Sciatic Nerve
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@mark said in Sciatic Nerve:
Doc did x-rays
X-rays can be remarkably unhelpful in something like this. Yeah, they'll show arthritis, but your problem is soft tissue, which doesn't show up on an x-ray. Nevertheless it's a good place to start.
and prescribed a muscle relaxer cyclobenzaprine and an anti-inflammatory
The first time I blew out a disc, I took 10 mg of cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and fell asleep for the evening. The second time I blew out a disc, I was taking 50 mg. a day - and working. Spasm was that bad.
Once a day on the Meloxicam and 2x daily for the cylclobenzaprine.
First PT session is scheduled for January 4th. With the holidays, I was told I was lucky to get one that fast. They also put me on a cancelation list.
PT will be hard, but hopefully helpful. If your problem is muscle strain/spasm pressing on a nerve, breaking the spasm is what you need to do. PT will strengthen you, and the cyclobenzaprine will break the spasm.
Using a walker for the first time in my life.
It'll help with stability. I found that there were some positions of standing that were unbearable, and I had to twist my back just so to break it. Those bad positions made me feel unstable.
Getting out of a car? HA!
Doctor followed up and said I have now more arthritis since my last xray in 2018. X-rays show mild to moderate degenerative disc disease.
Actually x-rays show loss of disc space because of degenerated discs. We don't know if the disc is herniated, or bulging, pressing on a nerve root.
Getting old is freaking painful.
"Not fer sissies." Wait 10 years.
Here's D4's MRI. You can see the dark bulging disc pushing on the spinal cord's sac. An x-ray can't show that.
Here's hoping it resolves quickly.
wrote on 22 Dec 2022, 15:06 last edited by@George-K said in Sciatic Nerve:
Getting out of a car? HA!
That's why we drive pickups.
Much easier to fall out of...
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@George-K said in Sciatic Nerve:
Getting out of a car? HA!
That's why we drive pickups.
Much easier to fall out of...
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wrote on 22 Dec 2022, 16:07 last edited by
@mark I’m glad you saw your doctor. I hope drugs and PT help. I don’t know if this is helpful, but I was confined to bed for days in 2015 with excruciating bilateral lower back-butt pain. No injury or event prior; it just happened one morning when I got up, and over 24 hrs it got worse & worse til I could hardly move .. I had some relief standing but couldn’t do that all day & night. I put off going to the doctor for a few days. I was stiff, in bad pain by then. After the doctor visit, the tests (no injury, mild age related osteo changes in my lower spine), the strong drugs for acute pain, the PT visit, I was left “to rest”, and to do a few exercises & eventually a walking regiment. One thing also recommended, & I got, & still use to this day for flare ups is a Dr. Ho’s TENS unit. I was skeptical at first, but for me it worked. I just wore it, left the pads on, used it standing, sitting, in bed, whenever the pain was so bad. I’ve learned since, specific situational type anxiety seems to be a flare-up-trigger for me…this Dr Ho unit seems to relax the surrounding muscles just enough so I can get into a hot bath tub & soak, do these same PT exercises, get my head and anxiety in order to ward off another acute episode. ??Perhaps google it or ask your doctor, PT of it.. maybe it could help with sciatica too??
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wrote on 22 Dec 2022, 16:57 last edited by
TENS units can be very helpful.
I had forgotten that I have used them in the past as well!
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wrote on 22 Dec 2022, 18:23 last edited by
Wow blonde, that sounds exactly what I am going through. Thanks for the recommendation. I will get one to try.
George, as usual, thanks for the great info.
I actually got a little sleep after taking the drugs yesterday. Not great sleep, but maybe a total of 3 hours.
Last night was not good. Very sporadic sleep pattern. Would fall asleep for 10 or 20 minutes then wake up and not be able to get back to sleep.
I did find a couple of hours of "sleep" this morning. I will probably spend the day in bed again. So boring!
And 2 weeks to go until PT. I hope it's better by then.
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wrote on 22 Dec 2022, 18:32 last edited by
The TENS unit that Blondie linked to is pricey. There are less-expensive units available. I assume they differ in reliability and the ability to set various programs of stimulation.
You might want to go cheap before making a bigger investment.
We've used this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NCRE4GO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And gotten pretty good relief.
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wrote on 22 Dec 2022, 22:49 last edited by
Ordered! Thanks!
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@mark nope. They're reusable and arrive on a mylar sheet that you stick them back onto. YOu'll get dozens of uses out of them.
They will wear out, but replacements are cheap.
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wrote on 23 Dec 2022, 02:59 last edited by taiwan_girl
@mark WOw!! Get well soon!!
I want to see the @mark @Aqua-Letifer @Doctor-Phibes @klaus @jon-nyc bike riding relay race this summer
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wrote on 23 Dec 2022, 03:11 last edited by
@taiwan_girl said in Sciatic Nerve:
@mark WOw!! Get well soon!!
I want to see the @mark @Aqua-Letifer @Doctor-Phibes @klaus @jon-nyc bike riding relay race this summer
Would. So. Do. It.
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@taiwan_girl said in Sciatic Nerve:
@mark WOw!! Get well soon!!
I want to see the @mark @Aqua-Letifer @Doctor-Phibes @klaus @jon-nyc bike riding relay race this summer
Would. So. Do. It.
wrote on 23 Dec 2022, 14:07 last edited by@Aqua-Letifer said in Sciatic Nerve:
@taiwan_girl said in Sciatic Nerve:
@mark WOw!! Get well soon!!
I want to see the @mark @Aqua-Letifer @Doctor-Phibes @klaus @jon-nyc bike riding relay race this summer
Would. So. Do. It.
+1!
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wrote on 23 Dec 2022, 15:49 last edited by
Race Across America
https://www.raamrace.org/about
I will be the cheerleader and good mental support person. LOL
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wrote on 23 Dec 2022, 16:15 last edited by
Feel better soon, Mark! Summer is coming, and you'll want to have all the fun!
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wrote on 25 Dec 2022, 14:28 last edited by
Update?
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wrote on 26 Dec 2022, 04:52 last edited by
Very sorry to hear this Mark. I used to suffer sciatica from auto injuries and lower back problems. I did a course of rolfing and other structural adjustments (myofascial release and chiro) which have helped immensely. Still a bit stiff and occasional flair ups, but not the debilitating sciatica I once regularly had. I hope your treatments fix you soon.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.