Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Sciatic silver bullet?

I'll join in with the MRI crowd. As someone said, demand one.

Fuggin sawbones and insurance companies can shove it up their wazoos when it comes to backs.

2010-2011 or so I did something at work and messed up my back. Along with the pain was the start of sciatica. PT didn't do much, THEN they allowed an MRI. "Oh, Mr Geno you have stenosis in your lower vertebrae and some slightly bulging discs. Your not at the point for shots or surgery yet, keep up the exercises, but you WILL be back"

FF to 2015, back getting worse. Reg doc says "have to send you to PT" which was problematic as I was leaving work in about 3 weeks and the soonest I get a PT appointment was a month. So I get to take the script to where my wife was living and where I stayed during the off season. Another 2-3 weeks before I could get a PT appointment, then 6 weeks, 2 sessions, $25 copay each time and no relief, other than being relieved of $300. PT guy says I'll send a report to you doc here.

report gets to doc, the call me in and send me to the x-ray folks. I go home. Get a phone call that afternoon, "can you come in tomorrow for an MRI"

Gee, do you think the back Doc back in 2011 might have known what the hell he was talking about when he said I would be back.

Fuggers, the lot of them. Had to go through the same scheidt with my shoulder. x-ray showed some "arthritis" so that's our diagnosis for now, take some pills and use ice. "We can't authorize and MRI if you don't have a specific injury incident" Yeah, right. So last winter as I was opening the chicken Gulag I heard my shoulder pop. In to the doc I go, MRI authorized, yep, torn rotator cuff. No scheidt I say, I told you that nearly two years ago.


Without doing an MRI it's like bringing the car to the mechanic and saying something under the floorboards is making noise and the mechanic says "Change the oil and air up the tires good" without putting the car up on the rack and taking a look.

Get an MRI and find out what's actually causing it. BEFORE going to chiropractors or PT or starting an exercise program or you may find yourself in worse shape.

Two friends who have sciatic pain swear by inversion tables.

You’re gambling with your health. While you feel good now, that could change in an instant. Back injuries in the belt area can affect not only your back, but the strength in your legs and the function of things like your bladder and bowel. Your erections could go away.

You are really fortunate that your feeling is returning. When your nerves are severely pinched, they can die downstream of the pinch. When the pressure is removed, there is no guarantee that the nerve recovers even a bit, let alone a full recovery.

Unfortunately, I know a lot of this from personal experience. Coming up to 19 years since my disc blew out and caused cauda equina syndrome.

Yep. I can relate.

Mine wasn't as bad as some of what's been posted, but walking 3-5 miles a day and a lower inflammation diet really helped me out a lot when my back was all f'd up. Walking just fixed a knee issue I just had too.

Wall sits for a minute, several times a day.

MRI MRI MRI! I know that's been beaten like a rented mule already but until you know what's really the matter you can't know the way to treat it. It could be from a myriad of cause, ranging from a simple nerve impingement that physical therapy could fix easily all the way up to spinal cancer.

I had the L5/S1 fusion surgery way back in 2009, I was in mortal agony. Recovery was bad, but it had to be done. I have heard that surgical techniques have improved a lot since those days. The steroid/lidocaine shots can help immensely with getting muscle spasms stops so you can get some rest, then physical therapy to keep pressure off of the nerves IF that is what's wrong. Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, bone cancers, autoimmune conditions, extremely severe muscle spasms from overuse, just too many things can cause that kind of sciatic nerve pain. That's an area with big nerves and big muscles that's easily damaged.

Lost 50lbs, started walking 2 miles every day and quit going to the chiropractor all really helped me.
Chiropractor helped for the first 6 mos or so, then I missed a few appointments and was feeling better and realized it was doing more harm than good at that point.
Inversion table helps if I tweak it bad and wake up stuff as a board. I need to get in the habit of stretching every morning

Construction work for 35 years now, takes a physical toll.

My knee replacement made an inversion table a no no. I used the table in the past to get temporary separation of L4 and L5, but that is out now.

I have lived with Sciatic nerve pain for lots of years now. Several different Doctors, several MRI's. All say the same thing. One operation, Hydrocodone by the handfuls , they finally quit doing anything, a bunch of back shots from two different pain clinics. Quit all that, and hurt no worse than I did when spending most of my time at the Dr. Drink whiskey, which kinda knocks the edge from the pain, does not stop it, and lots of days,you feel like doing nothing. Such is my life. miles

I use a Yoga Body Yoga swing my kids bought me for Christmas. I love it. I do all sort of stretches and exercises with it. It holds you at the hips so knees shouldn't be an issue. It only costs around $100 too.

I walk a half mile on my treadmill every morning. That's about all I can do but it does loosen up my back and hips a bit. If I don't, I'm a wreck.

I have kidney issues, so I can't take NSAIDs. Six Tylenols a day, with aspirin addition when it's especially bad. Started taking daily Turmeric capsules in the hopes of reducing inflammation. We'll see.

Thanks, I will check it out. Have missed the inversion table, but my knee replacement was so painful I dare not mess it up.

A huge issue is that the term Sciatica is often used as a general term to describe lower back pain. First you need to know exactly what is causing the pain. There are some videos on YouTube to help you diagnose and treat the exact cause.

That’s what the MRI is for.

Find the cause of the pain, then treat, DO NOT GUESS

Sometimes nerve damage is permanent. Some drugs such as gabapentin and duloxatine might possibly help if you haven't tried those already.

You also have to have a qualified professional read that MRI.

Many insurance adjusters masquerading as Doctors are either unqualified to read an MRI, or are just incompetent in general.

Over 35 years ago I ruptured L5-S1

20 years ago I ruptured L3-L4

Discectomy in 2005 helped immensely but never 100%

Ruptured another in 2019 and had unbelievable sciatica

Surgeon advised against surgery as the outcome was a toss up between better, the same, or worse


Took a different approach at that point after noticing that all the PT was related to strengthening the posterior chain. Started doing deadlifts along with other posterior chain strengthening exercises added to my routine

It cured me. Absolutely the best my back has been for 37 years.

Getting stronger is never the wrong answer


https://www.t-nation.com/training/bulletproof-your-lower-back/

Cortizone/steroids in a 7 day run or injection work wonders. Don’t hesitate to see an orthopedic doctor and pronto. You will be glad you did.
Good luck!
Rick