Sciatic Nerve
-
I was experiencing severe muscle weakness and felt like I was just wasting away. I have stopped all meds now for over 36 hours.
Starting to gain a little strength but still weak.
As you know, Dr. prescribed Muscle relaxer cyclobenzaprine, anti-inflammatory Meloxicam, and he upped my Pravastatin dose from 40mg to 80mg. All at the same time. It did not go well. I sent doc a message through MyChart and told him about it and stated that I was ceasing all meds until my strength is restored. He agreed. Now I just have a higher level of pain but still making progress. Doing recommended stretching and other techniques, ice, heat, TENS, etc.
@mark said in Sciatic Nerve:
I was experiencing severe muscle weakness and felt like I was just wasting away. I have stopped all meds now for over 36 hours.
Starting to gain a little strength but still weak.
As you know, Dr. prescribed Muscle relaxer cyclobenzaprine, anti-inflammatory Meloxicam, and he upped my Pravastatin dose from 40mg to 80mg. All at the same time. It did not go well. I sent doc a message through MyChart and told him about it and stated that I was ceasing all meds until my strength is restored. He agreed. Now I just have a higher level of pain but still making progress. Doing recommended stretching and other techniques, ice, heat, TENS, etc.
So glad you have a good relationship with your doc, Mark. That's really important and can make a real difference in your experience and outcome.
-
The TENS device arrived today. After a consultation with Dr. George, I have the first effective pain relief since this hit me.
Can't thank you enough for the for letting me know about this device and for the instructions on its use.
It's not 100% but it is enough that I can actually walk from room to room without the walker.
@mark said in Sciatic Nerve:
The TENS device arrived today. After a consultation with Dr. George, I have the first effective pain relief since this hit me.
Can't thank you enough for the for letting me know about this device and for the instructions on its use.
It's not 100% but it is enough that I can actually walk from room to room without the walker.
I'm happy to here this. Best of the New Year to you, Mark.
-
Went to see a new chiropractor yesterday. He was recommended by my sister. Very gentle, interesting techniques. He spent a full 30 minutes on my back. Actually provided some relief. Bought a back brace (Copper Fit) on his recommendation and it is a mixed bag of providing less pain but then it actually hurts more to wear it.
Going again at 2:00 today and then PT tomorrow. He told me to keep the PT as he likes to have many people on the "team" to figure it all out.
Actually wants to work with my physician and specialists. He says, if he cannot help, he will do nothing. I like the attitude. He read the results/impressions of my last set of xrays. He does a lot of sports injury work in the area and also works closely with the orthopedic surgeons in the area.
He says I should definitely be golfing thus year. This put an early end to my golf season in 2022. I was not happy.
-
Went to see a new chiropractor yesterday. He was recommended by my sister. Very gentle, interesting techniques. He spent a full 30 minutes on my back. Actually provided some relief. Bought a back brace (Copper Fit) on his recommendation and it is a mixed bag of providing less pain but then it actually hurts more to wear it.
Going again at 2:00 today and then PT tomorrow. He told me to keep the PT as he likes to have many people on the "team" to figure it all out.
Actually wants to work with my physician and specialists. He says, if he cannot help, he will do nothing. I like the attitude. He read the results/impressions of my last set of xrays. He does a lot of sports injury work in the area and also works closely with the orthopedic surgeons in the area.
He says I should definitely be golfing thus year. This put an early end to my golf season in 2022. I was not happy.
-
I continue to improve. Doing the recommended stretches and exercises, roughly every 2 hours. Then ice if needed.
I'm able to move my pelvis more side to side today than yesterday when I could barely move an inch. Also the arching stretch is more flexible today.
Feeling so much better but sound sleep still eludes me. Being comfortable in one position for very long is still not happening.
-
-
Hugs to you @mark :couple_with_heart:
-
Way to go, Mark!
You'll get better because you WANT to get better, and you're doing everything you can to speed up the process. Good for you. Been there, still am. Keep at it!@Rainman said in Sciatic Nerve:
Way to go, Mark!
You'll get better because you WANT to get better, and you're doing everything you can to speed up the process. Good for you. Been there, still am. Keep at it!+1 to Rainman's encouragement. He said it better than I could.
-
@George-K Feeling so much better. Doing the PT recommended exercises and stretches 3-4 times a day. Slowly working my pelvis back into proper alignment.
PT feels I need to have an ultrasound at the very least or better still, an MRI in the area where the pain originates as well as the opposite side of my back where she thinks I might have small growths that "I should not be alarmed about". Yeah, OK. She thinks they are most likely "fatty tissue."
-
@George-K Feeling so much better. Doing the PT recommended exercises and stretches 3-4 times a day. Slowly working my pelvis back into proper alignment.
PT feels I need to have an ultrasound at the very least or better still, an MRI in the area where the pain originates as well as the opposite side of my back where she thinks I might have small growths that "I should not be alarmed about". Yeah, OK. She thinks they are most likely "fatty tissue."
@mark said in Sciatic Nerve:
PT feels I need to have an ultrasound at the very least or better still, an MRI in the area where the pain originates as well as the opposite side of my back where she thinks I might have small growths that "I should not be alarmed about". Yeah, OK. She thinks they are most likely "fatty tissue."
Ultrasound will probably be remarkably unhelpful and non-diagnostic.
Get in the tube.
-
@mark said in Sciatic Nerve:
PT feels I need to have an ultrasound at the very least or better still, an MRI in the area where the pain originates as well as the opposite side of my back where she thinks I might have small growths that "I should not be alarmed about". Yeah, OK. She thinks they are most likely "fatty tissue."
Ultrasound will probably be remarkably unhelpful and non-diagnostic.
Get in the tube.
@George-K said in Sciatic Nerve:
@mark said in Sciatic Nerve:
PT feels I need to have an ultrasound at the very least or better still, an MRI in the area where the pain originates as well as the opposite side of my back where she thinks I might have small growths that "I should not be alarmed about". Yeah, OK. She thinks they are most likely "fatty tissue."
Ultrasound will probably be remarkably unhelpful and non-diagnostic.
Get in the tube.
Amen.
It amazes me what all they can see with a good MRI.
-
@George-K said in Sciatic Nerve:
@mark said in Sciatic Nerve:
PT feels I need to have an ultrasound at the very least or better still, an MRI in the area where the pain originates as well as the opposite side of my back where she thinks I might have small growths that "I should not be alarmed about". Yeah, OK. She thinks they are most likely "fatty tissue."
Ultrasound will probably be remarkably unhelpful and non-diagnostic.
Get in the tube.
Amen.
It amazes me what all they can see with a good MRI.
-
Funny you should mention....
I'm seeing a neurosurgeon on Friday. My left anterior thigh goes numb if I stand/sit in one position too long.
Knowing the surgeon, he'll order an MRI and (hopefully) refer me to PT. I doubt I have a herniated or bulging disc. Probably some foramenal stenosis.
-
@89th I am like 100% better. PT helped the most. Chiro was good too but the stretches and exercises from PT were what got me straightened out.
My pelvis was misaligned to the point that if it had gone even a few millimeters more out of alignment I would not have been able to walk at all. About 2-3 weeks of PT had me right as rain. I continue to work on it so I don't go out of alignment again.
I needed to learn proper posture when sitting at my desk, playing my guitars/piano, ergonomic placement of my keyboard and mouse, etc. I never gave these things a first thought let alone a second thought. I can even type faster and more accurately now that I have put them into practice.
MRI showed narrowing of passages in some disks and other paths that nerves run through due to arthritis and of course, me getting older than dirt. It also raped my bank account of $2k which was my portion of the $7k bill they sent my insurance company. All for 20 minutes inside a noisy tube and about 10 minutes of an analysts time. So $14k per hour. There were many people in the waiting room just waiting to get raped in the same manner. IOW, the MRI did nothing at all to help my doctor and PT solve the problem. The PT people were awesome. By the time I was scheduled to get into the tube, I was already feeling 90% better.
Because my pelvis was so far out of alignment, it was pinching my sciatic nerve. Once I got it moving back into proper alignment, the pain subsided and I am now back to my "normal" self.
I am sitting at my desk in a proper manner now, and I also adjusted how I sit when playing my guitars. All in the hope that I never have to go through that again.
Yeah, posture is important. Who knew? lol
