Sciatica, awful pain. Any suggestions ?
Posted , 7 users are following.
Dear all, I have psoriatic arthritis and some lung fibrosis from the methotrexate but generally doing okay, until! About 8 weeks ago some niggling pain in my right buttock and pins and needles in my leg, particularly my calf and foot. The pain has suddenly escalated. I’m relatively comfortable sitting and lying but standing and walking is excruciating. I’ve taking to using a scooter to get round the supermarket. I’m mortified. Naproxen/ codydramol don’t touch it. My GP has given me pregabalin and requested a lumbar X-ray. I have an orthopaedic appointment but not till 25 May. Any suggestions welcome. Carol
0 likes, 14 replies
tim79598 carol303055
Posted
karen612 carol303055
Posted
Hi Carol,
I'm so sorry, I've had sciatica for years and know how painful it it can be. Sounds like yours is pretty intolerable. It's a frustrating condition. From what I understand, there are a few different causes. Mine seems to be caused by muscle tightness and inflammation, so stretching helps. In poking around the internet it seems your condition may be different, it may be spinal stenosis; the article I read gave symptoms similar to yours, pain while standing/walking and relief while sitting. There seem to be stretches recommended to this as well. Perhaps you can ask your doctor if they think stretching would be ok while you wait for the orthopaedic appointment.
carol303055 karen612
Posted
MR._BELLA carol303055
Posted
lyn1951 carol303055
Posted
OHHHHH know how you feel, agony. As Carol said, as we all get older, I am 66 years young, feel 90 sometimes, but as my mum used to say I am 30 inside my brain. you have probably developed spinal stenosis, we all get it with age I'm afraid.
?Also wondered if you have managed to damage a disc, I did post left hip replacement surgery, ruptured S1-L5, bulging L5-L4, and bulging, although not as much L4-L3, when I finally got Cat scan they also discovered the spinal Stenosis.
?Only thing that touched the pain was Oxycodiene, great idea, makes me nauseous, as well as sleepy and dopey, I was never going to get well like that.
?Dr suggested I go back to my hot pool, treading water, as I had been doing prior to my surgery, had been going but not for my back, checked with physio, and she said it might help.
Tuck a pool noodle under you arms and allow the rest of your body to just drop away under the noodle, imagine some lead weights on your feet, I thought whats to loose, if I remember correctly, a couple of times got terrible belts of pain from my back doing this exercise, just breathed through it, could only do about 20 mins in the pool when started, now up to over an hour, try for three times a week, but I did notice after that first pain, I felt better, non weight bearing does help, got to the point I did not want to get out of the pool, as only time I had no pain, within a month I was able to give up the Oxys.
Back still has stenosis, but swelling in discs not as severe, I still go treading water, apparently its all about strengthening up your core muscles that suppport your pelvis and spine, and the treading water goes a long way to helping, and am going to weight watchers, a combination of both is helping me.
carol303055 lyn1951
Posted
EileenH carol303055
Posted
Is the pain low down in your buttock/ If so, it could be piriformis syndrome. In some people the sciatic nerve passes through the middle of the piriformis muscle and if the muscle becomes tight it irritates the nerve - causing sciatica. Sometimes it really goes into spasm and makes it worse. Sitting absolutely upright in a chair where your knees and hips make rightangles and with a hot water bottle/warming pad across the muscle sometimes helps, or alternating ice and heat. There are exercises that stretch the muscle but they do tend to be more use for prevention - simply because movement is so awful! I have just had a really bad dose - and here where I live in northern Italy my rheumy gave a week's worth of infusions of high dose NSAIDs which just about got it, then steroid shots in my hips because it had also made the bursitis worse. Finally pain-free!
This is a really good article:
https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/piriformis-syndrome-treatment
carol303055 EileenH
Posted
Eileen, you seem to have summed it up neatly. My physio was explaining piriformis syndrome and yes the exercises are very painful (though he told me to basically do what I can without excruciating pain) and try to build them up slowly. I've also found a hot water bottle does give some relief. I was going to say I can't believe you have been admitted to hospital but yes I can. I can barely walk across my lounge - and it isn't that big! Fantastic that you are now pain free - that's what I need to hear. I must say I'm very jealous of you living in Italy. What a beautiful country. (Hopefully) going to Puglia in June. Thanks again. I will look at the article. Carol x
EileenH carol303055
Posted
I was admitted 6 years ago - this time I managed to get the train (short walk and then right to the hospital door) every morning for the 1-2 hour infusion (depending on the skill of the nurse - a couple were awful!). After the first infusion, which they gave me when I went in to ask what to do, the pain was bearable. But I had had nearly 2 weeks, one of which I was leaning on crutches to move around the flat! I also had flu at the same time so didn't want to go anywhere anyway - and the cough made it hurt even more! Most of the pain was in getting from sitting to standing and the first 6 or 7 steps (shuffles), then it was a bit better.
We live right up in the north, almost Austria, but have friends in Puglia, they live in Andria and are doctors in Bari (a 3 children!). We spent xmas with them a few years ago but didn't see much so I want to go back, I have been to several places there during a scientific meeting there with them - Alberobello and the fantastic undergound caves. What we did do with them was spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in their family celebration which was great fun. And I love Bari - especially along the sea front in the evening. There is an elderly lady who makes and sells "polenta chips" - deep fried in a metre diameter vat of olive oil!! Yummy - even OH liked them.
carol303055 EileenH
Posted
We fly to Brindisi (which looks nice with good beaches) and stay at Trudhi Loco Rotundo; Matera and Novoli for a few days each. The couple we are going with want to go (back) to Bari and I’ll look up the caves you mention. So looking forward to it. Must be well by then!
EileenH carol303055
Posted
My feeling exactly - we head to Malta the beginning of next week for 3 weeks and I want to be able to walk, albeit on the flat! I know it would probably have eased with several weeks of doing nothing - but after 3 weeks it wasn't looking hopeful!
Looks utterly fabulous - enjoy! We have a campervan - not so pretty but very useful...
carol303055 EileenH
Posted
I went to Malta when my girls (now 33 and 35) were children. I was recovering from a dislocated patella (I'm really a liability) and still walking with a stick but I do remember very uneven and high pavements so take care and enjoy!!!
PS it was a long time ago though.
EileenH carol303055
Posted
Already been twice - the idea is to prolong the summer and shorten the winter at a very competitive cost! OH won't use the camper in the winter - even in southern Italy (he was right this year, they've had a load of snow!) or Spain which hasn't been much better this year. So access to appartments that are cheap appealed and worked well - don't have to eat out all the time and whatever the weather you are reasonably warm and dry. Next year we will be organised enough to go to Lanzarote I hope!!!!
I bet it has changed a lot since you were there. There is a lot I don't like but loads I'm looking forward to exploring and I really like their food. Unfortunately I also like their bread and it likes me! And the walking is almost flat and at sea level so ideal for OH with his dodgy lungs and me with PMR.
carol303055 EileenH
Posted