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

I was in serious accident in December 2020. Broke my back in 28 places and shattered my T9. I deal with this a lot. I've been lifting and doing cardio since Jan 10. It has gotten a lot better but it still hits from time to time. An inversion table has been a life saver for me. Find a friend that has one and use 2-3 times a day. If it works, BUY it. They're fairly cheap. I farm and ranch so I spent some serious seat time in a bumpy tractor. Immediate relief after a 14 hr day.

Losing weight and walking helped me.

I had back surgery last Friday for my sciatica. Doc cleaned bone spurs and other arthritic debris and trimmed the bulging disc that was pinching the nerve. Had been down for two months with it. By the time I woke in recovery, the nerve pain was gone. Previously had an epidural which gave minor relief.

Ya mine flares up chiro was useless

Stop sleeping on a memory foam mattress

Inversion table helps me

Traction table helps me.

I'm working on getting a Radio Frequency procedure. Two lidocaine shots to verify the correct nerves, then the RF procedure.
Arthritis in L4-L5-S

Read the cautions about inversion tables and high blood pressure. The two do not play well together.

I got temporary relief by just hanging by my hands and SLOWLY twisting my hips around. Stretches your spine like inversion but without the dangerous blood rushing to the head problem.

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Since my L5-S1 surgery quite a few years ago, I've had several sciatic episodes, and with a couple discs that are essentially gone, quite a bit of non-sciatic pain as well. For me, a few things help, keeping in mind your pain will likely continue until you get the inflammation corrected:
-Meds. I've had the shot in the back, a quick steroid shot in the arm or butt, and various scripts. If you have decent insurance, the shot directly into your back works.
-Inversion table. You don't need to hang from it. For me, a 30-40 degree slope works fine. If I get a twinge, I'm using it a couple times a day for a few days.
-Stretches. I went to PT just to get a list of proper stretches and I do them every single morning, while lying in bed. Takes about a half hour to do them well. Generally ankle and leg stretches, knee bends and squeezes, stomach clenches, etc. You can get caught up in the expensive and time-consuming PT routine, or go once or twice to get the routines to do at home. For me, these stretches help the most over the long term.

Good luck!

Demand an mri. I waited too long to get one and then found out I had major problems. Central stenosis, a few badly ruptured disc's, an autoimmune disease that destroys your back called ankylosing spondylitis.

If things don't look too bad a steroid injection could work wonders. If they say you need surgery get a few different opinions and go for it if they all agree. I waited too long and got caude equina syndrome and had to have emergency surgery within 24 hours. Back pain has been an everyday thing for me for 12 years. It gets old.

Bb

L5-S1 is terrible. Its had me down on and off for years. Insurance wouldn't authorize an MRI until I do physical therapy; two hours a day five days a week for 3-6 months. Try doing that and having a job, not to mention $240/week in co-pays.

On x-ray, several spurs and complete degeneration of the joint. The only thing that helps is steroids and stretches. Nothing takes it away.

Stretching the spine a little could really help. Try hanging from a bar or an inversion table. Both have helped me. Just don’t abuse it.

It’s no joke, depending on where the pain is originating from is the first step to the cure.
Mine is muscle related around my hip joint.
Lying flat on a hard surface gives me relief, having my leg pulled while on my back is a temporary help. Riding an exercise bike helps keep it loosened up.
It comes and goes, sometimes the simplest thing triggers it.

A couple years ago I was supposed to drive a bus load of scouts to a big thing in Oregon. 2 days before we left, I got out of my chair and pain shot from my right butt cheek to my ankle. I could barely hobble around with a cane, let alone drive. They had to find a sub driver in a hurry.
A week later, I went to a chiropractor. The 1st 2 visits, he pushed and pulled and it helped. Then the 3d time, he went to work. Holy hell it hurt. I couldn't move the next day. I never went back to that SOB.

I do squats to loosen up mine. Has helped a lot.

Sublingual vitamin B-12 might help you.

L4- L-5 here. Every now and then it hits me. The neck disc luckily causes way less trouble. I use what works. Normally no meds and certainly no opioids. Got some gummies that helped noticeably at one time. Just decided to lose weight and get in better pyhsical condition. It helps and a hard as you can stand mattress. I can only sleep two hours a night without good support. RZ.

As pointed out by myself and others.

Get an MRI before PT does more damage.



After my back surgery, my surgeon told me “ do not let anyone and I mean anyone, do PT on your back and cervical spine without talking to me first”.