Sciatica

I have suffered with Sciatica for most of my life. In fact I have a medical discharge from the USAF because of it. The A.F. took lots of x-rays and I was even in the hospital at Kelly AFB but since MRI was a thing of the future no one was able to give me a root cause of the problem.

Since the pain only seemed to flare up a week or two every few years; was isolated to my right hip and bearable; you learn to live with it.
You learn not to wear a wallet in your back pocket and get out to walk around for a few minutes on long trips in the car.

Then about two weeks ago something let loose.
A sharp pain went down my right leg. My right foot has felt cold and a sensation of pins and needles last till today.
The only relief I get is laying down; while walking and moving around is not so bad sitting is another thing all together. I can wake up in the morning and feel great but just in the time of getting dresses and sitting on the edge of the bed makes my hip and leg start to hurt.

But hopefully tomorrow (Monday) we can find out the cause and cure as I am headed to the doctors office to get a MRI done of my lower back.

Need to find the cure and quick as my DOT physical is due next month. If I can not pass my physical at that time my CDL will become null and void under the new rules.
Kind of a oversight in the new rule. You get sick or hurt at just the right time; and even though you get better and can now pass the physical it does you no good because the state has done made your CDL worthless.

MRI's can find a lot of things that x-ray can't. I had same pain, same leg & same nerve & they found a small chunk of disc laying on that nerve. Surgery to remove it all about 15 years ago.
Hope they find your problem!

Led

I have had a Neuro-stimulator put in my Back and it has eliminated those symptoms of numbness and false pain..
My foot no longer goes numb either..
No more meds for pain..!

Does require 6 weeks of NOT doing anything, to let the leads knit into place..

Did more for me than 2 Back surgeries and a Fusion...!!

Ron.

My wife has/had this. Only relief was killing the nerve for her. Very debilitating for 3 yrs. till she got the nerve deadening. Wish you good luck.

I'm in the same boat. My arthritis is causing the hole in the bone that the nerve goes through to close up. I can never guess what is going to put it in a snit, but once it is it's a pill. Today I cut firewood and something made it mad. I could hardly lift that left leg up. Sitting for any length of time is a sure fire way to be in misery.

Supposedly they can go in and ream out that opening through the bone. Sounds a little too close for comfort to me.

Wow. hope you can find relief soon. It's no picnic for sure. A couple of years ago I had it and was pretty much down for a week till the right meds kicked in. During that episode I found out how strong my son is. I'm a little over 200 lb and during that episode I was sitting in the kitchen till I couldn't take it anymore, so I headed for the living room couch. About half way through the dining room I couldn't take it anymore and was headed for the floor when my son grabbed me and pretty much carried me to the couch. Ah, to be young and strong again!

By the way, John, you gonna be home March 6th or 7th? We'll be pretty close to your neck of the woods about then. Jim

My wife and uncle both have it! My Dad had shooting pain down his legs! All 3 swear by an inversion table! Uncle had had it for years and found this to be the only treatment to help!

Well I hope the Doctors can find and cure your pain. It sucks big time when you hurt all the time. BTDT

As for your CDL There is a period where all you have to do is to pass a DOT physicial and get that sent into the state an your CDL is good again. If you go too long you have to start all over. I am not sure on the time frame this all takes.

i suffer from that everyday. no meds helped, i found, that when i wrapped my affected leg, with an ace bandage, below the knee to my ankle to help support my weight in my lower leg. in two weeks, pain subsided. i get flare ups, i wrap leg back up n by noon i take it off n good for rest of day. try it, its close to free n no meds. i also have one of them big beach balls, n ive used it to get my lower back in alignment. it took 3 attempts on that ball to get the area to crack loose n relive pressure. good luck.

I'd love to hear what you find to be the cure.
I've had sciatica for over 20 years. One surgery. No relief.
As you say, you live with it, but it's not easy when it flares.

Until you've been to a chiropractor you haven't tried everything. If you try surgery and it doesn't work you are stuck with it. You can walk away from chiropractic if it doesn't help.

JD
I may be over reacting until we know what the test results are but it is something that goes threw your mind.
I think the time table is like 60 days but I will have to look it up. That will give me 90 days and in that time I should know something permanent.

I was also thinking........
What if I went in before my physical expires and recertify as exempt no physical required; ride that out till I am able to pass the physical; then recertify as non-exempt.
My boss has been allowing me to come in and pick and choose my loads so I can stay working even though it is taking its toll on me.
If I fail my physical corporate is going to shut me down any way so having a exempt CDL will not be a issue.
Heck then I can find out how good this disability insurance is they take money out of my check for each week.

CGID
Acupuncture also.
You can believe me when I say I will try everything before someone takes a knife to my back.

Jim;
I really appreciate the offer but things are really up in the air right now.
Depending on what the doctor tells me and how I feel. If I feel anything like I do today I may not be up to having guest.

If I do get some relief from some meds we will be working hard March 5th 6th and 7th trying to catch up from our off day Tuesday for Mardi Gras.

Ya, our plans concerning the trip change from day to day too. One plan we do have pretty much pinned down is to be in New O Monday and probably leave on Thursday. Then it's up to Vicksburg via the long bridge. After that it's a free for all. Hope your back gets better real quick. Jim

Had it and went through therapy to ease the bone or whatever off the nerve. It worked but would come back once in a while and then take a couple days to go away. A later sports therapist told me I had to stretch my legs to take care of the back and then the pain would go away. He was right. Now I use an inversion table when the back get a little hinky. For immediate relief I have a portable TENS unit, clamp in on my belt, hooks the leads up, the pain goes away and I do what I want. The unit was around $50 off the internet.
Bob
Central Arizona

I have sciatica too.

What works for me so far is A LOT of stretching. Did a little physical therapy and they gave me a book of stretches to do every day.

The numbness is in my quadriceps wrapping around to my butt, then down to my toes. If I keep up with the stretching life is good. Only takes 5 minutes.

Doc says this goes back to when I broke my tailbone 10 years go.

Rick

Have you tried Magnilife Sciatica Relief pills? You might need to take them for 2-3 weeks before you start to feel better.
I have a relative that takes them and they seem to really help.

I've taken the Magnilife Sciatica Relief pills but I've found NaturalCare NerveFix seems to work better and faster for me. Itching is a side effect. Worth it to be rid of the pain.

Someone mentioned a neuro-stimulator. MIL has one. You're not allowed to drive with the stimulator turned on! So I'm guessing even having one would be a no-no for someone with a CDL.

My BIL uses an inversion chair.

Speaking from experience.
Get to a chiropractor and buy an incline board. Try that long before you let MD's drug you up or cut on you.
I am a Master plumber who apprenticed during the cast iron era. My back and knees are in rough shape.
I now drive a tractor trailer over the road.
I spent a $1000.00 on an infinitely adjustable air ride seat for my truck. That makes staying comfortable 11 hrs a day possible.

Good luck.

Something along with a chiropractor that might be worth a try as well is massage therapy. If I remember right what I had read in a massage therapy trigger point book, the sciatic nerve runs by and through the piriformis muscle. It is a muscle that goes from the outside part of your hip in towards the tail bone and spine. The 3 parts of the gluteus muscles are part of the area also and get tight as well. Deep tissue massage may help with it along with stretching.

Ive got an inversion table as well. They do help.

I have had back problems also. About 15 years ago got so I could only sleep a few hours. Doctor recommended this book "TREAT YOUR OWN BACK" by Robin McKenzie, stretching exercises. That and some trips to chiropractor over about 6 months to a year I was better. Since then go to chiro about once a year, been almost two now. Work construction, builder from footings to finish so I use my back.

Might not be your sciatica this time. A blockage can cause the same symptoms. It took a neurosurgeon studying the mri's to find mine when everyone else missed it.