Medical Help....Sciatic Nerve?

[ChrystalPaths]

Hey Mona! You ok, you've not been back and I'm concerned about your pain. Just say ok if you are. OK?

 

[Mona]

Hi everyone. THANK you all for sharing your stories, experiences and suggestions. I truely appreciate each and every one of them! And Dimimore, I am going to try and get hubby to help me with your suggestions...IF we ever slow down long enough to find the time to do it, but I sure want to give it a shot, and really appreciate your sharing that info with me(and all of us) here!

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Today, I went to a different Chiropractor, and although I really don't feel a whole lot better physically, I was much more impressed with him, in general! At least he asked me questions, had me bending this way, and stretching that way, to try to isolate the exact location of the nerve causing the most trouble for me, and he said it is L4. Now I will have to see what I can learn about that. He said that is why I am having numbness in my shin muscle and tingling in my toes. This is a pinched nerve, and he feels there is a chance it will get better, but he said realistically, it could take months.

: Oh well, months is better than never!

On the bright side, he said no sweeping, vacuuming, raking, shovelling etc. He said that type of movement is the worst thing for this type of injury. I was smiling ear to ear as I announed I was instructed not to sweep and vacuum! :bgrin So, I guess I most likely aggrivated it more the other day when I was raking, cleaning stalls and stallion pen, and of course, vacuuming and sweeping. Oh well, how was I to know??

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Thanks again everyone!! :aktion033:

 

[shortymisty]

He also forgot to tell you that bending over the washing machine and getting clothes out is a no-no too Wooooooooo hooooooooooooo :aktion033:

 

[Mona]

He also forgot to tell you that bending over the washing machine and getting clothes out is a no-no too Wooooooooo hooooooooooooo :aktion033:

:bgrin :aktion033: LOL! Well he did say that when I do have to bed down, I should do so with my legs(as in lowering myself) and not bending over.

 

[Kendra]

I have a sometimes bulging disc in my lower back that at it's worst was terrible for sciatic pain. I simply couldn't sit or stand and spend basically three months flat on my back. I went the chiropractor, for massage and for accupuncture. The more pleasant of the three, and the one that got rid of the sciatic pain, was acupuncture.

Good luck, I hope you feel better soon!

 

[Linda_H]

There is a good chance that the offending muscle is your piriformis muscle I have piriformis syndrome --In most people the sciatic nerve runs under or over the muscle but in some lucky individuals ( 15%!) it runs right through the piriformis muscle in the hip The muscle clamps right down on the nerve and the pain is awful Things that aggravate it are sitting, driving and stairs I recommend a chiropracter exeriened in treating this, , physical therapy or myofascial release I have been battling it for 20+ years and have learned how to manage I tae chromnic pain meds, pace my activities and do stretches of the piriformois muscle Some people have the muscle cut but it does not seem to help that much

Good luck!

 

[DunPainted]

:no: MONA......I feel your pain!

Trust me, there are many chiropractors out there with differing methods!

The first experience was just horrible....the guy twisted me like a pretzel, popped my neck (hate the sound) and sobbed as I left the office.

Next, I went to the one we see (my 11 year old son and I) is FANTASTIC. He KNOWS...NO NECK POPPING!

When I had a syatic nerve problem, it was due to long shifts working in the ER sitting in awful chairs. Was the unit coordinator. Couldn't feel my toes, etc. My chiropractor worked with me twice a week, and finally left the job.

Our guy does not believe in meds, rather keeping the spine (which controls so many organs) in alignment without meds (masks true pain) is the best way to go.

BY THE WAY......I LET HIM POP MY NECK! Feels great!

 

[RainSong]

I had sciatic nerve flare ups off and on since mid teens... when i was pregnant with Nathan, I hit four or five months and it was CONSTANT!

Ironically, I discovered a "fix" was to go up and down the stairs a few times. Hurt alot, but it made it bearable, and made it so I could get around. Still, I spent most of my pregnancy unable to lift my feet more then 1-2 feet off the floor.

That hip flares up fairly regularly now just from doing normal shopping and junk. It's not fun, and I was told that there's nothing to be done except stretching and stuff. Hope you find something that works for you.

Just another note- my mother had what seemed like Sciatic pain accompanying her degenerative disc disease. It's not a bad idea to see a Doctor if you've got a back injury or more issues then just sciatic pain (my mother had ALOT more issues)

 

[Mona]

Well I am on day 3 now, of feeling a little better. I am still in pain, but it is not constant, and I do get a little relief from it in spurts throughout the day!! :aktion033: I still cannot do the things I mentioned, but am at times at least able to walk a few hundred feet without the pain being too bad.

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I went to the doctor yesterday...my husband had an appointment for something else, so I called to see if I could sneak in on his too, and they gave me the go-ahead! Anyway, this Doctor felt that it was not a pinched nerve, that it was not showing the "typical response" of a pinched nerver when stretching legs, and asked to do certain things. My pain was not in the typical location, and didn't come at the typical time. So I have NO idea now what is up! He felt that I have "Piriformis Syndrome", but I was reading on that, and it seems my pain is in different areas for that. Maybe I have trouble in a couple of nerves in that area, why nothing seems typical??

: Anyway, he is setting me up for an appointment for a CT scan. He said he truely feels an xray will not show anything, that a CT scan with be better for this type of thing.

I am off to the Chiropractor this morning. It will be my last appointment until after I get the results of the CT scan back. I really would rather know for sure what we are dealing with before doing things that could potentially make it worse again.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Mona]

Well, just got back from town. I told my Chiropractor about the doctor's thoughts, and he feels what I really should have, is an MRI, and not a CT scan. He feels the CT Scan won't show anything, as he really is quite sure it is a pinched nerve(s) and not the Piriformis muscle. I am actually feeling more certain that in my case, the doctor is wrong, and the chiropractor is right, as what he says and explains makes far more sense, as to why and where I am having my pain.

I am not sure how it is in the US or other areas of the world, but it seems here in Canada, the doctors and chiropractors just don't like each other, and won;t work together, which is a real shame, because in the meantime, it is the patient that suffers. Why can't they just work together on trying to isolate the problem!

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So now, I am going back to the chiropractor again on Thursday! LOL!