Has anyone here ever had sciatica?

July 18, 2005 6:07 PM

Has anyone here ever had (or have) sciatica? I've been going to physio for it, since May, but the healing process is quite slow, I just started going back to the gym doing low intensity cardio. For those who have had sciatica, how long did it take to heal, and is it a lifelong thing you now have to worry about?
posted by bluehermit to Health & Fitness (14 answers total)

I had a severe attack of sciatica when I returned to grad school. I was no longer used to sitting on a chair for long periods of time - and after a couple of months, my sciatic FLARED up.

What did I do (after Emergency let me back out to civilization after eight hours, with a 'script for T3?) I did sports massage with a deep tissue specialist, and saw a chiropractor.

How long does it take to fully heal? Well the attack happened in February 2002, and it's only now that I no longer feel the twinges in my right hip. The feeling has come back 95% in my right calf, too.

It takes forever to get back to normal. Pilates, yoga, running, climbing - or any other type of physical activity - will allow you to get better faster. But if you are still in the throes of pain, ride it out, take it easy, pop the pills if necessary, get a massage, see a chiro, and be patient.

You will heal. Be patient. You are doing all the right things. And try not to sit still for long periods of time, this is what brought it on in the first place.
posted by seawallrunner at 6:18 PM on July 18, 2005

I had sciatica due to a herniated disk at L4-L5. Incidentally, mine too flared up due to too much sitting-- while writing my dissertation. It was brutal. I couldn't sit or stand. Walking was okay, but I couldn't due it forever.

Seawallrunner's got it exactly right. I too have a great massage therapist who does deep tissue massage. I saw him once a week for almost a year. Even now, I go every three weeks. Things were better as soon as I started getting back to exercising, even if mild at first. Then, I too started taking Pilates classes twice/week. Great for strengthening your core. Yoga is a godsend. Just stay moving, even though it doesn't feel right at first.

If your sciatica is due to an inflamed disk, etc. I would ask your doctor if a short course of corticosteroids is in order. I was reluctant and tried everything else first, but once I did take the steroids, it was an immediate difference.

I am now about 90% pain-free. I know that there are things I could do to screw up my back real quick, but generally as long as I am careful, I don't worry about it anymore. But it took nearly a year.
posted by picklebird at 6:34 PM on July 18, 2005

Seawallrunner knows of what he speaks. I've also been suffering from some sciatica, in my case caused by piriformis syndrome. I've got a bunch of links to exercises etc, and I'll send them along tomorrow (I don't have them on this computer.) Work to strengthen your back in general, take it easy, and you'll get better.
posted by OmieWise at 6:40 PM on July 18, 2005

It just depends. How is that for an unsatisfactory answer. Pain such as this is often influenced by mood. Are you depressed? If so, even more incentive to work out your issues. There is so little physically you can really do to help your back, outside of keeping your trunk muscles in top shape and keeping weight off. Then you can try to avoid stresses by keeping good posture, etc. I would work on the mood as much as anything though. Another trick I have learned - back presses. Lie on your belly and while keeping your hips on the ground press your shoulders and upper back up like a push-up with a nice backward arch to your back. Hold for twenty seconds or so, relax and repeat. Of course, avoid pain in doing this.
posted by caddis at 6:40 PM on July 18, 2005

Oh, wait, I'm an idiot, I do have the links:

Pirifomis syndrome.

Back exercises recommended by an ultrarunner with sciatica problems.

Also try googling for bridges, both back and side bridges.


Also, and this may come a bit later, you should start doing squats which stregthen the whole area that we're talking about.
posted by OmieWise at 6:45 PM on July 18, 2005

Here is a great site that extolls the virtue of the squat, including sections on debunking the myths, and how to squat.
posted by OmieWise at 6:48 PM on July 18, 2005

I injured my back doing squats. No myth. The solution for me was to build a bar to do chin-ups, etc. This provides traction for the spine, and strengthens back and upper-body muscles with virtually no chance of injury.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:08 PM on July 18, 2005

I have it and it sucks. You want to have an injury from something like rock-climbing, or skydiving, or diving off rocks -- not from sitting down. But there you go.

The first bout I had I didn't know what was causing it and only made it worse by being more sedentary. I ended up with 8 weeks of physical therapy, mostly Pilates-like stuff (but extremely low-intensity, given how bad it was) and massage.

Since then it comes and goes (at the moment, it's unpleasant). The stretches and presses I learned from PT help. Ibuprofen helps. Cycling helps, if I'm careful about it. Swimming is great. But I'm resigned to the fact that, for me at least, it's probably life-long.
posted by nev at 8:11 PM on July 18, 2005

I don't know the word for it, but I was told to do what people call "The Frog". You put the bottoms of your feet together and work on getting your knees down while keeping feet together. This, I am told, opens the passage through which the sciatic nerve passes. Sciatica is a pinch on that nerve. I have it on the left side.

Funny enough, the sciatica is from sitting and started with my first programming gig, back in the dark ages. But I also injured my back skydiving when I was 17. Oops.
posted by Goofyy at 9:59 PM on July 18, 2005

I had it in high school, went to a chiropractor for a few months and haven't had a problem since. So definitely not a lifelong thing for me.
posted by cali at 10:45 PM on July 18, 2005

I had problems with sciatica while pregnant. Just first pregnancy, kid was lying funny or something. Haven't had a problem since . . .
posted by 6:1 at 11:11 PM on July 18, 2005

Sciatica-related blog
posted by growabrain at 2:44 AM on July 19, 2005

Don't forget to strengthen abdominal muscles--often over looked as an important element in maintaining back health--be sure and do bent leg sit ups--never, never straight leg--don't forget sciatica is a symptom--many causes as suggested--good luck
posted by rmhsinc at 4:30 AM on July 19, 2005

The diagnosis is often erroneous, the causes are manifold, and the course is extremely variable, ranging from complete recovery to inevitable paralysis. Your questions can't be answered accurately in a web forum - or rather, they can, but the answers won't necessarily apply to you.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:28 PM on July 20, 2005