Hi, I’m new here. I was “diagnosed” about 2.5 years ago. I use the quotes because after month of tests and exams and specialists all of which found “nothing” I told my doctor I thought that’s what I had.
I’ve been incredibly lucky until recently. After the beginning of the year, I noticed some bad nerve pain in my left leg. It would suddenly hurt to walk or sit down. I had an MRI and they found a pretty small bulge in a lumbar disc. They said at the time it didn’t explain my level of pain, but I was to just keep doing my physical therapy lower-back stretches and it would pass. I was told that due to my fibro, it would take a long time for the nerve to calm down.
Three weeks ago the pain started ramping up. I am a elementary school teacher and by sheer will I made it through a week of teaching in pretty intense pain. Finally I took a Saturday to rest, and when I got up Sunday I could no longer walk without support. I used crutches, I took steroids, I took a week off work… and I just got worse. I took another week off work. My husband worked the phone for hours and got me in for an epidural injection. Aside from the numbness the day of the injection, it has not had any noticeable effect.
I am out of sub time. I still can’t walk and I’m looking at using a wheelchair to get myself to my classroom on Monday. My husband has to rearrange his schedule to help me get to work. The physical therapist I saw today said I’m making progress. It’s really hard to see that right now while I’m gathering strength the deal with the pain of walking to the bathroom to take out my contacts.
Anyone else have experience with sciatica? Especially sciatica that does not respond to traditional treatment? I’m trying to teach myself meditation and trigger point therapy. I’m taking gabapentin and just praying for a miracle at this point. Sorry for the rambling post, but I’m so scared. I love my job, and even if I’m forced to quit, I can’t take care of my family.
On top of all the pain we deal with, the loss of our lives hurts even more. Anyone not with sciatica issues, but can relate to that, I’d love some advice for coping, too. Thanks.
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Dear THM, I am so sorry for your pain and increasing difficulty. I have nothing to help your sciatica, having not experienced it myself.
My friend has recurring sciatica, and it pops up when she least expects it. She thinks that her body has “learned” this response, like children “learn” to be bad, just to get attention. She uses yoga and tai chi and walking to keep everything moving and flexible and distracted. Now it is not as “bad” every time as it used to be, but it still happens to her a few times a year.
I guess I just wanted to reach out and let you know you are not alone. We are all out here and God does hear every prayer. Here is a careful hug and wish for health: (O)
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Thank you so much for your kind reply. I am very slowly working my up to stretching again. I’m hoping I can take a yoga class and develop a consistent practice. Once I get this gone, I want to keep it under control.
Thanks again, your lovely words of support made me smile.
Dear THM, The yoga class my friend takes is called Svaroopa Yoga. It is different from regular yoga, the classes are very slow to get a full release, and longer, sometimes an hour and a half. Svaroopa is designed to release all the tensions in our spine, from the tailbone all the way up to the neck. We apparently carry a lot of emotion and stress there that can damage our health long term.
I have not been able to attend class in 4 months as I have been having migraines and the yoga makes them worse. But I have attended class fairly regularly since 2007 and can attest that when I leave class, I feel about 3" taller and melted, and that feeling lasts into the following day or two. Blissful.
I do not know if Svaroopa is available in your town, but it is something you could look into. Or maybe a Yin yoga class, which is also very slow and designed to work on the tendons and ligaments (not muscles) but does help your bones.
Whatever class you decide to try, go early to be able to talk with the teacher privately and explain your condition. They are always eager to help find solutions or workarounds, but they need to know details to make adjustments correctly not to hurt us worse. Full disclosure.
I will keep you in my prayers. R.
Thank you so much! I’m looking up places that practice that now. A teacher at my school is teaching a 30 minute group class on the grass every Monday. I was SO jealous of colleagues as they stretched and moved as I wheeled past. I’ll get there!!! Thanks so much for the tip and the idea to talk to the instructor. I’m usually very shy in new places, but this is so important. Really appreciate your ideas!
Good luck and I will pray for your increasing strength and health. Take good care!
I have just this year started to have problems with Sciatica.
I’ve been plagued with lower back pain for years but didn’t understand why. Just though it was part of FM.
Then one day, I wasn’t doing anything different, but I had an attack of it. And couldn’t bend at all. I couldn’t sit. The pain was so excruciating that I just laid in my bed for a week. Mine slowly started to subside, but took over a month to get full mobility. Went to my doctor about half way through the problem. I had figured out what it was by then, but hoped he could help. He did give me some Celebrex don’t know if it helped much, but took it.
I didn’t get an MRI, but eventually will have to. Since this attack. The nerves and feeling in my legs are mixed up. I notice it most when I shave my legs. It feels like I,am shaving them in a different part than I actually am. It is getting worse. I talked to my GP about it and he is going to send me for a test. But right now I’m also dealing,with problems of high blood pressure, and so it is,on,back burner.
I am real sorry, it sounds like this has really taken over your life. One thing that helps me… you are probably already doing it… is using an ice pack on your lower back.
Also rotating an ice pack and a heating pad for 20 minute segments helped me out.
Take care and hopefully I’ll see more of you
Melody
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this too. I hope you get your MRI and get some answers. Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing.'sometimes just knowing we’re not alone makes a huge difference!