Jogging with Sciatica...

prairieprayerpartners

Good evening. I am a 61-year old male. I started @ 258 pounds, got down to 196, and then started suffering from sciatica on 9/2/17. Since then, I've ballooned back up to 226, gone from an average of 120-125k steps a week (jogging an average of 6 times a week for 3-4 miles a day) down to 50-55k steps a week with no jogging and almost no elliptical time. Doctors say if Aleve doesn't help (which it doesn't), all they can suggest is an epidural which I know has caused problems for many. Any other suggestions? I really want to get back in the game, but to be truthful, just normal walking now is uncomfortable at best and painful at worst. Thanks in advance for your responses. Blessings & Merry Christmas! JT

ABabilonia

You should try physical therapy, but I personally think that jogging (running) six times a week is a bit too much. What do the doctors say? Seems kind of careless to suggest Aleve or epidural as the only options. Maybe you should look for an orthopedic doctor or a sports medicine doctor.

prairieprayerpartners

The jogging wasn't bothering me; it was a lifting issue that started the problem followed by a 14 hour car drive ... lol. And the epidural suggestion was by my orthopedic surgeon that scoped my knee 3 years back. But even he said that was probably a 50/50 shot at helping and I don't think the risks justify that. Appreciate your input; thanks!

macgurlnet

I'd see a physical therapist - or a few, if you don't get much help from the first one. They may have some other suggestions for stretching or other ways to manage the sciatica.

~Lyssa

prairieprayerpartners

Thanks Lyssa. Yes, that probably is my best option at this point. I'm just not the patient type ... lol.

lorrpb

I'm sorry this has happened to you. Remember to adjust your calories for the reduced activity level,

Evamutt

mine flairs up sometime. I take glucosamin/condroitin, really helps me

Packerjohn

Sciatica is a symptom, not an injury. What does the doctor say is the cause? If he hasn't told you, find a doctor that will determine the cause and proper corrective action.

Best of luck.

canadianlbs

prairieprayerpartners wrote: »

started suffering from sciatica on 9/2/17.

that's extremely specific. was there a particular thing that brought it on?

i've never suffered from sciatica afaik, but i've had a few months of something that made me keep thinking of it. so i want to ask too how certain you are of the diagnosis.

pogiguy05

I had a light case of sciatic pain quite a few years ago. I say light cause it was not a severe pain, it was just that nagging radiating pain from your lower back down your buttocks and behind my knee. It took 9 months for it to completely disappear for me. It is usually caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve by the disk in your lower back. Definitely see a doctor and physical therapist of you can. I would not be running if I were you as it may not feel painful, but you might be doing something to keep it from healing.

TavistockToad

prairieprayerpartners wrote: »

The jogging wasn't bothering me; it was a lifting issue that started the problem followed by a 14 hour car drive ... lol. And the epidural suggestion was by my orthopedic surgeon that scoped my knee 3 years back. But even he said that was probably a 50/50 shot at helping and I don't think the risks justify that. Appreciate your input; thanks!

This may be a stupid question, but if running wasn't bothering it, why did you stop?

Definitely see a physio, there's stretches and stuff that should ease it.

prairieprayerpartners

The running was a non -issue until the lifting incident. Haven't run since.

dredremeg

I had sciatica a couple of years back. None of the over the counter drugs worked. My doctor prescribed me Prednisone to alleviate the pain and physical therapy.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

Terrible! And all too common among us older dudes.

Usually, it is caued by a lower back nerve pinch which usually resolves over some number of months with rest. Gaining weight surely won't help. Remember that weight loss is about controlling what you eat and can be accomplished regardless of activity level.

I would not run or lift weights until better. I would exercise in a pool instead, if possible.

Best of luck.

laura2137

Can be a number of cause, discs,pinched nerve, knee or hip problems, all of these can cause sciatica nerve to imflame, my stationary bike is helping me,

amyrooni

I have sciatic nerve issues due to scoliosis and arthritis in my lower back.

An excellent Physical Therapist has been like a golden ticket for me! It is the slower route but has yielded the most long-lasting results. Don't be afraid to try a few PT's. It is important to find one who "gets it" and connects with your style.

I have done the epidural in my backbseveral times over the years. When it works it is immediate relief, but I have about a 70% hit rate. If you do the epidural, I like to be established with a Physical Therapist in advance. I have better results when I follow the epidural with a few physical therapy sessions starting about a week after the epidural.

Last note - not all doctors are strongly in favor of Physical Therapy, so you may have to do some self-advocating to get what you need. :

Ann262

I would get a second opinion from another doctor who specializes in this sort of thing.

SummerSkier

I did not have severe sciatica but I had success with finding a knowledgeable masseuse to work on it and sitting on a tennis ball. It took her about 3 sessions before she was able to shift the nerve and relieve it completely. That was about 2 years ago. It did return this year but instead of waiting 6 months, I went and found a masseuse right away. This one actually put bruises on my butt but the sciatica cleared up in just 1 session. I think a PT or masseuse is the way to go. Once you can get that nerve moved, the pain is just gone. And then what she told me was, after it's gone, LEAVE IT ALONE. LOL. Unfortunately it's hard to find a good masseuse and then they tend to not stick around at the same place very long.

Niki_Fitz

Packerjohn wrote: »

Sciatica is a symptom, not an injury. What does the doctor say is the cause? If he hasn't told you, find a doctor that will determine the cause and proper corrective action.

Best of luck.

^ this for sure.

I hope you get some relief soon.