Syatica

My hubby had this painful condition when I met him, and I made him see the bone craker....it took several trips and electro therapy BUT it has been gone now for about 2 years. I also had him remove his wallet from his hip pocket while driving, changed the shoes he was wearing and made sure his pants waist band did not cause tension when he was sitting down.

Today he is fine, we just have to keep an eye on the footwear, some well known brand names will cause him HUGE syatic pain and once we find some that work we have to make sure they are in good condition bad soles will get him too. A couple of months ago he had a flare up (work boots needed replaced) while on the road. He found doing cat stretches helped (arch your back like a cat while on your hands and knees, then imagine trying to push your stomach to the floor, its a 2 step stretch).

Our chiropractor says once a muscle/nerve sends pain signals and it gets worked up (angry) it can develop a memory and is very difficult to get that muscle/nerve to settle back down...so treatment could take awhile, JUST DONT GIVE UP. My sister is a physical therapist and a massage therapist and says the same things. I had 3 disks in my neck in 2007 that the docs wanted to do surgery on...living on pain pills, numb arm the works...I had accupressure, massage therapy and saw my chiropractor for 4 months 3 times a week, NO SURGERY and the neck is GREAT.

I realize some of this is NOT conventional medicine but it has worked for me and other members of my family and friends so it might be worth a try. You might also want to see about a vitamin supplement for nerve health. I am NOT a doctor but having seen the mess that surgery can cause and being in SEVERE pain and responsible for my father who was criticaly ill I could not have surgery at that point....it's worth a try.

 

Are you sure its sciatica, and not restless leg syndrome? maybe its both.
Mr T gets similar pains, I think its something a lot of truckers live with, guess its the long hours of driving that do it.
Pain is a warning, it has a purpose, its an alarm to tell you there is damage being done. Damaged nerves are painful, but at least when they are hurting they are still functioning. Numbness is the danger sign, it means REAL damage, maybe permenant.
Luv's suggestions about shoes and clothing are good, maybe also think about the seat too, can it be adjusted any better?
There's lots about exercise on this forum, maybe read thru and see what is practical for you. Think of it as undoing the repetetive strain damage that driving does, as well as restoring blood circulation to your legs. Clots, (deep vein thrombosis) used to be thought to only happen on long-distance flights, but it can happen to drivers too, as little as four hours can do it. So if your circulation gets restricted when driving, that gives you a pretty good idea of the effect it has on nerves too!

 

Grumpy,

I can suggest two things. 1) Ibuprofen (advil). It will help reduce the swelling. Sciatica is basically neuritis, which is inflamation of the nerve. It's a real tough thing to heal and the best thing to do is not do any of the things that seem to aggravate it (easier said than done, I know). The second thing, and it is something you might ask your Chiropractor or a physical therapist about, let them show you how to do this once and then you can do it for yourself (but given the location of the pain, you might always need help from another person) and that is Kenesio taping. I am recovering from radial neuritis (runs from the back of my shoulder, all down my arm, over my funny bone, and into my fingertips). It feels like I whacked my funny bone all the time. I have been using Kenesio taping for about two months and the nerve is slowing getting better. Kenesio taping is very flexible so it will not affect your range of motion, but it will hold and help to stabalize all the structures around the nerve, so that each time you move, your muscles, and veins and tendons, etc, don't rub up against the already upset nerve. A lot of atheletes use Kenesio taping to help give them stability whild doing strenuous work. You may have seen that strange black tape that snaked over the shoulder of one of the gold medal winners in the women's volleyball tournament at this years olympics. That was Kenesio tape. They also use it to move edema from post surgical patients. It's really pretty neat stuff and they are finding all kinds of beneficial uses for it. I have a hard time finding Kenesio taping in a drug store, but I bet you could get it from a medical supply company or ask your Chiropractor to get some for you. Until then....nothing helps as much as Advil.

 

Luvmyhubby,
As a sufferer of this same condition, I'd love to know what brands of shoes that your hubby has found that helps. If you'd prefer, you can also let me know my PM.
Thanks,
IronRydr

 

Do not lay flat on your back, that is bad for sciatica. My doctor has me put a pillow under my knees to sleep, need to keep the knees bent. This has helped me sleep through the night more than anything else I have tried.

My Doc also recommended Motrin at 800mg twice a day.

Mark

 

My hubby has had various makers but right now he is in REDWINGS and seem to be the best ones so far. They are pricey 156.00 a pair but for his comfort and durability they have been well worth it.My dad wore them his entire driving career and never had problems with them.

 

Luvmyhubby,

Thanks for the reply! I have Redwings now and they seem to be as good as anything I've found, I was just curious if something better existed. In warm weather, I also like Merrell...
Thanks again and have a Merry Christmas!
IronRydr