For some reason, my sciatic nerve on my left side is killing me! The only time I've ever had this happen in the past, I was big and pregnant. It started in my lower back, shot down into my butt and is now shooting down the back of my leg. Any help?? If it keeps up I'll call the doc, but wondered if you had any suggestions on how to help.
CHIROPRACTOR ASAP!! My hubby treats many people with the same problem. Find a good chiro near you and don't wait to get in! We see results after visit #1!
S.
Stretching the affected side works like magic for me.
On your own....lay flat on your back.... cross your affected leg over the other....then lift the unaffected leg towards your head. it helps when you use long pants as you can actually hold on to the pant leg and pull towards you.
with help...lay flat on your back ...have your partner lift the affected limb so it in perpendicular to the floor... have him counter flex you foot by bending it towards the floor as he puts your leg oh his shoulder white he faces you. As he leans towards you it stretches your back ....hold for 10 secs release.
stretching helped, also my midwife told me to eat lots of bananas, the potassium helps, but maybe that's only for pregnancy related pain.
I agree with the chiroprator!! Had a problem once too when I was younger, saw a chir. and she gave me some excersises to do at home if it happened again.
I'll second the stretching, chiropractor, or physical therapist. Most doctors don't have the same understandign of the sciatic nerve and the muscles and bones that impact it as a chiro or PT do. They tend to prescribe medication which doesn't fix the problem - it just masks it.
Check youtube for some streches for sciatic pain. Sometimes they have some great streches on there, and watching a tutorial really helps on how to get the strech correct :) When I was running, it was a great help to me.
I would also check with a doctor/and or chiro.
Good Luck
Skip the regular doctor and call a good chiropractor. Instant relief.
Simple solution and getting the best of both worlds is to see a DO physician. They're trained to offer treatments like a chiropractor and are also licensed doctors (just be sure to ask them if they practice osteopathic manipulative treatments). It amazing the stuff they can do!
Call your doctor, he'll give you pain pills, muscle relaxers and most importantly, steroid pills to take care of the inflammation. Usually it will resolve itself. It is the WORST pain ever in my life. I feel for ya.
Here are a couple of stretches to help you. Sitting at 90 degree angles in a chair, take your affected leg, and place that ankle on your other knee. "Man style". now, grab your ankle and lean forward, gently pulling the ankle back toward your body. Then stretch the other side so you arent stretched off kilter.
Another one. Hands and knees on the floor. put the knee of the affected leg up between your hands, then lower yourself down to lay on top of the leg, with arms stretched out above your head. Repeat with the other side.
The last one - in front of your couch or chair, lay on your back on the firm floor. rear all the way up to the couch, thighs up the front, calves on the couch. Just lay this way for however long you want to. It takes the pressure off.
Good luck!
Edited to add: If your sciatic issue is from a ruptured disc (if you've had some sort of injury) - then seeing a chiropractor can make it worse. The manipulation can actually squeeze more of the gel stuff from inside the disc out pushing on the nerve. If the disc is just bulging, then a chiropractor may relieve the pain. So be careful!
Mine is from an injury. I went to the pain management doctor today who said they can no longer help me. I am scheduled to visit with a surgeon.
Try to stretch, walk, warm baths, heat packs, and massage ( you can do yourself).
I had the same problem in college. And I waited too long to call the doctor...I'm a bit stubborn! It got to the point where my Dad had to literally carry me into the doctor's office. Did an MRI and found that I had a herniated disc...3 ways to fix it...1st one was a cortizone shot in the spine(hurt worse than childbirth for me). When that didn't work, I had to take steriods for 6 days. Then when that didn't work...surgery was the last resort. Call your doctor!!!
I only ever had it early on in my pregnancies!!! It went away as I got bigger....
Get thee to a chiropractor!
A doctor will only medicate you. You need to get to the cause of why it's hurting, and usually with sciatic pain, it's either muscles pulling the vertebrae down on the nerve, or a bulging/herniated disc. Especially since it's all the way down your leg, I'm guessing it might be the latter. But, I'm not doctor! :)
Find a good chiro and they can explain to you what's happening as well as how to help yourself avoid the issue in the furture.
What can help, is tell your Doctor to refer you to a physical therapist... there are certain back exercises, that might ease the pain....
Or go to a Chiropractor.
Or try Google search it... online, I'm sure there are many.... references to this type of sciatic pain... but each person, is different in what may help.... because of the location.... etc.
Could be a herniated disc; would recommend a chiropractor as well. I personally prefer NUCCA chiropractic (see www.nucca.org) as it is very gentle (no cracking/popping/jerking).
Good luck!! I know it's miserable!!
