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Sciatica getting me down.

(32 Posts)
Purplepixie Thu 14-Mar-24 12:45:26

Ok, I’ll try and keep this short. I had Covid last October then Sciatica started up suddenly when I got up on 9th November last year. I got in touch with the dr and she said that I had sciatica and got me an appointment with a physio. He told me it was sciatica and gave me a list of 10 exercises to do. I did them all and had the blooming thing all over christmas etc. I had a full hysterectomy on 22nd January this year and when I came around that day I noticed that the sciatica had gone. On sunday 10th March I woke up to excruciating pain and the blooming sciatica had come back. It’s only 7 weeks since the hysterectomy operation so I cannot do those stretching exercises just yet. Has anyone else gone through this and what did they do? If it’s still there by monday, I will give my dr a ring but I feel so worn down with everything that has happened in the last few months. I try and walk about 5,000 steps per day now. Any help would be great and thank you for reading.

dogsmother Thu 14-Mar-24 12:53:19

I really feel for you, it’s cruel. The walking is so good trying always to maintain good posture. The key for me is as soon as I feel it starting I am down on the floor doing the exercises for a couple days two or three times a day.
I’m guessing you are still unable due to your surgery. Can you contact your physio/doctor for emergency advice re being post surgery?
I am sorry for you as every time I feel mine going I feels very big black cloud come with it……..But try and remember it does go again and that is why posture and those exercises are worthwhile. I wish you well.

Purplepixie Thu 14-Mar-24 12:56:33

Thank you dogsmother I will phone my dr on monday and try and see the physio again. Need the drs advice about being post surgery.

karmalady Thu 14-Mar-24 13:01:12

If you are a side sleeper then a body pillow will help a lot. It keeps the pelvic area open and takes pressure off the lower back. You have one leg below and one leg and ankle above, leaning on the body pillow. It does not take a long time to get used to that position

Likely to be an inflamed nerve, possibly pinched. Exercises for that are out until your hysterectomy recovery is finished

Your body may have been compensating for the hysterectomy and your position may have been the cause. When you are better, do a couple of simple lower core strengthening exercises

Freya5 Thu 14-Mar-24 13:02:20

At the moment ,post hysterectomy, hot and cold packs, painkillers. Ring GP, or you can self refer to physio, for advice re exercise limitations. Am a sufferer to, so can empathise, infact just recovering from an acute episode.
Hope you get well soon.

Purplepixie Thu 14-Mar-24 13:13:41

Thank you for your kind and helpful words. I am worried about doing myself a mischief after the hysterectomy at the moment. Its getting me down.

LizzieDrip Thu 14-Mar-24 13:39:12

Have you tried some gentle yoga exercises? There are some yoga postures specifically for sciatica - you can find them on YouTube. Good luck🤞

DanniRae Thu 14-Mar-24 14:24:51

Sorry to hear about your sciatic problems ....... I have no advice but wanted to send you these flowers and hope it goes away as soon as possible x

Callistemon21 Thu 14-Mar-24 14:50:44

How are your feet? Good and strong or do you have dropped arches? Might you need orthotics insoles or a lift in one shoe?

Sciatica is horrible and I find it comes and goes. Do be careful what exercises you're doing after your hysterectomy, cautious and gentle as recommended by the physiotherapist. I'm not sure about walking, yoga might be good though.

BigBertha1 Thu 14-Mar-24 15:51:13

purplepixie I am sorry for you I know the pain of sciatica well. I was prescribed Progabalin for my persistent pain- couldn't sit couldn't lie at one point. Its been really helpful. I do have to be careful about sitting for long periods and sitting on hard benches or chairs. Exercise does help if you keep it up. I hope you get some relief.

Primrose53 Thu 14-Mar-24 17:02:49

I get sciatica now an again but the first time I had it, it lasted nearly 6 months. The only thing that helped me was acupuncture. The first time I went I was in so much pain I struggled to get on the therapists couch. The second time she suggested I brought a friend and she inserted the needles with my friend supporting me to stand. By the third session I felt great.

zakouma66 Thu 14-Mar-24 17:07:17

Chronic pain is absolutely miserable. Sympathies. It seems as if you have been through a lot and sometimes the body shouts out a bit.
Acupunture is well worth a try in my humble opinion.

ordinarygirl Thu 14-Mar-24 17:12:09

if you can do it then roll a golf ball up and down on the spot. stand against a wall if it is your back/thigh

ronib Thu 14-Mar-24 17:17:59

Were you given a few exercises to do after your hysterectomy? Maybe in an information pack? Do you have telephone numbers of support nurses?

Purplepixie Fri 15-Mar-24 14:49:02

I have searched through the information pack after the hysterectomy but no exercises were given. I’m going to phone my drs on monday. Thank you everyone for you sound and kind advice.

Gummie Wed 31-Jul-24 13:35:18

I'm going through a second bout of sciatica and it is so much worse than last time. I can't even stand for 30 seconds this time without it rushing to destroy my leg with pain.
I do the exercises but they don't seem to do anything.
I'm on Pregablin and Codeine but they only help so much. Of course the codeine has bunged me up so have to cope with that too.

I blame myself by trying to get fit and going back to classes at the gym. Pretty sure I over did it and woke it up.

All I want to do is go to bed and stay there but you have to move about. It's excruciating. Makes me cry. I'm feeling very sorry for myself.

Don't get to see the specialist doctor for the proper diagnosis for 3 weeks.

LadyGracie Wed 31-Jul-24 14:19:45

DH had sciatica for months, he saw a private physio at our NHS Dr's surgery who advised him to try amitriptyline, our Dr prescribed it and he hasn't had any pain since.

loopyloo Wed 31-Jul-24 14:21:52

Do try acupuncture. I found it very helpful

sharon103 Wed 31-Jul-24 14:48:57

You have my sympathy.
I've had it in the past after I'd been lifting heavy stuff.
Luckily after a few days and taking painkillers it went.
My son however has had excruciating pain with sciatica.
Couldn't walk, couldn't sit down. He had to stand even to eat his meals. He had to have a month off work.
He was given co-codamol which helped a bit but caused constipation. Not good if you have to strain to go to the toilet.
He was advised to get a heat pad. He got one from Amazon I think. you wrap it around the bottom of the back. I think you put it over thin clothing, in his case over his t-shirt. Different heat settings and gradually increase the amount of time you use it for. There's instructions with it.
He found it helped.
After having either a scan or x-ray, can't remember which now, they found that the gel in between his lower discs had worn away and grinding together.
You might be able to get steroid injections these days?
just copied and pasted this for you from google

What is the NHS injection for sciatica nerve pain?
Nerve root block injections can be used to diagnose and treat sciatica

I hope you get some relief very soon

LadyGracie Thu 01-Aug-24 10:24:17

My only option was surgery.

Gummie Thu 01-Aug-24 10:30:52

I've been trying to get in with an osteo but the availability of goods ones is very long.
I do all the exercise and tips and tricks that people recommend. Today my new firm bed arrived so I hope that will help.
A friend of mine recommended rubbing my painful areas with Voltarol and while it doesn't get rid of the pain it does seem to take the edge off. I've been more mobile today.

Visgir1 Thu 01-Aug-24 10:42:40

It was only a few days ago, I'm sure? I saw something on SM probably Insta about some exercises for Sciatica to relive the pain, I read it as I had it few years back.
Do a quick Google look, to see if it pops up, might be worth a go?

Gummie Sat 03-Aug-24 11:10:36

I already do a myriad of exercises both off the internet and from the GP.

I'm starting to feel a bit more mobile yesterday and today. I finally managed to get an Osteo appointment but not until the end of the week.

Candelle Sat 03-Aug-24 11:54:10

I feel for you!

I still have sciatica which is worse if I do manage to sleep for a few hours (am a poor sleeper). In other words, if I have been still in one position, this is what sets me off, so can't win (sciatica or sleep!).

Twenty plus years ago my sciatica came on relatively quickly and soon I couldn't stand the nerve pain which pulsed every second, so had surgery (but even that took three weeks to arrange as all the surgeons were away on holiday - school holiday season!).

Then, relatively pain free it has returned on the other side but not nearly as badly (my spine is disintegrating and pressing on the spinal cord - with also a tumour - but that's another story). When I feel a twinge I immediately do the stretching exercises first given to me and they really do help.

Back to you: please speak to your doctor and see if he will prescribe Pregabalin or Amitriptyline. Both are for nerve pain and really can help.

Keep up gentle walking but I was advised to stop as soon as the pain worsened. Sit somewhere (a garden wall, for example) for five - 10 minutes, then carry on and repeat if necessary. My physiotherapist told me not to walk and 'push through' the pain, as this would only make things worse.

Try not to carry anything heavy as you could feel an immediate uptick of your pain. Make several journeys if necessary but don't carry heavy weights.

I hope your doctor can prescribe some pain relief for you and oh, if it is of any use, I was told that many sciatica problems are self-limiting but can take a few years to completely dissipate..... It depends how much pain is too much for you.

I wish you the very best and when fully recovered from your surgery, can take painkillers directed at nerve pain, do the exercises to keep moving and slowly, hopefully, you will recover.

Cossy Sat 03-Aug-24 12:59:01

I have sciatica. I do two things, one is I visit a sports masseur and two, for immediate relief, grab a hard tennis ball or hard rubber ball, stand with your back to the wall and position the ball right over the sciatic nerve in your buttock and push back against the wall making very small circular moments, then immediately afterwards hot pad for 10 mins.