Sciatica

[Dellboy]

Hi
Well as the tile says really, about 3-4 weeks ago I woke up in the most pain I have ever felt, turns out in my sleep I slipped a disk in my lower back.

The last two weeks I have been taking 8 paracetamol and 8 tramadol + 3 naprosyn per day, as per doctors orders and have to say my back is feeling better but the pain is now down my leg.

Been told by the Doc I have now got Sciatica, and just to keep taking the Naprosyn and paracetamol and rest.

So was wondering if anyone here has it or has had Sciatica, if so how long before you were playing again and what did you do to help the pain and problem go away, or is it just rest that will work.

Cheers

Del

P.S Happy new Year to you all.

 

[RichardC]

Osteopath helped me.

I suffered with it on and off for about 4 years (3 spells), and every time a few sessions with the osteopath helped.

I know they are not everyones cup of tea, but I swear by mine.

 

[Hobbit]

Its like asking how long is a piece of string. Some have it for a few weeks, whilst others can have it a lot longer - I'm into my 7th year with it now.

 

[MegaSteve]

'Repair' time will vary depending on your general fitness and I hate to say it age... Had bouts of sciatica myself over the last few years... Rest is about the only thing you can do to assist getting back to full health... I tend to only take the pain killers when the pain is at gritted teeth level... In my case I'm sure carrying a 'few' extra pounds doesn't help my recovery either...

 

[DappaDonDave]

The wife has a bad lower back, we've recently purchased a percussion massager (
Homedics) and that helped her.

Also helped with my tight shoulders. Not a bad piece of kit.

Should be £22, comet had it for £9, has 4 different balls, 3 for hardness and one for the heat setting.

I can see it being very helpful once I start playing properly again in summer

 

[r1965h]

Hi,
I started having occasional pains down my left leg in March 2011. This continued for a few months before I went to see my doctor who referred me to the orthopaedic clinic at the local hospital. They carried out a few tests and said that it was probably sciatica and that it would run it's course and go. They arranged for me to have some physiotherapy on the NHS (12 week waiting list).

A few months later the pain was more frequent and would often wake me up in the middle of the night so I paid for some private physio but this wasn't having a positive effect. It was actually very painful doing the exercises.

My NHS physio appointment came through in September so off I went. The physiotherapist asked me a number of questions and she immediately identified that physio was not the correct course of action. There were couple of 'red flags' in my answers to the questions that she'd asked. She arranged for me to be referred back to the orthopaedic clinic that I'd been to originally. I didn't fancy waiting a few months for this appointment to come through so I paid to have a private appointment with an orthopaedic consultant.

I had to pack in playing golf mid October as the pain was too great when completing the swing.

The orthopaedic consultant referred me to have a MRI scan, which was the best £195 I ever spent. The cause of all my pain is due to a tumour towards the bottom of my spinal canal where the nerve roots are. The consultant neurologist is 99% certain that it's benign, he reckons it's probably been growing for a couple of years.

I'm due to have an operation to remove the tumour on 19th January. It can't come quick enough as the pain at night is severe enough to limit me to about 4 hours sleep max.

If you don't think you're improving after a few months don't be afraid to ask to have a MRI scan on the NHS or pay privately, £195 isn't a lot these days.

Richard.

 

[Karl102]

A friends of mine swears by his chiropractor. Again, these are not everybody's cup of tea, but he goes once a month without fail!

 

[daymond]

Have you looked it up on Wikipedia?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There must be a GM forummer with a Homer voodoo doll. Read this last night and woken up with shooting pains at the bottom of my back shooting down the right buttock into the top of my leg. Very sore although I've been taking Anadin joint pain tablets all day which have helped. Only hit a few balls yesterday so hoping I've just slept funny. Not sure what it is but I can empathise with the OP

 

[Phil2511]

I get it occasionally. Usually it's when I've over exerted my lower back. The muscle swells and traps my sciatic nerve. I hurt my back a couple weeks ago and had it down my left leg. Today however it's on the right side and I find it's more painful on the right and harder to do things as that is my dominant side.
I find walking helps ease it a bit and standing makes it worse. Sitting either keeps the pain if it's sore or keeps it away or lessened if I've been for a walk first.

 

[Dellboy]

Hi
Thanks for all the reply's , didn't know so many people had it !!

Have just seen my Doctor this morning as the pain is still there, not as bad but on a scale of 1 - 10 its about a 6, last week about 11 !!

He is sending me off tomorrow for a MIR scan, just to check its not anything else giving me the pain.

He's also taken me off the tramodol and put me on Codeine, which is not as strong but still helps and he has asked me to stay away from chiropractors until I have had the scan, just to be on the safe side.

If its just Sciatica he will then send me to the orthopaedic clinic at the local hospital within 5-7 days.

Been told to walk about, if its not to pain full and to just keep mobile as much as I can.

Then I asked the big question, when will I be back on the course playing, as soon as I mentioned golf he was a different person, being a player himself he said he would get me back playing ASAP, then made a phone call to the hospital and got me an space in the orthopaedic clinic tomorrow after my scan to check me over and to see what they recommend :thup:

Will let you know how it all goes,

Del

P.S He told me if I'm back fully fit (ish) and playing with in the month I owe him a round at my local club, sounds like a good deal to me.