Any of you bastiches have sciatica?

[Chautauqua Mafia]

2 hours ago, Tombstone said:

I get it bad a few times a year.  Don't know what causes it to flareup.  I get prednisone and that works great for me.    Ever try that? 

 

No, but that was brought up earlier, I may be doing that next.

 

[Figster]

On 11/2/2025 at 11:50 AM, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Does anything ACTUALLY work to alleviate this nonsense? Painkillers are useless for me. Exercises prescribed by the physical therapist similarly useless. Lost about 50lb, that didn't help.

 

Starting to become a real annoyance. Anybody out there got anything 

I have bone spurs on my neck vertebrae and nortriptylin has worked miracles for the nerve pain and saved me from an operation. Helps you sleep well. Little to no side effects. My pain was like getting stabbed in the shoulder blade with a hot knife. Over and over...

 

Miracles, so for anyone with nerve pain I highly recommend giving it a try. 

Edited November 3 by Figster

[dhg]

Weed

[The Wiz]

1 hour ago, dhg said:

Weed

I'm on this boat.

 

Not gonna quote everyone for everything but I've had my share of back problems.  Scoliosis of the lower back since I was younger and ended up slipping 2 disks in my early 30's.  That experience messed up my I.T. band in my thigh and sciatic so much that it ended up causing nerve damage in my shin (I have about a 3" section below my knee that's about 60% feel now).

 

Chiro helped get my hips aligned and that's about all it did (it feels good but at most, every 6 month thing that makes sure your gait isn't making your back worse).

 

I know it's a dumb thing but simple stretching helps a bunch.  Getting a foam roller will help also.  It's basically a big hard pool noodle that is meant to hurt the living ***** out of you...... but in a good way.

 

Lastly, the even dumberest, yes, dumberest thing, is hydrate.  No matter what you do that's the one thing that needs to happen more than anything.  Trust me.  Going to a chiro and having them work you out when you are dehydrated is like asking them to hurt the living hell out you.

 

I was on the painkiller and gabapentin for a short time and complained to my doctor that the pain wasn't getting any better so naturally they just wanted to push me off and gave me a lifetime supply of it but  told me it was a monthly dose.  I quit taking that and started to do the other things I listed above and every now and then, when the pain comes to a point where I can't deal with it or take anymore advil/tylenol, I just take a quick hit off of a pen that I have stashed away.  It's the only thing that give me relief within about 10 minutes.

[Not at the table Karlos]

Yep. Chiropractor doing traction felt good while doing it. Pain came back immediately after. I ended up having the discs that were pushing on the nerve removed and my back fused. Also had a fusion in my neck. Best decisions I ever made. 

6 hours ago, dhg said:

Weed

This too. 

[Not at the table Karlos]

On 11/3/2025 at 2:46 AM, Mike in Horseheads said:

Good luck with insurance, they'll want to send ya to PT first

Yep and every time PT makes it worse because they’re not sure what’s wrong yet when they start treating. PT had me doing all types of stuff thinking my bicep was the problem but I tore my labrum in my shoulder. Ended up making it much worse. 

[Goin Breakdown]

Sciatic and numb foot everyday for 3 years now. I have issues in the other side of my body because you tend to over- correct. When I first herniated my back which led to all this, it did not matter at all what I took, gaba, lidocaine, shots in the ass, nothing got rid of the pain. It's helped some so I could sleep for a half hour at a time for about 3 months. Anyway yeah I understand the frustration of going through it daily. Some days I feel like I'm going to crack. Other days I'm just mentally numb. 

[Fleezoid]

Yes, and I had a physical therapist that had a series of exercised for me. I would get at least one flare-up a month. Bad flare-ups, to the point I had difficulty walking with occasional sharp pains, like lightning bolt pain. then I switched therapists and his exercises were completely opposite. Worked much, much better. I can manage it now. If I feel light pain or tightness, I do a handful of those exercises and manage to keep it from getting bad. 

[boyst]

8 hours ago, Fleezoid said:

Yes, and I had a physical therapist that had a series of exercised for me. I would get at least one flare-up a month. Bad flare-ups, to the point I had difficulty walking with occasional sharp pains, like lightning bolt pain. then I switched therapists and his exercises were completely opposite. Worked much, much better. I can manage it now. If I feel light pain or tightness, I do a handful of those exercises and manage to keep it from getting bad. 

Finding the right PT and listening to them is so important.

 

Never just take the first PT you see. It's worse than car shopping. Test many of them out for what you need, one that you understand, one that understands you.

 

I have seen about 9 PT's in the last 4 years at different points of recovery. The guy I have now deals with retired athletes, young professional athletes or college athletes, or the occasional washed up goober like me. It took 4 bad ones, 2 good ones I outgrew, 2 I still use for special things, and now him

[NC-billsfan!]

Backs are tricky and each one presents differently. I’ve tried everything from Tibetan sound bowls, to opiates, pt, surgery (avoid at all costs if possible, buy get if needed), dry needling, massage, weed, you name it. I think some therapies work for some but not others. I’ve been on this road, trying to get off of it close to a decade. It ended my fire service career after 20 years. You have my prayers. If you would like more info on my journey please feel free to contact me. I would do anything for anyone going through such a horrible experience.

[Sweats]

Between my previous broken back, my previous broken neck, the severe nerve damage throughout my body, the only thing that saves me for any nerve pain is my unlimited prescription of Gabapentin.

 

It seems to be the only thing that works for me.

[boyst]

On 12/2/2025 at 9:36 AM, Sweats said:

Between my previous broken back, my previous broken neck, the severe nerve damage throughout my body, the only thing that saves me for any nerve pain is my unlimited prescription of Gabapentin.

 

It seems to be the only thing that works for me.

How did you manage all that?

[ExiledInIllinois]

Try Aspercreme? Wife suggested that to her 89 year old mother... Seems to be helping.

 

Edited 14 hours ago by ExiledInIllinois

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

Have you had the Shingles vaxx?  Had Shingles?

[Mike in Horseheads]

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

 

Have you had the Shingles vaxx?  Had Shingles?

Because I'm on Rinvoq I can't get the shingles vax or any vax that is live

[Sweats]

10 hours ago, boyst said:

How did you manage all that?

 

 

 

It's rough, man........good days and bad.

It's just constant pain, 24 hours a day. I can certainly see how people get strung out on prescription drugs. I walk a fine line with it every day.

 

Between the Gabapentin and Simon's previous recommendation for some CBD oil, i'm able to function.

[boyst]

18 minutes ago, Sweats said:

 

 

 

It's rough, man........good days and bad.

It's just constant pain, 24 hours a day. I can certainly see how people get strung out on prescription drugs. I walk a fine line with it every day.

 

Between the Gabapentin and Simon's previous recommendation for some CBD oil, i'm able to function.

How'd you get so banged up?

[Sweats]

3 minutes ago, boyst said:

How'd you get so banged up?

 

 

 

Motorcycle accident when i was 20.........head-on collision with a car. Late at night, some guy swerved into my lane (the guy was from China and only had a driver's license for less than 1 month). I just remember laying in the rhubarb at the side of the road, motorcycle helmet split in 2 pieces, laying in a pool of blood, in and out of consciousness and hearing the interpreters, as he was playing the "i speak no English" game.

 

I was in the hospital for about 5 months, all hopped up on Morphine and Demerol.

I shattered some vertebrae in my neck and back and had two broken legs.........i had to learn how to walk again and that part was rough.

 

Roughly 5 years ago, i turned my head the wrong way and seized some vertebrae in my neck and was paralyzed on my left side for 3 months.

The vertebrae and nerves are so weak and damaged from the accident, that i never know what will happen at any given time.

 

I was 20 when the accident happened, i'm 57 now.........that's 37 years of living hell, but the body is a fascinating subject. It tries to heal and cope with whatever's happening to it and work its way around whatever circumstances its dealing with......it adapts.

 

Wild stuff, man

[Royale with Cheese]

You need to strengthen your back and core.  I had back surgery back in 2021.

Back was up and down since then.  A slight aggravation will put my back completely out for weeks. 

 

Then I started lifting like I did when I was a teen and in college.  Now I feel pretty much 100%.

I'm back to doing hang cleans, real squats and not the seated press machine....get to the squat rack.  Back extensions and strenuous core workouts.

Not sit ups or crunches on the ground....hanging knee raises or parallel bar knee raises.  This actually strengthens the core, sit ups/crunches help too but it's not like a knee raise.  

 

Your back is everything.  You can't just slightly make it stronger when it's this bad, you need to push it up a level.  

Walking, stretching and other exercises helps alleviate some pain but it won't fix it.  

[Mike in Horseheads]

i had sciatic nerve issue in my left leg in 2021. its never felt right since and two weeks ago I found out its bone on bone in may left hip and I am getting a replacement.