Hi everyone,

Has anyone ever had a Sciatia nerve problem? I have a really bad one, and I am only 26 (it that makes any difference at all). I like to think I am an active Mom. Seems after I had my last baby (Emily, 1 and half), there is this burning pain that goes up my right leg and into my right butt cheek. It hurts mostly when I get up in the morning, and if I have been sitting for awhile. Its starting to become a problem because some mornings it takes me awhile to be able to walk normally.

Anywho, if you do have this problem, what kinds of excersize works? I've tried all types and seems like this pain doesn't want to go away. Should I take this up with a doctor, or should I just keep taking Tylonal and Motrin. Thats all I take for this pain. Any advice would be wonderful.

Thanks!

I just turned 25. I am not sure I have sciatia, but I do have back pain that often radiates down to my feet. I have had this problem for the past 8 years, but it has gotten worse lately. I used to be a little more than just involved in sports 4 years back.
Now a days, I just jog when I have time. It used to be definitely worse at night times and early mornings. Now, its just bad most of the times. I can't sleep for more than 10 min at a time. While sleeping, if I move, my back hurts so bad, that I wake up. Anyways, I don't know what exercises to do in order to minimize if not get rid of this pain. I normally take advil , but it doesn't seem to work anymore. The place I am in, getting a Dr. appt (if not finding one) seems to be a nightmare.
I am really desperate at this point. I have some exams coming up and my attempts to ignore the pain are turning to be futile.

Any suggestions?

I don't know how you may incorporate it into your busy schedule, but rest is what's most recommended. A pillow under your back with your thighs and knees elevated with another pillow may work. Or, if you are more comfortable lying on your back, a pillow between your legs may help.

I had an MRI and have just completed a month of PT with LLLT and electrical therapy. I was without pain for around two weeks. I simply can't afford anymore treatments, but the pillow stuff helps some. Even sitting with a pillow behind the back helps.

I get pain like that too but I had it ever since I fell from the stairs. I fell and hit my lower back. Since then I can barely sit for a while then I get really bad pain. The pain is worse at night and sometimes in the mornings I can barely get out of bed.

I'm 44 years old and I think I've had sciatia for about 10 years now. I'm 5.5' and weight about 150 lbs. I use to think it had something to do with my weight so I lost 20 lbs but the pain is still there. My symptoms range from lower back pain, pain in right leg and buttock, right foot pain to neck and shoulder pain. Other than popping Advil like candy, I try to do some simple exercise which relieves the pain for awhile. Lay flat on back, bring knees up to chest level with feet up above knee and hold them there. Relax your back while holding knees to chest for about 5 to 10 minutes. You should already feel the pain dissappating immediately. I find this helps me and I hope it helps you.

Have any of you tried seeing a massage therapist? (not just for a spa-style swedish massage, but an actual deep tissue specialist?) concentrated massage to the surrounding tissue can often loosen the area enough to give your sciatic nerve some space if it is being pinched.
Pregnancy can cause a change in the tilt of your pelvis which can cause severe pain in some women... usually stretching and massage can help to reduce that pain.

*helpful hint for low-back pain/tension:*

Lie on your back with your arms crossed on your chest as if you were going to do a sit-up.
Have some stand above you with their hands on your arms, pinning you to the floor.
For 15 seconds, try as hard as you can to do a sit-up while they are holding you down
Relax for 10 seconds
Then repeat.

By isolating your abdominal muscles you will allow the muscles in your lower back (specifically your quadratus lumborum) to relax.

This is more of a quick-fix and its effects will wear off after a short amount of time, but at least its something!

Because of the shooting pain, I would get it checked out by the doctor just because it's better to be safe than sorry. It sounds like it could even be a pinched nerve...

Hey there!.
How painful can sciatica be!! I am 25 yrs old and experienced sciatica for the first time about 3 yrs ago. Visiting the doctor can never hurt and is always a good idea, however with my situation I found the doctor told me what I already knew, and could not offer me any relief besides:

PHYSICAL THERAPY - which we all know is costly, and time consuming.
PAIN MEDICATION - which is definetely ONLY a short term solution, but is really just a band- aid, being that the problem is never actually fixed.

If you have the patience stretches and exercise is really the only solution!!. There is one exercise which my partner suggested to me - after having done a manual handling induction at his work site which I truely sware by!. When he told me the exercise I was like.. yeah right as if its going to work, I mean how can something so simple help something this painful!! but anyway I tried it and voila!

EXERCISE
- stand comfortably/ naturally with your legs about shoulder width apart
- position your hands comfortably on the small of your back (ensure that thumbs on the
stomach side or fwd, fingers placed on your back - just picture the way a pregnant lady
holds her back!)
- Using your hands as support, gently stretch your stomach fwd in a stretched motion
- hold this for 10 seconds, and repeat 8 - 10 x

This sound ridiculous I know, but it was a godsend for me, I teamed it with the stretch which was mentioned earlier.

EXERCISE
- Lie flat on the floor
- bring your knees to your chest
- hold your legs there for about 10 seconds to feel the stretch

If you do these you should feel better by the end of the day, persistence will have you feeling excellent within about 1 week!!
Goodluck!

Someone suggested in a earlier post to put a pillow in between your thighs when you are laying on your side. This has really helped me.

Also, manytimes sciatica is caused by a tight piriformis which is a muscle in your butt and the sciatic nerve passes through it. If you look on the net their are plenty of links to piriformis stretches.