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Chronic sciatica since April 2013.

Posted , 4 users are following.

jan77536
jan77536

I have had chronic sciatica since April 2013. I woke up one morning and could not put any weight on my left leg due to agonizing pain in my left buttock and lumbar region. 20 years prior to this i had a microdiscectomy for a herniated L5/S1 disc. This alleviated the totally numb right leg, from buttock to foot. It also helped a lot with the pain and inability to walk anything but snail pace. I had recurring episodes of back pain over the next few years which was helped by co-proxamol/ naprozene/ and piroxicam at different times. One day while out with my husband and cousin in spain driving in the mountains(Me back seat passenger. We hit a pothole at speed and bounced all over the place which amazingly cured any residual pain and stiffness in my back. Up until April this year. My MRI Scan has shown posterior bulge on L4/L5 and narrowing of the spine on the left side. Also my operated on disc L5/S1 is flattened. Despite visiting an osteopath since April I am still in pain every morning until i warm up. I was takiing 30/500 co-codamol 4 times daily, amiltryptline nightly and gabapentin 3 times daily. I am only taking 8/500 co-codamol once a day now and the occasional gabapentin. I have being told by the osteopath to give myself at least a year/18 months to recover up to my optimum level. Sadly i gave up my long standing job with SEN children as i knew i did not have the fitness to continue. sad

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  • jan77536
    jan77536

    Posted

    Update on sciatica and back pain. Feeling more like me. Still seeing osteopath every 7 weeks and also seeing nhs physio. Given hamstring and calf muscle stretches which help my back. Herbal tinctures just made me feel unwell. So i take pain relief at night only. Usually panadol or sometimes co-codamol if back painful. Have been told by osteopath i will be fit to return to work in the summer 2014 with more strength in back for the next 12 months. I walk 3-5 miles a week if weather permits! I wish u all a pain free 2014 x

  • jacqueline19869
    jacqueline19869

    Posted

    Hi Jan

    As my previous notes have said,I was called into hospital after the surgeon saw how much pain I was

    in[had to have a wheelchair] to see him.Had the operation on the 15th January where they found a cyst

    had grown down my spine and was pressing on the sciatic nerve!no wonder I was in such pain.

    Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I should never of gone to a chiropractor [got my money back from him]

    but instead asked for another MRI scan as they were going by the one I had in October,but when you are

    drugged up one does not think but the doctors should of put me in for one.

    But the good news is I am out of pain and being treated by the NHS to physio treatment,I do my exercises

    twice a day,so looking forward to a wonderful 2014,and hope everyone on this site gets pain free x

  • jan77536
    jan77536

    Posted

    Great news Jacqueline, hope you continue to improve. Happy New Year to you x

  • jacqueline19869
    jacqueline19869

    Posted

    Thank you Jan things can hopefully only get better for all of us x
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