Sciatic Nerve injury--help?

GaiaGirl1992

I'm having a problem with my right leg lately, and I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar injury. from anatomy classes, I believe it is dealing with the sciatic nerve (from lower back/tailbone area to your ankle)

almost a year ago, while wrestling with my 250+ ex-boyfriend, I tried to push him up with my legs and tweaked my back as a result. It didn't hurt at the time, so I kept screwing around. within a week I couldn't get out of bed or limp to classes without crying at least once. My leg would start out stiff, but as I tried to walk around the pain would become a throb or a pulsing ache. it would start at my lower back and ankle, then would radiate out until it met in my knee. I couldn't put much weight on it, nor could I take weight off it.

I've learned a few things that trigger the pain now:
--a drop in temperature. a heat pack on my lower back helps a little
--cold, wet, and rainy days (like for the last week...)
--sitting in any one position for a period of time. This has made paying attention in my classes almost impossible
--exercising for a period of time, then relaxing and sitting around. no amount of stretching has helped

I don't know what to do any more....I've taken 1600 mg worth of advil, which did nothing (it was prescribed by a doc, 2 800 mg pills!), aspirin in headache meds helps a bit. and I can't see a doctor any time soon, because all of the practices in my area aren't accepting any patients, and the doctors around my college are complete morons. (they didn't know info a first year vet tech student knew.....)

has anyone had this type of injury before? It's really affecting my work outs......

TluvK

I have sciatic issues - they are extremely sporadic though, so I've just learned to deal with them. They started when I was pregnant - it used to just DROP me to my knees. Literally. I haven't found a doctor who has known what to do about it. It's hard because it's nerve related and not muscular. I can't help you....but I can tell you that pain relievers do nothing for the pain, I just have to wait it out. Are you pretty sure it's your sciatic?

sweetbri07

I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and just wanted to clarify, there are two types of sciatica - True sciatica, which comes from bone compression on the nerve, which is really not very treatable, besides mainly surgery. There there is also PSEUDO-sciatica (false sciatica) which is actually a muscle compression against the sciatic nerve, mainly your piriformis muscle, which is located underneath your gluteal muscles. When this muscle gets tight, it compresses the nerve and can send shooting pain down the leg. It CAN be treated with massage therapy (I am an example, as I have pseudo-sciatica). There are also stretches you can do to help lengthen that muscle out a bit (beauty queen stretch). Massage and stretching have helped my pseudo-sciatica SO much, and now I also know how to self-treat.

Kickboxer69

Hi there,

I just spent 6 months in ReHab for a horrible sciatic nerve injury.My Martial Arts career almost ended and it was the worst experince in my life. It is a very long story to tell. If you need help, send me a friends request and I will help you on the road to recovery.

KB

TluvK

I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and just wanted to clarify, there are two types of sciatica - True sciatica, which comes from bone compression on the nerve, which is really not very treatable, besides mainly surgery. There there is also PSEUDO-sciatica (false sciatica) which is actually a muscle compression against the sciatic nerve, mainly your piriformis muscle, which is located underneath your gluteal muscles. When this muscle gets tight, it compresses the nerve and can send shooting pain down the leg. It CAN be treated with massage therapy (I am an example, as I have pseudo-sciatica). There are also stretches you can do to help lengthen that muscle out a bit (beauty queen stretch). Massage and stretching have helped my pseudo-sciatica SO much, and now I also know how to self-treat.

That is so interesting! Is there an easy way to tell which one a person has?

skylinekt

Have you tried massage or yoga?

ninerbuff

I deal with sciatica down my left leg. It hampers me from flexing certain muscles (calf) to a higher degree compared to my left. My left calf is about a half inch smaller than my right calf and when I flex my left quad, there is less detail than the right quad.
I will say that if I don't exercise, it hurts longer than when I do exercise. Since it's chronic, I've learned how to deal with the mild pain.

GaiaGirl1992

I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and just wanted to clarify, there are two types of sciatica - True sciatica, which comes from bone compression on the nerve, which is really not very treatable, besides mainly surgery. There there is also PSEUDO-sciatica (false sciatica) which is actually a muscle compression against the sciatic nerve, mainly your piriformis muscle, which is located underneath your gluteal muscles. When this muscle gets tight, it compresses the nerve and can send shooting pain down the leg. It CAN be treated with massage therapy (I am an example, as I have pseudo-sciatica). There are also stretches you can do to help lengthen that muscle out a bit (beauty queen stretch). Massage and stretching have helped my pseudo-sciatica SO much, and now I also know how to self-treat.

thank you for the clarification! i believe it's pseudo-sciatica if I had to choose one, as walking sometimes helped. I will look into and experiment with different stretches already. thank you!

GaiaGirl1992

Have you tried massage or yoga?

yoga was a double edged sword, it hurt more than normal (7 or 8 on a pain scale of 9) while I did it, but there was less or no pain the next day. My ex used to massage my tail bone for me when we were together, and that helped briefly. the problem is sporadic enough that I don't need regular massage sessions though

cabaray

Hope it clears up soon. My only experience with sciatica was when I was pregnant. I would get the instant pain, like an electric jolt, and couldn't walk until it passed.

8rules

Sounds very much like piriformis syndrome, and you need to see an athletic therapist or physiotherapist to be sure.

It just so happens I created an entire website on treating it yourself and getting properly diagnosed, as I suffer from this.

www.paininthebutt.ca

There is a downloadable and printable assessment form you can fill in and it will perfectly describe your symptoms for any type of sciatica to either of the above professionals in such a way that you can get an almost immediate diagnose.

You can find that form in the assessment tool here

http://www.paininthebutt.ca/public/assess.pdf

I recommend trying the stretches and such at once, as they can really do no harm and you may get some relief.

I keep meaning to expand with more sections, but can never seem to find time...

Brandi_Lee

I had this problem when I was pregnant with my son. The only relief I got was to kneel in front of the couch and lay with my head/chest down on it, so that my lower back and belly were hanging down. It took the pressure off right away. I got so bad I actually slept like that for most of the last few months of my pregnancy.
I also suffer from RSL (Restless legs syndrome), and if it's that you have I would suggest you slept on the couch with your knees up against that back of the couch. when my RSL acts up i can slept with my legs flat.

sweetbri07

I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and just wanted to clarify, there are two types of sciatica - True sciatica, which comes from bone compression on the nerve, which is really not very treatable, besides mainly surgery. There there is also PSEUDO-sciatica (false sciatica) which is actually a muscle compression against the sciatic nerve, mainly your piriformis muscle, which is located underneath your gluteal muscles. When this muscle gets tight, it compresses the nerve and can send shooting pain down the leg. It CAN be treated with massage therapy (I am an example, as I have pseudo-sciatica). There are also stretches you can do to help lengthen that muscle out a bit (beauty queen stretch). Massage and stretching have helped my pseudo-sciatica SO much, and now I also know how to self-treat.

That is so interesting! Is there an easy way to tell which one a person has?

There is a leg test that one can do, but you need to have a professional do it. Otherwise, I'd try some stretches and see if they help. That can help determine too. Look up piriformis stretches.

sweetbri07

I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and just wanted to clarify, there are two types of sciatica - True sciatica, which comes from bone compression on the nerve, which is really not very treatable, besides mainly surgery. There there is also PSEUDO-sciatica (false sciatica) which is actually a muscle compression against the sciatic nerve, mainly your piriformis muscle, which is located underneath your gluteal muscles. When this muscle gets tight, it compresses the nerve and can send shooting pain down the leg. It CAN be treated with massage therapy (I am an example, as I have pseudo-sciatica). There are also stretches you can do to help lengthen that muscle out a bit (beauty queen stretch). Massage and stretching have helped my pseudo-sciatica SO much, and now I also know how to self-treat.

thank you for the clarification! i believe it's pseudo-sciatica if I had to choose one, as walking sometimes helped. I will look into and experiment with different stretches already. thank you!

Good luck to you!!!! I hope your "pain in the butt" goes away!

8rules

I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and just wanted to clarify, there are two types of sciatica - True sciatica, which comes from bone compression on the nerve, which is really not very treatable, besides mainly surgery. There there is also PSEUDO-sciatica (false sciatica) which is actually a muscle compression against the sciatic nerve, mainly your piriformis muscle, which is located underneath your gluteal muscles. When this muscle gets tight, it compresses the nerve and can send shooting pain down the leg. It CAN be treated with massage therapy (I am an example, as I have pseudo-sciatica). There are also stretches you can do to help lengthen that muscle out a bit (beauty queen stretch). Massage and stretching have helped my pseudo-sciatica SO much, and now I also know how to self-treat.

thank you for the clarification! i believe it's pseudo-sciatica if I had to choose one, as walking sometimes helped. I will look into and experiment with different stretches already. thank you!

Please check the site I listed above and built.

This is exactly the routine that lead me back to living pretty much symptom free.

Cdcaldwe

I had back surgery several years ago because I my sciatic nerve. Seems I had a disc rupture into the sciatic nerve and it was the most intense pain I have ever been in, (and I have had two kidney stones.) I messed around with a chirpractor for months with it and it got worse. I did physical therapy and had shots in my back. I had surgery and the results were wonderful. From time to time I would still get some pain, until I started dropping weight.

With a back injury be careful about chiropractors and the such. If I had had an MRI done sooner I might have had the surgery sooner which would have helped many painful months.

8rules

I had back surgery several years ago because I my sciatic nerve. Seems I had a disc rupture into the sciatic nerve and it was the most intense pain I have ever been in, (and I have had two kidney stones.) I messed around with a chirpractor for months with it and it got worse. I did physical therapy and had shots in my back. I had surgery and the results were wonderful. From time to time I would still get some pain, until I started dropping weight.

With a back injury be careful about chiropractors and the such. If I had had an MRI done sooner I might have had the surgery sooner which would have helped many painful months.

Ditto,

And with piriformis syndrome, chiropractors will claim they can cure it, but they can't. Stretching is the fix, daily stretching, and a commitment to maintain it the rest of your life.

seyran

Years ago in my classical ballet classes at the begining I had constant sciatic pain. As a principal stretch a lot and you should keep your legs and feet warm. Always wear socks when there's pain. Just lie down on the floor, knees bent , pull the knee towards yourself try to stretch in your max and breath deeply and relax while keeping your knee in stretching position. Do it as long as possible and one leg at a time.
After that again lying on the floor knees bent, put outer part of your right foot on your left knee and pull both legs toward yourself and breath deeply as long as possible. Alternate the legs.
I hope my explanation is good enough as English is my second language...and hope this helps

chubbybunnee

POTENTIAL HERNIATED or BULGING DISC!!!!!!!! GO TO YOUR DOCTOR ASAP!

I had a bulging disc for years before it burst and the fluid seeped out and damaged my nerves. I have had back surgery with a fusion in my L5-S1. I get nerve pain through my butt cheeks, hips, and down my legs sometimes all the way to my toes and it feel like needles. You may not have the same thing, but you definetely want to be safe then sorry!

Your disc may not be herniated, but sounds like it could be bulging. I am not a doctor, but it sounds like you have compression on a nerve root most likely due to a bulging or herniated disc. Most people in thier adult age have bulging discs but don't have any symptoms. If you are in that much pain and sciatica then you have nerve compression and you should see a doctor ASAP! He or She will most likely refer you for an MRI. My Dr first did an X-Ray but it didn't show a problem but after seeing how much pain I was in they did the MRI and an EMG and they found the bad disc as well as the nerve damage

PLEASE SEE A DOCTOR ASAP! iF YOUR DISC IS NOT HERNIATED RIGHT NOW, It can become herniated with lifting, twisting, bending, and lots of movement once it has been compressed and bulged for a period of time. One the disc ruptures, you will need surgery to prevent long term nerve damage!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SEE A DOCTOR! Trust Me! You DO NOT want to "walk it off" and then have something more serious happen!!! It may be just this muscle tension, and if it is, that can be ruled out by getting a massage or by having an MRI. I know MRI's are super expensive so if you don't have insurance, you may want to try the cheaper options first to narrow it out but if you are having this pain more often then not and your back hurts as much as the nerve pain, then you may want to go get that MRI!

chubbybunnee

I'm having a problem with my right leg lately, and I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar injury. from anatomy classes, I believe it is dealing with the sciatic nerve (from lower back/tailbone area to your ankle)

almost a year ago, while wrestling with my 250+ ex-boyfriend, I tried to push him up with my legs and tweaked my back as a result. It didn't hurt at the time, so I kept screwing around. within a week I couldn't get out of bed or limp to classes without crying at least once. My leg would start out stiff, but as I tried to walk around the pain would become a throb or a pulsing ache. it would start at my lower back and ankle, then would radiate out until it met in my knee. I couldn't put much weight on it, nor could I take weight off it.

I've learned a few things that trigger the pain now:
--a drop in temperature. a heat pack on my lower back helps a little
--cold, wet, and rainy days (like for the last week...)
--sitting in any one position for a period of time. This has made paying attention in my classes almost impossible
--exercising for a period of time, then relaxing and sitting around. no amount of stretching has helped

I don't know what to do any more....I've taken 1600 mg worth of advil, which did nothing (it was prescribed by a doc, 2 800 mg pills!), aspirin in headache meds helps a bit. and I can't see a doctor any time soon, because all of the practices in my area aren't accepting any patients, and the doctors around my college are complete morons. (they didn't know info a first year vet tech student knew.....)

has anyone had this type of injury before? It's really affecting my work outs......

BE CAREFUL about taking OTC pain relievers too! Too much Tylenol can harm your liver and too many NSAID can cause GI Issues and Stomach bleeds. If you are in that much pain, you should see your doctor about getting somrthing for nerve pain specifically lke Lyrica or Neurontin. Muscle Relaxers can help with sciatica sometimes too like Soma, Skelaxin, or Robaxin.
No one likes to take medication, but sometimes it is better to take 1 lyrica instead of 8 tylenol for example.
I HOPE it is just sciatica related to muscle tension but when you explain how bad the pain is and how it goes down your leg, it just sounds too close to home to me with back problems. All I can tell you is if you are wrong and it's not muscle tension, you could be doing more damage to your back by not getting help. Inly you know how bad the pain is.
Can you lift anything without pain? Can you twist without pain in your butt? If you were to jump rope, would you feel pain in your back or have any nerve pain? Most of the time when its sciatica form your back, you will also have tenderness on your back in the area of the bulging disc, or when you put compression on it by jumping, jogging, etc.... but not always.
If you do have a bulging disc, it sounds like it woud be your lumbar area anywhere between your L4-S1 Area. Each disc has different nervs and body areas it controls and the Ls and Ss are what cause pain from the hips down.

I really hope you don't have a back problem because you will never be the same! Surgery definetely helped me but it is such a struggle your entire life with pinched nerves and then worrying about degenerative disc disease!

Good Luck! Please let us know what you find out!!! Now you have me worried!