Sciatica

[Mrs Redboots]

I had a backache yesterday when I skated, and to my horror, it has Descended, and has turned into sciatica, which is, literally as well as metaphorically, a pain in the bum! I know some of you have had this, notably jazzpants, and was wondering how you coped? I've taken some anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen), which haven't really stopped the ache and feeling of weakness down my left leg, but have improved matters.

The thing is, while it's no worse than achey and a feeling of having been kicked in the coccyx, should I stop skating? I don't want to - it feels as though skating would improve matters, rather than the reverse - but what have other people found?

[jenlyon60]

For me, stretching always seems to help, focusing on stretches for the lower back. I find that the lower back muscles always seem to feel really tight when I've got sciatica kicking in.

[garyc254]

NSAIDS and ice packs.

I've got a mild case myself right now. I have had it so severe I couldn't move.

NO HOT BATHS OR SHOWERS. I made that error. I was feeling pretty good after visiting the chiropractor, but got up the next morning and jumped in a hot shower. Immediate tightening and pain.

Spend as much time as possible with an ice pack on your back to reduce swelling.

If you need some immediate relief from pressure, lay on the floor and put your lower legs on a chair or couch (kind of like your sitting in a chair laying on your back). You may have to put a pillow under your legs to get the right height to relieve the pressure. I spent my lunch hours at work under my desk on my back with my legs in my chair.

I agree with stretching exercises, but it all depends on how much pain you're in. Take it slow and let your body talk to you.

[CanAmSk8ter]

I've had it too, and luckily mine has always a) been pretty mild, and b) gone away on its own within a couple of days. Advil helps; I always kept skating- cautiously- and avoided running or anything that causes a lot of impact. I'm an ice dancer, but if I weren't I would lay off the jumps for a couple days. Feel better!

[jazzpants]

OH, NO!!! Not you too, Annabel!?!?!? :(

Well, since you have weakness in your leg, I would NOT advise you to go skating until you get your strength back on your leg!!! Going back to skate before that is asking for a disaster to happen. (Guess how I know???) :roll: [1]

I would also go to your chiropractor to check on things... and get yourself a PT to help you build up the strength in your leg as well too. You'll probably have to do some swimming to help keep up your strength w/o putting impact on the body.

As for drugs, ibuprofuen is good. BenGay would be good for muscles...
I know that Gary suggested no hot showers or baths, but in my case, it actually helps me to loosens the muscles. I was in a hot tub and I usually come out of it almost painfree. I would WAIT until I was able to walk w/o limping to start on the hottub though. (Ice is DEFINITELY good the first week or so...) :P

The key in recovering is NOT just the lack of pain. It's also the strength coming back on your leg!!! Once that's fine, only then would I consider coming back on the ice.

Get well soon, Annabel!!! I hope yours is just a mild case...

Cheers,
jazzpants

[1] I tried coming back to skate from a REALLY severe case of sciatica two weeks after the initial attack. Tried to do a spin entry and ended up falling on my hip, which definitely delay set me back for at least another 2 weeks at least. :(

[Mrs Redboots]

It seems pretty mild, thanks. I thought at first when I got out of bed this morning that it had gone, but it was nagging a bit after my shower, and is aching quite badly now - I've been out shopping, and sitting on a bus all the way home, and I don't think it liked that.

Can't decide whether to skate this evening - it's very comish and go-ish, and is quite all right for hours, then it starts up again and I'm not too sure that my left leg will do what I want it to. Thus far, it always has. Stretching helped a lot this morning (pause to go and stretch some more); I might go down to the rink if only to see the person who helps me with choreography and off-ice training....

[mikawendy]

Mrs Redboots--
I hope you're feeling better by the time you read this.

I've had sciatica before and found it helpful to have what physiotherapists call "traction" on the leg--if you have access to a swimming pool, you can do this. Go to the corner of the deep end, and face into the corner with your body in the water. Hang with your arms on the ledge of the pool--basically you're hanging on with your elbows/forearms and the rest of your torso and lower body will be dangling/floating vertically in the water. Just stay there and relax for 5 or 10 minues--somehow it seems to help take the pressure and gravity off the irritated nerve.

Also, have you noticed whether the muscles around the nerve are really tight? Is it possible that your piriformis muscle is irritated as well? Whenever I had sciatica, my piriformis syndrome also used to flare up.

If you have experience with Pilates, there are a few exercises that feel really good to me on that area of the body: Roll Up, Tree, Open Leg Rocker, Roll Back, Beginning Corkscrew. (I wouldn't try these if you've never done them before.) I swear I think they helped me get rid of my sciatica, piriformis troubles, and lower back pain.

Best of luck, and heal fast!!

[montanarose]

Oh, Annabel, my condolences! Back pain is just the worst as it impacts just about everything one attempts to do, let alone skating.

While I've had bouts of sciatica at times, my main back problem is piriformis syndrome (aka "pain in the butt" or rather in the very deep hip muscles to be more precise). Stretching helps me some, but what has been a miracle cure for me is this very low-tech device called the Sacro Wedgy (yes, that's really its name!). You lie on it for 15-20 minutes at a time -- I do it twice a day when my back is acting up and once a day for maintenance, at least when I think about it LOL -- and it cradles your sacrum in such a way that your hip, butt, and lower back muscles relax and assume a more normal, untorqued position.

They have a website: www.sacrowedgy.com. It goes into much more detail and has a section specifically on sciatica as well as other back ailments. Trust me when I say this thing is low-tech: when my package arrived my first reaction was "I can't believe I spent $30 (U.S.) for THIS!" But much to my surprise it worked, at least for me.

Hope you get relief one way or another!

(BTW, thanks for telling me about how to find this board, Annabel -- it's great to be back and to see many of the old Rinksiders here.)

Ellen

[Mrs Redboots]

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions. It's funny, it doesn't like sitting down on most chairs, except my recliner, but the thing that has helped most has been walking! We spent most of Friday afternoon wandering around the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and it's been much better ever since. And I've had quite a long walk this morning, and it's pretty fine now, although it doesn't like this chair very much.

[skateflo]

Mrs. Redboots - welcome to the world of 'chairs' and back problems! I just spent a month looking for a chair that my back will accept - needs to feel firm in the seat, no sloping either the seat or the back - almost like the Victorian ladies always counseled to sit in straight back chairs! Our American chairs have gone the way of overly big, mushy soft cushions, extra large arm rests - ideal for the couch potato, or healthy bodies....

Walking is one of the best mainstays for chronic low back distress - that and having a relaxing time while doing it like you just did!

My back comes and goes, but now my legs are fatiguing at times, and my whole low back just feels like it is collapsing - so off to have an MRI done Wednesday. It is probably degenerative disc disease to match my neck.

My coach took a mini-vacation last week, so I decided it might do me some good too. Backing off from so much physical work between the yard and skating and work did wonders. I skated quite well tonight!

Glad to hear you are better!!! And I can't wait till I go on vacation to see my friends in Scotland in late August......I always think of them (skaters) when I read your posts. Thanks

[jazzpants]

On the subject of sitting and sciatica...one of my old jobs invested a ton of money on a "sit-stand workstation" (back in the days when the dot.coms were still booming but starting to take a dive.) You push a button and it goes up to the point where you're standing and it goes down when you choose to sit down...as high or low as you want it!!! :D

Of course, when I was driving long distance, my back was REALLY BAD!!! Maybe I should get one of those "Sacro Wedgy" for the road! :mrgreen:

Welcome Ellen!!!

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by skateflo
And I can't wait till I go on vacation to see my friends in Scotland in late August......I always think of them (skaters) when I read your posts. Thanks I'm glad to hear it, but don't forget I'm in England, not Scotland - two very different places! Whereabouts in Scotland are you going?

[skateflo]

Mrs. Redboots,

Sorry, I know the UK and Scotland are 'different' and I almost didn't say anything....sort of like confusing Ireland and Scotland, which I never would do!

I have a coach friend and 18 yr. old skater friend in Glasgow. Last time coach and I took 2-1/2 days down to London - fabulous! and I hope to go back someday for a longer visit. My Mother's side was all English, came to USA in mid 1600's, and I think that is the part of me that accounts for trying to be friendly....the other 75% is all German.

Anyhoo, glad to know your back is better.

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by skateflo
Mrs. Redboots,

Sorry, I know the UK and Scotland are 'different' and I almost didn't say anything....sort of like confusing Ireland and Scotland, which I never would do!Er, no - Scotland, like England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is a constituent part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland! Scotland, England and Wales (and the Isle of Man, I think), make up Great Britain. Ireland - the Republic of - is a separate country. All very confusing!

I have a coach friend and 18 yr. old skater friend in Glasgow. Last time coach and I took 2-1/2 days down to London - fabulous! and I hope to go back someday for a longer visit. My Mother's side was all English, came to USA in mid 1600's, and I think that is the part of me that accounts for trying to be friendly....the other 75% is all German.

Anyhoo, glad to know your back is better. I hope you will come down to London one day, and perhaps skate with us. Back is not quite better - it was a bit aching after skating today, but my off-ice coach (not really - she's a skating mother, but she is also a gymastics teacher and does off-ice work with all of us, but not officially) has shown me some stretches to do. And told me I must not do bicycling exercises on my bed!

[MacII]

I know its been said but all i'll say is ignore the advice given online by the replys (some is good and some is bad) BUT go and see a Chiropractor. If you take anti-inflams all your doing is masking the problem. It won't go away. The Chiropractor is really the only one trained to help this situation your in.

[flippet]

Ever since having my baby, I've had lower back issues--was seeing a PT for pubic bone issues before (too much relaxin hormone due to pregnancy), and continued when my back went wonky. I'm not sure exactly what the problem is--just SI, or maybe some piriformis issues. Anyway, my sacrum would torque in odd ways and cause a pinch in the middle of my bum. My PT gave me some fantastic exercises, the simplest of which is side-stepping. That's all--just crossing a room sidestepping one way, then back the other way a few times. It really works to readjust the sacrum. Another great exercise is to lay on your stomach, bend your knees, and press your heels together.

I don't know how effective they'd be for sciatica, but they shouldn't hurt!

[Elsy2]

I had severe sciatica with both pregnancies. I could barely walk and dragged my leg. I'd sit down in the middle of anywhere I was unable to go on. Thankfully a good chiropracter did see me through the second pregnancy, and it wasn't as bad as the first....but he also gave me stretches. It all went away shortly after delivery never to return......so hopefully Flippet, you will get relief soon!

Piriformis syndrome did not feel the same as those bouts of severe sciatica. The tightness was most definitely more in the hip and butt and driving and sitting were the worst offending activities, while with the pregnancy induced sciatica sitting provided relief. The piriformis muscle lies over the sciatic nerve and so it's sometimes hard to figure out if it's sciatica from that, or originating in the lower back.

If it is piriformis, massage therapy can help too. One of my friends was taken aback by the thought of someone massaging my rear end.....but that's their hangup.....

;)

[flippet]

My PT also used electrical stimulation therapy--where they place electrodes around the affected area and zap it a bit. Does wonders. My problems have finally eased up, thankfully! They were awful-to-crippling for a while there!

[garyc254]

I've had bouts with sciatica for 16 years. Some have left me unable to move or sleep, while others leave pain that I can work through.

Last Saturday, I was putting new front brakes on my van and pinched that darn nerve again. :evil: It's not terribly painful, but I did get the radiant pain down both legs.

Sunday I took it easy, kept the area iced occasionally, and popped ibuprofin.

I felt better until I got on the ice last night. As I skated, the pain increased. After 30 minutes, I chose the better part of valor and got off of the ice. I need a little more time to heal and reduce the swelling.