Sciatica

[appydaze]

Hi all... Do any other funsters suffer from sciatica on a long drive and how do you deal with it. I suffer quite badly and don't find many pills deal with it. Thanks, Pat

 

[scousebird]

Regular stops to get out and walk about

 

[jollyrodger]

Have suffered for a number of years also O/A have tried pillows vibrating /massage back rest to no avail frequent stops and a walk around helps and having cruise control does help in my case so I can "fidget" as I drive
Hope you can find a solutuon to aliviate yours

 

[MikeD]

Hurt my back when I was in my early twenties and suffered almost constantly with sciatica. I am 62 now and missing one disc in my back.

I used a "Tens" machine in my laters years and found it quite helpful.

http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/sto...logId=11051&stReq=1&searchTerm=tens#container

 

[Puddleduck]

I suffer as well. Apart for lots of stops and walking around when stopped I have found nothing to prevent it. TENS and ibuprofen gel help relieve it but only take the edge off really.

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[WillH]

I rarely drive for more than 2 hours at a time before a 'walkabout'. I also find that adjusting the seat position and various angles, frequently, helps prevent the condition. Personally I find that a very straight backed driving position is best.

 

[Badknee]

I remember my dad using a heat lamp on his back because of the pain, seemed to help him quite a lot. Turn the heated seats up to full blast

 

[GJH]

Not whilst driving but I did suffer from sciatica 15 years or so ago. I had all sort of pills and injections which didn't work. One visit to a chiropractor identified bad posture at work as the cause. Chiropractic treatment and a proper working set up solved the problem.
I read at the time that drivers sometimes suffer because a wallet or something in one back trouser pocket means they are not sat properly and having empty back pockets can provide relief.

 

[appydaze]

Thanks for all the replies . I must admit when driving l tend to put my foot down and don't stop for long periods. l must make myself slow down a bit. Comes from a lifetime as a plumber rushing from job to job. Cruise control sounds good as does tens machine, and my wallet isn't thick enough to cause any problems but my posture is not so good. Good luck to you all, Pat

 

[Puddleduck]

I just got a memory foam cushion for my back in the hope that will help.

I don't have a wallet so it's not that. I do wonder if the seat is at the wrong height / rake but even after a lot of trail and error haven't managed to make a difference. I even wondered about using a box under my feet .... I tend to get the sciatica as a passenger but not if I am driving.... feet on a box when driving might not be such a good idea.

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[9526]

An exercise that works for me is to lay on my front and lift my head/shoulders (resting on my elbows) with my back in a reverse curve (if that makes sense) breath out and let your spine "sag" hold this for a min or so as often as you get chance.

A Physiotherapist showed me this years ago and it helps when my sciatica flairs up. As others have said good posture is king when it comes to prevention though (back straight when driving/sitting and of course good lifting technique.)

 

[PORKSTER]

An exercise that helped myself is to sit on something legs dangling. Put your hands under your bottom and tuck your chin into your chest. Then gently swing leg and keep repeating kinda stretchin it out increasing each time. I was very sceptical because it feels like your aggravating it but it gave me great results and comfort.

 

[pappajohn]

It seems to me you lot are suffering back ache, not sciatica.

I had a bout around 7 or 8 years ago........constant leg pain for a full year In my lower left leg, couldnt walk half the time.

To this day i have little feeling except numbness and pins n needles in my left toes.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Hi all... Do any other funsters suffer from sciatica on a long drive and how do you deal with it. I suffer quite badly and don't find many pills deal with it. Thanks, Pat

I changed the car....... had major back surgery 5 years ago (after several failed treatments) which mostly worked as not too much pain in the leg nowadays. Still on neuropathic painkillers though. The last car had comfy seats but I couldn't drive for more than a couple of hours. The new(ish) car is no problem at all. The van has Aguti seats, which although very firm are very supportive and no issues with driving it

 

[Puddleduck]

Mine is shooting pains down one or both legs all the way from the lower back to the calf. Go said it was pressure on the sciatic nerve made worse because of a disc prolapse and scoliosis.

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[Cat53]

Get yourselves some regular Bowen treatments. One a week for three week and then gradually space it out. Hamstrings, erector spinae muscles, diaphragm, latismus dorsi muscles, and all the pelvic muscles can cause backache, leg pains etc. a Bowen therapist will work over them all and get them into optimum shape.....and people, thick or thin, take those wallets out of your back pockets when sitting.

 

[scousebird]

Well this thread has done it. I have a prolapsed disc and during this afternoon/evening my back/left leg has slowly got worse

 

[JockandRita]

Well this thread has done it. I have a prolapsed disc and during this afternoon/evening my back/left leg has slowly got worse

Sorry to hear that Helen.
I hope you find rapid relief from the pain.

I suffered for years with sciatica, which was due to a prolapsed disc. Only major surgery put me right, with the odd backup cortisone injection to the base of the spine every few years.

So far, so good.

Jock.

 

[Abacist]

I have had 2 prolapsed discs and only surgery cured the excruciating pain of sciatica which last time went right down into my foot.

Still left with nerve damage and loss of feeling in my left leg.

For those suffering get an MRI scan of your back and find a good surgeon.

Mr Chan at Exeter is first class!

 

[Tootles]

My wife suffered from this terrible pain every time she sat down. It went on for weeks. Doctor was no help, neither was the practice nurse. Fortunately, we found the problem was her mothers false teeth, that had slipped down the wife's chair after I hid them. All much better now.

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[Puddleduck]

Can always rely on @Tootles ..... not sure what for but we can always rely on him

 

[Ethle the wondervan]

Sciatica?
A bloody good blow job can take your mind off it but can cause other problems.
I was in a neck brace for a month last time I tried it!

 

[sedge]

My first husband had a disc which had slipped, and disintegrated thus trapping the nerve. After a couple of months, his one leg was completely wasting away and about half the circumference of the other one.

So they had to operate, after a myelogram (sp?) which they never do these days, terribly dangerous they were - picked it out and he's been fine ever since, still is as far as I know.

 

[Tootles]

A bloody good blow job can take your mind off it but can cause other problems.

That's how I managed to get hold of the mother in law's false teeth in the first place.

 

[Minxy]

Quite apart from sciatica/pain it is a good job to stop a minimum of every 2 hours to get up and stretch your muscles and also get your circulation going ... a greater problem can be deep vein thrombosis which can develop over time ... it's not always something that happens with long-haul flights! I sometimes suffer when sitting in the passenger seat of the camper due to my legs dangling a bit and having a dog on my knee putting weight on my lap for a lot of the journey - putting something under my feet to raise them an inch or two and telling the dog to sling it's hook helps!

As for seating comfort generally, make sure you have a good posture and especially lumbar support - my hubby has a slim cushion which he uses so he doesn't have problems as the lumbar support isn't enough on its own. If you keep driving for too long you will 'settle' into the seat and this will only aggravate your condition.

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[Kool Kroozer]

been a long time sufferer for over 25 yrs and have always found that a walk about after a long sit down tends to ease it a little

 

[JockandRita]

Still left with nerve damage and loss of feeling in my left leg.

Same here, but with some loss of feeling to the small toes on the right foot.

For those suffering get an MRI scan of your back and find a good surgeon.

I agree.
Sadly my surgeon (Mr Chambers, Peterborough) has passed away.
I returned to full operational duty for a further 10 years, after an absence of many months, (before and after the op), so I know he did the job properly.

Sciatica (when at it's peak) is one of those pains I never want to experience, ever again.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[GJH]

Perhaps step 1 is to find out what is causing the problem. My sciatica had nothing to do with my back. Bad posture had put my pelvis out of alignment and it was affecting the sciatic nerve as it passed through the pelvic bone. Scan, X Ray and consultant surgeon failed to spot that. Chiropractor did so in a few minutes.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

My first husband had a disc which had slipped, and disintegrated thus trapping the nerve. After a couple of months, his one leg was completely wasting away and about half the circumference of the other one.

So they had to operate, after a myelogram (sp?) which they never do these days, terribly dangerous they were - picked it out and he's been fine ever since, still is as far as I know.

We haven't done those for years, the contrast stays for ever and can cause very serious complications. MRI is the way it is always done now more information, no pain no side affects. no rocking up and down and revolving with contrast moving.

 

[Dave K]

been a long time sufferer for over 25 yrs and have always found that a walk about after a long sit down tends to ease it a little

I'm the same, if I don't move around it gets worse for me

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