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Sciatica

Looking Glass

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DAMN!!, when it acts up, it makes life difficult. I have been getting Epidural Injections, but wondering if there isn't a better option?
 

monkeyswrench

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I've had some good luck the past couple times with DMSO. Most recently had an issue with my psoas muscle that made me think I needed a sudden hip replacement. Put that stuff on and was able to get out of bed the next day without profanity.
 

Looking Glass

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I've had some good luck the past couple times with DMSO. Most recently had an issue with my psoas muscle that made me think I needed a sudden hip replacement. Put that stuff on and was able to get out of bed the next day without profanity.


You would think that after sleeping/resting overnight it would be better? NOT!!
 

Boatymcboatface

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Laying down actually makes it worse for me!

1st thing I do if I start feeling even the slightest hint it’s starting I get to stretching! I’ve found crossing your feet and trying to touch your toes the best relief it hurts like heel when your doing it but man I feel sooo much better the next day! All kinds of stretching you can do to help with the pain. Also the 1st stretch listed on here they call it pigeon pose.

 

Looking Glass

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Laying down actually makes it worse for me!

1st thing I do if I start feeling even the slightest hint it’s starting I get to stretching! I’ve found crossing your feet and trying to touch your toes the best relief it hurts like heel when your doing it but man I feel sooo much better the next day! All kinds of stretching you can do to help with the pain. Also the 1st stretch listed on here they call it pigeon pose.



Thank-You!!, I am trying to Avoid Back Surgery, at all costs. The thought of it after hearing all the Horror stories makes me willing to try anything.
 

Headless hula

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Do you keep a wallet in your back pocket, and spend a bunch of time driving?

Had my back and sciatic screwed up for a long time. Switched from a leather trifold to a money clip in my front pocket. Damned wallet was twisting my hips, and back then I had a helluva commute to and from work. 4.5-5 hours round trip…..


Hope ya get it sorted. Friggin sucks when you can’t tie your work boots.
 
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Looking Glass

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Do you keep a wallet in your back pocket, and spend a bunch of time driving?

Had my back amd sciatic screwed up for a long time. Switched from a leather trifold to a money clip in my front pocket. Damned wallet was twisting my hips, and back then I had a helluva commute to and from work. 4.5-5 hours round trip…..


Hope ya get it sorted. Friggin sucks when you can’t tie your work boots.


YES!!, I do have a Wallet in my back pocket and have had others tell me that's a Major Factor in Sciatica. I'm changing it up tomorrow, as this is miserable. Thanks!!
 

DILLIGAF

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Ok…This hurts initially but if you can get thru a couple of times doing this it may solve it for ya as it did for me.

I rolled on a tennis ball. Put it directly into my pain area. Hurt like a bitch but as I rolled around on the ball the pain started to subside. Its like it got it back in its proper place. Give it a shot. It was like a miracle for me.

The other thing is stretching but I did not have to do that.

And ya…put the wallet in your console and dont sit on it.
 

MSum661

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Stretch it out. Keep a rock hard stomach, make sure your electrolytes are up and where they should be and go over everything you do posture wise on a daily bases, example climb in your car or truck and see if your posture is stuck in a "forced" position that resembles anything close to the attached photos. Your sciatica is telling you your doing something wrong. Could just be a simple life style adjustment that helps get it worked out... Good luck!!

8.png
7.jpg
 

samsah33

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Do you keep a wallet in your back pocket, and spend a bunch of time driving?

Had my back and sciatic screwed up for a long time. Switched from a leather trifold to a money clip in my front pocket. Damned wallet was twisting my hips, and back then I had a helluva commute to and from work. 4.5-5 hours round trip…..


Hope ya get it sorted. Friggin sucks when you can’t tie your work boots.
Very enlightening, I was commuting long distances with a wallet in my back pocket and noticed that my lower back and hips were hurting after a while, so I lost the wallet while driving as well and evenutally switched to a money clip. I just chocked it up to a long commute and old age. I've been working from home since COVID, so I haven't really given it a second thought until now when I read this post...!
 

Boatymcboatface

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I’m not going to assume anyone’s weight in these types of threads but I’m guessing there’s a few beer belly’s involved. I’ve been over weight before and had lots of issues from it and I wasn’t that big 6,4 260lbs. That only lasted a couple years eating and drinking when wife was pregnant then it was back to the gym and jiu jitsu to get all the baby weight off. I can tell you I had knee pain and back pain and that’s when my sciatic started to flair up. My mom has dealt with it for a long time and I knew how much pain I’d be in if I didn’t do something. So now that my weight has been stable it rarely starts to bother me but when it does it’s typically this time of year because of the slow down in activity and the increased holiday food intake. I drive a lot for work and dont have time to deal with pain while im driving so I stay active on my stops and hit the gym pretty much every day.
 

Toolman

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My sciatic contributors are salt, sugar, and red meat. As soon as I figured this out, the only time I have sciatic issues is when I cheat on my diet.
 

STV_Keith

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I've recently starting having sciatica pain and the stretching does help.

About a month ago the wife and I were walking through the indoor swap meet and she wanted to stop at this small shop that had these "all natural pain relief" stuff. She has constant migraines so when the lady said "try this", I just rolled my eyes. She put some of the stuff on and about a minute later, my wife said the migraine was gone and she felt great. The lady asked me if I had pains and I said I had sciatica so she gave me this other stuff to rub on my lower back and right hip where I have pain. It took about a minute and about 80%-90% of the pain was gone. Still being skeptical, I said we'd walk the rest of the swap meet and come back. After 2 hrs of walking, the pain hadn't come back, so we bought some.

I've been putting it on once a day, when I get out of the shower in the morning, and it's alleviated most of my pain. It does say you can use it up to 4 times a day, but I just don't need to. Anyway, the stuff is: https://www.smoothgator.com/60-second-pain-relief-16-oz.html

Not affiliated, yada, yada, but works for me.
 

Ziggy

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Do you keep a wallet in your back pocket, and spend a bunch of time driving?

Had my back and sciatic screwed up for a long time. Switched from a leather trifold to a money clip in my front pocket. Damned wallet was twisting my hips, and back then I had a helluva commute to and from work. 4.5-5 hours round trip…..


Hope ya get it sorted. Friggin sucks when you can’t tie your work boots.
My back got jacked by this for years and oddly enough I just mentioned this in Royals credit card cloning thread when C-2 brought up big rfid blocking leather wallets.
My wife is currently dealing with sciatic nerve injury since early July. Slowly improving but still not near normal, leg still goes numb or feet/toes tingle and an ass muscle that always feels like its cramping.
 

cofooter

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Never heard of the wallet thing but that makes sense. I had a particular work chair which seemed to irritate it, especially in the butt/ legs, so I changed. Since I have been working remotely, don't seem to get it that much as I sit way less than I used to.
 

warpt71

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I have dealt with this too and had it under control up until a couple of weeks ago. What worked for me last time was tons of stretching, not just at home, I was going to a palates class at a private gym 2 days a week. I swear to God, it made a world of difference!!! I have told others the same here, I think it was gqchris that I last suggested it to.

I'm not sure what I have done this time, other than sleeping on a "new" bed since Augh and working a shit ton of OT. The pain isn't in my back so much, but my right leg is tight from my ass cheek through my thigh and the top of my foot. I know its sciatica and I'm trying to stretch it out but I know what worked last time, I just don't have the time right now........
 

Looking Glass

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Yea man. Money clip is the way to roll….
I have to admit to you, that I did stop putting my Wallet in my ack pocket and although just this morning I feel much better. I am going to get a "Clip
and use that and then see in the Long Run the results. Thanks for the motivation to try this.👍
 

Desert Whaler

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It doesn't work for everyone, but it worked MAGIC for me . . . bought one of those 'Inversion Tables' used off craigslist.
3-4 times a day for just a short period of time works wonders.
I don't go fully upside down . . . I just go to the pre-set, which I believe is around 60 degrees.
If you have a neighbor/ freind/ family member with one, it's worth a shot.
 

JBZ

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Ok…This hurts initially but if you can get thru a couple of times doing this it may solve it for ya as it did for me.

I rolled on a tennis ball. Put it directly into my pain area. Hurt like a bitch but as I rolled around on the ball the pain started to subside. Its like it got it back in its proper place. Give it a shot. It was like a miracle for me.

The other thing is stretching but I did not have to do that.

And ya…put the wallet in your console and dont sit on it.
Be careful with the tennis ball deal.
I had a friend who would do this for his back pain.
He fractured a vertebra during his routine.
Was it the cause or not IDK.
 

Looking Glass

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I do believe the Wallet was a major cause of the problem. The Pain is much better now. I'll keep my fingers crossed and see in the Morning, as that's when it is at the worst.
The one thing, with not carrying the wallet in the back pocket, I swear, I checked over a dozen times as I could always just feel it
 

DILLIGAF

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Be careful with the tennis ball deal.
I had a friend who would do this for his back pain.
He fractured a vertebra during his routine.
Was it the cause or not IDK.
Jezzzz…i suspect he had a problem with that before hand.

It solved my problem and thats all I can speak to
 

Warlock1

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Laying down actually makes it worse for me!

1st thing I do if I start feeling even the slightest hint it’s starting I get to stretching! I’ve found crossing your feet and trying to touch your toes the best relief it hurts like heel when your doing it but man I feel sooo much better the next day! All kinds of stretching you can do to help with the pain. Also the 1st stretch listed on here they call it pigeon pose.

I did these exercises last night and what a difference it made. Slept way better. Got up this morning and the way I was sitting on the couch I could feel it starting to return a little. Did a couple of the exercises and boom pain was gone. I feel like there is hope now.
 

jetboatperformance

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REVENGE 97

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epidural two weeks ago......already back to 20 + mg of valium a day and 10 - 12 ibuprophen a day
Kidneys won't like that!, I have like stage 3 kidney disease and my GFR numbers are bad from just ibuprofen so I stopped taking it at all, tylenol is better for you just doesn't work as well, I also was drinking a super strong dose of turmeric every morning and that seemed to help me!
 

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My sciatica was a result of a bulging disc as seen on an MRI, 1mm away from requiring surgery. Tried a friend's inversion table and had relief immediately. I bought a used one (because people buy them and don't use them) and started using it 3x per day 10 minutes at a time. I worked my way to going fully inverted. Once fully inverted you can stretch and it is amazing. As the pain subsided I used it less and less until I was using it once every other day. Not only did my sciatica resolve but the bulge is gone (confirmed with MRI) and I grew back the 1/2" of height I lost in the first 50 years.
 

Familyties

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DAMN!!, when it acts up, it makes life difficult. I have been getting Epidural Injections, but wondering if there isn't a better option?

Dr. Ramin Amirnovin

ldrneurosurgery.medem.com
255 E Bonita Ave, Pomona, CA 91767 · ~10.4 mi
(909) 450-0369
Ramin Amirnovin, MD, FAANS, (“Dr. A”) is an accomplished neurosurgeon and spinal surgeon at Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) in Pomona, California.
Did wife and my back surgery with great results
 

Looking Glass

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Dr. Ramin Amirnovin

ldrneurosurgery.medem.com
255 E Bonita Ave, Pomona, CA 91767 · ~10.4 mi
(909) 450-0369
Ramin Amirnovin, MD, FAANS, (“Dr. A”) is an accomplished neurosurgeon and spinal surgeon at Inland Neurosurgery Institute (INI) in Pomona, California.
Did wife and my back surgery with great results


I cringe everytime the thought of "Back Surgery" crosses my mind. What was her Recovery like? Thanks.
 

Looking Glass

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My sciatica was a result of a bulging disc as seen on an MRI, 1mm away from requiring surgery. Tried a friend's inversion table and had relief immediately. I bought a used one (because people buy them and don't use them) and started using it 3x per day 10 minutes at a time. I worked my way to going fully inverted. Once fully inverted you can stretch and it is amazing. As the pain subsided I used it less and less until I was using it once every other day. Not only did my sciatica resolve but the bulge is gone (confirmed with MRI) and I grew back the 1/2" of height I lost in the first 50 years.


I can't LIE here. This is exactly the story I was hoping for. The Pain Dr. I asked about an Inversion Table, just Scoffed at the suggestion. I am going to look into this tomorrow, as I said in another answer, I just Dread Back Surgery, as the Horror Stories I have read and heard are of results that put you in worse condition than before.

Thank-You!!
 

92562

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I can't LIE here. This is exactly the story I was hoping for. The Pain Dr. I asked about an Inversion Table, just Scoffed at the suggestion. I am going to look into this tomorrow, as I said in another answer, I just Dread Back Surgery, as the Horror Stories I have read and heard are of results that put you in worse condition than before.

Thank-You!!

Anytime! The only time I know the inversion table won't work is if you have a ruptured disc. My neighbor tried mine with a ruptured disc and got to about 60 degrees and I thought it was going to kill him. His surgery went well.

Good luck!
 

Looking Glass

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Anytime! The only time I know the inversion table won't work is if you have a ruptured disc. My neighbor tried mine with a ruptured disc and got to about 60 degrees and I thought it was going to kill him. His surgery went well.

Good luck!


WELL!!, I had just returned from an MRI when I read your post. I now have to wait for this Surgeon, to read them and call me in. I will be discussing the Inversion Table with him and hopefully, he will believe it is an Option.

Again, Thanks
 

92562

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If you live near Murrieta/Temecula you can give mine a try this weekend.
 

Familyties

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I cringe everytime the thought of "Back Surgery" crosses my mind. What was her Recovery like? Thanks.
both of our surgeries had great results. Both of us could hardly walk into surgery but after surgery no pain at all and walked out with no problem
 

jeteater1

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I had L5-S1 fusion a year and two days ago . Pretty much feels like before surgery. So mine didn't work . Maybe it i got it when I was first injured and not 3 years later
 

t&y

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DAMN!!, when it acts up, it makes life difficult. I have been getting Epidural Injections, but wondering if there isn't a better option?
MOVE... no, literally, move or walk around. Get your muscles warmed up and stretch, then do some very basic core exercises. One such exercise that works wonders for me is standing straight up, feet shoulder width apart, and squeeze or flex your glut muscles (Think Nacho Libre in his stretchy pants showing off for the ladies) while slightly rolling your hips up and forward like you're tucking your butt in... Sounds funny but it works.

A lot of Sciatica issues come from tight Hamstrings and Calf muscles. I've been fighting this issue for a bit over twenty years now and the only thing that helps me is stretching and exercise.
 

t&y

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Keep hearing inversion table. That is a great temporary relief, but let's think about it for a moment. The inversion table stretches your back and muscles, so it takes the compression off the injured area that is affecting the Sciatic nerve. If that is giving you good results, then you can probably avoid any type of surgery or steroid injection by strengthening the muscles that are supposed to keep that area non-compressed to begin with. Core strength here and properly stretched muscles is the answer. I am very guilty of letting that go as of late and I'm feeling the effects. It's a vicious cycle.

If the inversion table doesn't relieve the pain, then you may have to go onto additional treatment. It's like going to the Chiropractor for a 10 minute adjustment and feeling great for 10 minutes after, until everything settles back in you are back to being out of adjustment.
 

jetboatperformance

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Got an Inversion table a few years back , was complaining about my back one Sunday afternoon while Rhonda and I were sucking down beers on the porch and slightly "tipsy"... She said "maybe try the inversion table" .... shes pretty tiny and once I was inverted she couldn't figure out or had the strength to "right me" Meanwhile were laughing hysterically (me upside down) and Sebastian is licking my inverted face .......... For sale : one inversion table only "gently used" , local pickup
 

Looking Glass

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both of our surgeries had great results. Both of us could hardly walk into surgery but after surgery no pain at all and walked out with no problem


How long and gruesome was the Recovery Period?

Thanks.
 

bilz

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I use a foam roller about 6 " in diameter. I roll on it across my back and then lay on it up and down my spine length wise. This gives me a good stretch. Bought at big 5 but amazon has them also.
 

JD D05

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I have also had 2 separate back surgeries and both were very successful. With that said no fusions were needed. I have done most other types of care either prior to the surgeries or after for maintenance. I believe in deep tissue massage if you can find a good one. Also I recently started seeing a doctor the works with a lot of high end athletes. He basically goes through your entire muscular system to find out what muscles are dormant. Dormant muscles put extra load on other muscles and ultimately cause pain or injury. After my initial exam he found I have 63 dormant muscles. 63 is somewhat high because I have dealt with a lot of trauma in my life. Now I go every week or so to address 6 muscles at a time and I am totally blown away by the success.
 
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