Sciatica Help

BoaOrHat
BoaOrHat Posts: 11 Member
edited November 14 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all!

For over a decade I was a regular exerciser. I used to lift heavy (last thing I did was 5x5 program) 3 days a week, and running 3 day a week. I was able to eat a LOT without gaining weight.

1.5 years ago I came down with a BAD bout of sciatica. Had to stop exercising. Between that, and breaking up with two different guys, a move 400 miles away, and a new job, I have gained 38 pounds.

The sciatica actually went away when I stopped exercising! I was symptom free for 5-6 months. So I decided I was going to go to the gym and get off these stupid 38 pounds. I went to the gym only 3 times and BAM! My sciatica is back with a vengeance. :( (I only did the elliptical, no serious weight lifting lol.)

I've been hurting for about a week. It hurts to walk and even get out of bed. I've been doing stretches that my PT gave me, which help a little.

This is very depressing to me, because exercise means much more than looking good. I need to exercise for my mental health, it helps me with stress big time.

And my metabolism has totally changed… Now I eat one bite of food and gain 5 pounds. It really sucks.

I need some serious advice from people who have had sciatica, and fought it successfully. Is there anything you've done that truly helped? Were you able to return to your workouts?

Replies

  • Ultimate_Beast
    Ultimate_Beast Posts: 38 Member
    Keep with the stretches i had it about 5 years ago I lifted wrong and that caused and it, the pain could be anywhere from the bottom of my back to my right ankle horrendous pain, i went to pyshio, she gave me 7 different stretches to do that i did daily. It took about 3-4 weeks of gradually getting better till it finally went away, i've never had a problem since, and i'm actually far more into lifting now and lifting heavier than i was then. If you want more details on the stretches i did let me know and i'll try and explain them
  • BoaOrHat
    BoaOrHat Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks for responding. Yes! I would love to hear the stretches. Please. :)
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    Sciatica happens a lot. It's a group of nerve bundles at the bottom of your back that are acting up. They say walking is good for it, but if it just won't go away doctors are starting to give shots of cortisone for it, sometimes right into the Sciatica, which relieves the pain and let's you move again.

    Good Luck with that, I know it's very painful.
  • 2ledbetter
    2ledbetter Posts: 199 Member
    @Ultimate_Beast‌ , if you have the time I would appreciate the stretching exercises as I also have problem with my sciatica acting up.
  • shroodle88
    shroodle88 Posts: 123 Member
    Hi, sciatica is a pain (no pun intended). I suggest you see an osteopath - they can often help. Also important: core strength, which means Pilates. Also an interesting read is Dr sarno's the divided mind. It's about the mind body connection and how to combat pain without cortisone (which is really only the very very last resort). Two of my friends had amazing results with that book. Good luck!
  • rachelklewis3
    rachelklewis3 Posts: 69 Member
    I have dealt with Sciatica pain on and off for years and found relief through PT exercises (back bends and side bends) and wearing good supportive shoes.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
    Were you able to get a diagnosis on what exactly is causing the pain? Mine was from the SI joint. I had about 8 weeks of PT (stretching, ultrasound and massage) before I started feeling even a little relief, then got an injection that didn't really seem to do much but cause steroid-related weight gain. :/ It was about four months from the start of pain before I could start to function normally.

    Now, about 8 months later, I'm mostly symptom free, and I'm running 2-3x a week and strength training 3x a week. I switched from Stronglifts to Strong Curves, which focuses on the glutes more, since weak posterior chain muscles seem to go along with SI joint problems.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Sciatica is a symptom of a problem. Do you know what the cause is?
  • turtle0022
    turtle0022 Posts: 68 Member
    I have serious sciatica (herniated disks and a healed back fracture) too and found swimming and water aerobics to be my best friends for exercise - recommended by my neurosurgeon and orthopedist. Also stretching in a warm water therapy pool has helped tremendously. Do you have access to a pool?
  • Ultimate_Beast
    Ultimate_Beast Posts: 38 Member
    Ok i'll try my best to explain them there were 7 of them i don't remember the order and i don't think thats important
    1 sit on a chair put your hands on the side of your head, elbows out to the side of you then lower your right elbow towards your left knee and repeat the opposite side so left elbow to right knee keep doing that one side followed by the other.
    2 on the chair again this time put your right arm straight up and stretch over to your left side hold the move and repeat using the left over right side of the body.
    3. On the floor on all fours then arch your back up like a cat does and lower and repeat.
    4. same position as 3 but instead of arching your back, push hands out in front of you and stretch forward as far as you can keeping your hands on the floor.
    5. again same position on all fours this time rotate your right arm in a half circle so your arm is pointing towards the ceiling your body will naturally turn with your arm and repeat with your left arm.
    6. Lay on your back, put your feet firmly on the ground then push up keeping your shoulders on the ground so only your lower body is elevated.
    7. lay on your front and raise your top half of your body up, kinda like the cobra move for those that know it, only difference is you keep your hands on the floor and hold the stretch, don't bob up and down.

    I done these everyday in the evening for about 15 mins it started to fill better for me pretty much straight away and after about a month was completely gone its never given me bother since and I've never need to do those stretches since. I see from some of the post that different have it for different reasons mine was due to not weight lifting properly and putting my back under to much stress.

    Hopefully you'll understand my explanation on the stretches and i hope it helps you, i know the pain your going through its not fun. If you don't understand anything let me know and i'll see if i can explain it better
  • 2ledbetter
    2ledbetter Posts: 199 Member
    You did a great job explaining @Ultimate_Beast‌ Thank you.
  • Ultimate_Beast
    Ultimate_Beast Posts: 38 Member
    no problem i hope it helps you
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    My sciatic pain is almost always the result of tight hamstrings and/or glutes. Either one side or both. Stretching helps. Ice helps. Avoid heat as it just inflames the nerve more. (I know, ice sucks!)
  • wamydia
    wamydia Posts: 259 Member
    Have you been to your GP to get checked out for the cause of the sciatica? It can make a difference to understand exactly what is causing your pain. I developed sciatica a few years ago and, after a trip to the doctor, I found out that it was caused by a fractured L5 vertebrae putting pressure on the nerve. Which lead me to realize that a significant factor in my pain level is my posture. Because the pain radiates down my left side, I was sort of leaning left all of the time to try to make it feel better. The problem is that the pain actually originates right at the bottom of my spine, so all of the leaning was actually aggravating it a lot. When I became more mindful of my posture (whether sitting, walking, exercising, etc) and starting using a lumbar support pillow in my office chair, it relieved a lot of my pain.

    I definitely second the suggestion for stretching to help relieve pain also. A lot of sciatica pain is made worse by tension in the hamstrings, so stretching them can be a big help. I also use some gentle yoga stretching that I found on youtube (look for Jen Hilman sciatica). The other thing that was a huge help is exercise to strengthen the core. The stronger my core gets, the better my spine is supported and the less pain I have. To this day I still get a certain amount of pain when I walk long distances, but after taking up regular stretching, core strengthening, and correcting my posture, the pain is gone most of the time.
  • hermann341
    hermann341 Posts: 443 Member
    Yoga and running cleared up my sciatica within about 6 months.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    DH had it BAD. Did acupuncture and now stretches regularly.
  • khloesdad0124
    khloesdad0124 Posts: 62 Member
    I used to be a licensed LMBT and these are all great responses. Alot of the stretches mentioned above work with not only the glutes but the hips and QL muscle group. I would also suggest massage and make sure that you stretch your hips. I stretch at my desk everyday by simply crossing my legs and leaning forward (great glute/hip stretch).
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