Weight loss and sciatica

deonbfit
deonbfit Posts: 75 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
I am currently down 8 lbs and I always find when the weight starts to come off (this isn't my first rodeo) I get severe sciatic nerve pain! Does this happen to anyone else? If so what have you found works to soothe it?

Replies

  • Megansmith112712
    Megansmith112712 Posts: 62 Member
    Yoga. Cat cow pose, child pose, happy baby.
  • suzyakapink
    suzyakapink Posts: 6 Member
    Hi,

    Ive just been recently diagnosed with degenerative lumbar spine disc problems meaming i get lot sciatica pain . I wanting lose 25lbs so i hope this doesnt occur more frequently as I was under the assumption that was more in my favour to lose the excess weight I guess i will have wait and see. However I did find drinking lot caffeine soft drink was a trigger for it though and since cut right down and have seen markedly improvement in lessened pain.
  • EmmaCaz4
    EmmaCaz4 Posts: 113 Member
    I found that core strengthening and weight training targetting my back once a week has helped. Might be difficult until the pain goes away but keeping active and plenty of heat around that area I always found the best way to help the symptoms aswell.
  • nehaad88
    nehaad88 Posts: 159 Member
    deonbfit wrote: »
    I am currently down 8 lbs and I always find when the weight starts to come off (this isn't my first rodeo) I get severe sciatic nerve pain! Does this happen to anyone else? If so what have you found works to soothe it?

    Have you started working out recently? If yes, I would suggest going a bit easy initially. Avoid exercises that put pressure on your lower back, make sure your posture is correct when you lift weight, never skip stretching and most important, do planks. Planks are the best thing you can do for your sciatica.

    I cant see any reason why losing weight would be associated with the pain apart from exercise. Keep going, dont let sciatica take you down. It gets better.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I'll add in pigeon pose for relief too.

    I found reducing my weight and increasing my exercise helped enormously. I still get the odd bout but it's very rare and not nearly as bad.
  • deonbfit
    deonbfit Posts: 75 Member
    Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have been working out since January 5th (worked out from January to May last year also). My workout consist of mostly weight lifting with 1 day of cardio kickboxing per week. Working out 5-6 days per week for 30-45 minutes each time. I do core exercises 5 days a week including planks. It's really odd because I would think that being heavier the weight would be pinching the nerve more, but its almost like the release of pressure is triggering the pain in my case. I will keep trucking along and maybe try to incorporate a bit of yoga here and there (even though I hate it :s ) Hopefully it subsides as the weight continues to fall off.
  • KatieBaack
    KatieBaack Posts: 97 Member
    I have done some yoga to help. There's a ton of videos for it on YouTube. Just search Yoga for Sciatica. :smile:
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Sciatica is a symptom not a particular injury or disease. Consult with a medical professional to determine the root cause and proper treatment.

    Best of luck.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    The two things shouldn't be related imo, I get siatica too but its usually from overdoing my workouts, especially weight lifting. I hardly get siatic pain at all now that I'm at normal weight. I found being overweight meant I was more prone to it :/
  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
    OP, thanks for bringing this topic up. I am in the tail end of a bout with this. A lot of helpful information here. My doctors advice was to mix up the exercise I am doing. I really like the elliptical (pretty exclusively), and he said this could be a part of the problem. My knees bother me too. I am hoping that by losing weight, and hopefully, getting to a more "normal" weight will help the problem. This gives me more of an incentive to lose the weight.
    Thanks OP, and all who answered.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    The only thing that has alleviated the pain of sciatica for me (and for my mother, who also experiences it) is acupuncture. Who knew that sticking a pin in your butt could bring so much relief!!
  • idioblast
    idioblast Posts: 114 Member
    cross2bear wrote: »
    The only thing that has alleviated the pain of sciatica for me (and for my mother, who also experiences it) is acupuncture. Who knew that sticking a pin in your butt could bring so much relief!!

    I've also had some major relief with acupuncture. That and regular chiropractic care have helped me tremendously over the last 6 months.
  • Zulu87
    Zulu87 Posts: 119 Member
    I have spondylothesis and degenerative disc with arthritis (ex dancer yay!) And find that I have had problems with this lately as well. Like you I lost 8 lbs and it's almost like my back got used to the weight. I can't sit long in the morning because of the pain so I started doing yoga again which helps a bit if I don't do many twists or arches. Getting back into gym always takes its toll if im not aware of my core. Low impact exercise!! Good luck!
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    YES. I have problems with sciatica and my piriformis muscle. Overall it has improved with weight loss, but sometimes it feels like with losing fat, my other stuff "shifts around" (my very technical term), causing discomfort. Stretching helps a lot, and being more active. Simple things like walking, though. Nothing too crazy.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    deonbfit wrote: »
    My workout consist of mostly weight lifting with 1 day of cardio kickboxing per week. Working out 5-6 days per week for 30-45 minutes each time. I do core exercises 5 days a week including planks.

    Try skipping the kickboxing a week or 2 and see if it improves. All those dynamic movements can trigger it for some people.

    Also limit the ab exercises to 2-3 minutes per session. Fatiguing the abs too much can make it harder for them to do their job of supporting the spine. :+1:
  • sparkle1944
    sparkle1944 Posts: 7 Member
    deonbfit wrote: »
    I am currently down 8 lbs and I always find when the weight starts to come off (this isn't my first rodeo) I get severe sciatic nerve pain! Does this happen to anyone else? If so what have you found works to soothe it?

    I use a heatpad....works wonders
  • sparkle1944
    sparkle1944 Posts: 7 Member
    I use a heatpad...and a pillow under your knees when sleeping takes the pressure off spine..hope this helps
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    deonbfit wrote: »
    Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have been working out since January 5th (worked out from January to May last year also). My workout consist of mostly weight lifting with 1 day of cardio kickboxing per week. Working out 5-6 days per week for 30-45 minutes each time. I do core exercises 5 days a week including planks. It's really odd because I would think that being heavier the weight would be pinching the nerve more, but its almost like the release of pressure is triggering the pain in my case. I will keep trucking along and maybe try to incorporate a bit of yoga here and there (even though I hate it :s ) Hopefully it subsides as the weight continues to fall off.

    Sounds like you're overdoing it. I suggest you back off a bit for a while and make sure you warm up before weight lifting and kickboxing. Maybe drop the kickboxing for a while and just walk.
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    deonbfit wrote: »
    I am currently down 8 lbs and I always find when the weight starts to come off (this isn't my first rodeo) I get severe sciatic nerve pain! Does this happen to anyone else? If so what have you found works to soothe it?

    This is completely anecdotal, but I get the same issue with a disc in my lower back, which causes impingement and therefore sciatica. Fat is probably? a buffer for both joints and other connective tissue. Or a larger body has more limited range of motion in exercise in some case (imagine a 300 pound man bench pressing vs a 100lb woman), making it easier to avoid injury. Train around it, I'd say and certainly don't continuing doing things to aggravate the condition.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,223 Member
    edited February 2017
    Another factor could be that we sometimes change our posture a bit when we gain/lose weight, depending on where the fat is located. This example is an exaggerated one, but we've all seen the big guys who have a "beer belly" and a sway back, right? Analogous things can happen on a smaller scale with changes in weight distribution, and be enough to pinch something that wasn't quite pinched before.

    Any chance of getting a physical therapy referral, if this is a recurring/persistent problem? A good physical therapist can be a big help with identifying & remediating this sort of thing.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    My 2 cents besides what everyone else said... I kind of feel that the fat itself may be holding things in a certain place, when you lose some fat, "things" lose some support, until you strengthen surrounding muscle to compensate. This may be just my visualization of what's going on in my own body.

    That and you may be doing too much. Get an MRI.
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