then he went to an osteopath who fixed him in 2 or 3 sessions.

I have heard some people say acupuncture worked for them.

I found exercises worked for me so if I feel a twinge I lie on my back, bring one foot up next to the other knee then I pull the bent knee over the straight knee and hold it as near to the floor as I can manage for as long as is comfortable.

Hope you find something that works for you.

Esspee

My OH had extremely painful sciatica a few years ago. Tried a chiropractor who kept treating him but with no relief then he went to an osteopath who fixed him in 2 or 3 sessions.

I have heard some people say acupuncture worked for them.

I found exercises worked for me so if I feel a twinge I lie on my back, bring one foot up next to the other knee then I pull the bent knee over the straight knee and hold it as near to the floor as I can manage for as long as is comfortable.

Hope you find something that works for you.

well I have been to my physiotherapist about 5 times now. To be fair I was not in excrutiating pain when I first went and although I have flare ups, the pain has not got any worse.

The trick is to do everything correctly at home ie sit properly etc because if you continue with the bad posture then you will neer get better. I am at a total loss about all of this but as I say mine is mid compared to others.

I do know what excrutiating pain is because 6 years ago I broke my pelvis and the pain was so badd, the ony thing that could give me relief was morphine

Regarding your point about posture, I have found that the correct footwear can make a difference. I have made a point of wearing shoes with arch support or inserting arch support insoles in shoes without support. It has made a difference to me but of course everybody is different. My sciatica was so bad I could hardly walk and I was desperate for anything that would make an improvement.

My sciatica was very painful. Hardly able to walk. An osteopath put me right in one session. There are osteopaths and there are osteopaths frightened to touch you. Same with physiotherapists.

Jane43

Regarding your point about posture, I have found that the correct footwear can make a difference. I have made a point of wearing shoes with arch support or inserting arch support insoles in shoes without support. It has made a difference to me but of course everybody is different. My sciatica was so bad I could hardly walk and I was desperate for anything that would make an improvement.

sorry to hear that. The thing is, mine has never been that bad. Annoying more than anything. A friend of mine keeps telling me I need bed rest. I keep telling her bed rest is the ast thing people with sciatica need. She just does not understand because she does not have sciatica but nor did I when I was her age

I bame covvid myself because before covid I worked in the ofice with proper equipment. Then we went into lockdown an I worked from home for two years with make shift equipment and had to sit slumped forward to see my computer screen. At the office our computer screens can be brought forward beCcause they are on an arm and you can bring it as close to your face as possible. At home I have a fixe monitor that cannot be moved so in order to get close to the monitor I have to sit slimped forward and unless I do tht I cannot see what I am reading on the screen and i I move the monitor closer there is no room to put the keyboard on the table.