Sciatic nerve problems

Damaged mine a few years back. Simplest back injury I ever had in my life, one of the most painful events I have ever been through. Slipped a foot on the ice pushing a heavy object. Didn't fall, just slipped, and I felt what I could only describe as a tiny tear lower left side of my back.

I could stand or lay down with minimal pain. Sitting was murder, and no off-the-shelf pain pills would touch the pain. Most of the prescription stuff they gave me did nothing to relive the pain, just left me feeling goofy!

Good news, mine has healed no more pain. Bad news, took a solid year+ to do so.

 

Well as someone who has a crappy back from a previous injury I can tell you, it may take a long time to get straight. Much like Kansas stated, I just slipped and felt a sharp intense pain in my lower back. At the time I was in very good shape, working out 4 -5 days a week, lifting, and running 2-3 miles a day. As a former Division I baseball player and football player I could take pain and bounce back quickly. This slip changed all of that. I slipped one night on the loose macadem on the side of the interstateand twisted my back over a guardrail. At first I thought I had what I knew as a stinger, something that instantly hurt and had a burning feeling. Once I got up and straight, I stretched and thought I would be fine. I continued my shift and just felt a little sore, like I had a muscle pull. The next day, I could barely get out of bed. I worked for 3 more weeks until I could not stand the pain. A pain I had never felt before. An intense pain in my lower back and sciatic nerve. After 4 hospital visits and stays for a week at a time. The Doctors told me nothing was wrong with me and felt I was a pain medicene seeker. I could not stand up, without a cane or a walker. To walk from the living room to bathroom, about 30 feet took me 15 minutes. Long story short after 3 months they figured out I had tore a disc in my back, and somehow obtained an infection in my disc. By the time they caught it, my disc was ate away and I had bone to bone contact on my spinal cord. For three days I could not move my lower extremities, and feared I was paralyzed. After 6 or 7 months of rest and physical therapy I was able to walk without a cane. It took me well over 1 year to be able to do most of what I could before the incident. I still have extreme back pain and I am restricted to what I can tolerate as far as pain goes. Not a day goes by that my back does not hurt. When I get into bed at night it takes me 20 minutes to get comfortable, and then some nights, I never get there. Luckily my disc became naturally fused by bone, which restricts some of my mobility. If you have never had a back injury, and I hope no one goes through the pain I felt, it's a pain that I could have never imagined. No matter what you do, sit, lay walk, your torso and back do most of the work.

Tom, take it easy and follow the doctor's advice, time is the best medicine to help you heal from this.

 

A few other things to consider.

If you keep your wallet in one of the back pockets.
Take it out when you are sitting for more than a few minutes.
It will put pressure on the nerves and make you sit off balance.

Make sure your seating is solid and provides the right support for you.

Adjust the seat height so your knees are slightly above your hip joints.
If the base tilts or has extensions for thigh support, adjust them so that they are not putting pressure on the under side of your thighs. They should not touch the back side of your knees. The base should be just slightly tilted so as to put the angle for your knees to be slightly above your hip joints. It is a very small amount in most cases. It may seem almost flat. If it is tilted too far back, it will cut off circulation to your legs as well as cause back pain.

The seat back should be set so you are sitting with your shoulders over your hip joints.

Adjust the distance to the to the steering wheel and tilt so for the most part your elbows are just slightly ahead of your body, and the bend at the elbow is close to 90 degrees. hands should be just above the elbows when holding the steering wheel.

 

yeah i know that pain i shot a disc out and have been in pain for 13 years after 3 surgeys i still have pain .been back on the road and off for a while .so yeah that pain is bad.i hope you get better and stenching and waking is the best .goodluck .

 

I have dealt with this problem for about 15yrs, my lower back has been giving me fits since I was twelve. (Runs in the family). I started going to a chiropractor, and looked up some different stretching excersises that I can do while both inside and outside the truck. My chiropractor also gave me some stretches that I can do outside the truck, without embarressment to my pride.

Last Sunday night, I left home, back was stiff, had a load going to VA, I made it to Allentown, PA. Layed there for 2 days in my bunk. I had slacked on my stretches. Thankfully I had vacation left to use. I got home and seen the Dr. now he wants me to visit a lot more frequently.

Go see a chiropractor, mine at least, is sincere in helping, and he understands what we go through out on the road.

 

I know this may sound silly, but if that pain is on the same side as where your wallet is - take your wallet out of your pocket. Took mine out years ago an the pain disappeared

 

I use the chiropractor about every 3 months and when my hubby and I first met he was having awful leg/back pain so I got him to go...after about 3 visits and taking his wallet out of his back pocket he was 100% again.

Massage therapy and chiropractor are awesome....I carry all my stress in my shoulders and it is amazing what they can do.

 

I stopped carrying my wallet all the time about 4 years ago. I leave it in one of the cubby holes in the dash. I also removed everything but the most important things. (atm, medical, license, insurance, and library card(s)).

I have a family history of back problems. Mom has scoliosis (curved spine) and Dad had back problems for a long time. I am "blessed" I guess.

To all my friends here, please take care of your back, it hurts like hell if you don't.