Sciatica

Deep heat plasters can give relief.
My experience with sciatica was that exercises really help. The most effective one for me was lying flat on my back on the floor or on my bed and bringing one foot up to knee level. You then clutch the raised knee pulling it over the straight leg towards the floor/bed and hold. I do it to both legs.
I am sure there are excellent videos on YouTube.
It is an extremely painful condition. You have my sympathy.

I agree with Espee. Exercise helps me when I have an attack. I've never heard of those plasters as a remedy. I hope he gets better soon. It's horrible.

You are right, I don’t think deep heat plasters actually fix anything Grandmabatty. My mother found they eased the pain. Some people use ice packs. There is also a gel which numbs the area. My OH tried a chiropractor with no success then an osteopath who cured him in three appointments.
The pain is excruciating.

EssPee
I do those exercises every morning, whether I’m hurting or not. Imo it’s the only exercise to keep sciatica at bay.

Your poor husband! Has he been given painkillers by his GP?

I empathise I’m currently having a bad bad bout of it now. Agony. I got rid of it about 4 years ago but it’s returned with a vengeance and improved with my physio/osteo but then regressed when I stopped when I went on holiday. It has now stubbornly not improved with my at home exercises, I’ll have to return again once I get home.

Oh I’ve just been going through this! I thought my back was broken. Was actually on my hands and knees…..However pain relief from gp Exercise and therapy from osteopath and twice daily workout at home.
Now much better thank heavens.

I found a heat pad very soothing, we have one which can be heated in the microwave. When I was able to do exercises they did help, there are some specially for sciatica on You Tube, I was unable to do them on the floor but did them on the bed. I found little relief from over the counter painkillers and was unable to get much sleep but when I spoke to the GP he prescribed codeine which I took at bed time and they really helped me sleep. It does seem to be a problem which returns periodically and as I have got older the smallest thing can set it off, the last time it was wearing unsupportive shoes. My sympathy to anybody who suffers from it.

Jane 43, May I ask what dosage of Codine your GP prescribed?

Be very careful with heat pads/water bottles I gave myself Erythema ab igne also referred to as hot water bottle rash. It happens when there is prolonged exposure to heat and has left hideous markings on my legs that maybe permanent and could cause cancer.

I find ice packs are much better at calming down the inflammation in the back.

I am just recovering from my last attack of sciatica it went on for 4 weeks the most awful pain I have ever injured,my Dr prescribed Zapain which hardly touched the pain I used heat pads on top of my underwear which gave some relief I feel so sorry to anyone going through this.

Stretching the affected muscle is the key, so as Espee said laying on the bed and raising the legs on alternative sides as far as he can then if you can if you can gently push his heel upwards a little bit more ( just another few inches) he needs to do at least 2-3 times a day about 10 times increasing it slowly to 20. Think of it as the muscle in his lower back being clenched like a fist he needs it to open back up to the palm. When I had this year's ago this it what the doctor advised together with another one where my husband held my ankle and I shuffled around in a circle raising my free foot over his hands , again 2- 3 times a day about 10 times. If he can take them Anti-inflammatory medication is the best together with paracetamol. But encourage him to keep moving inbetween.

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In my experience of sciatica you don't have to be particularly mobile to exercise. My pain was central pelvis radiating down one leg. I did some research, spoke to a physiotherapy colleague and worked out how to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve. Of course, all cases are different, but from experience pain relief meds only mask it

My last bout of sciatica was very quickly relieved by doing sciatic nerve glides, plenty of videos online but you do need a bit of space.