sciatica???

[ChristineD]

I am not 100% sure this is what im experiencing but dear lord the last two days have been bad!! It is a very sharp sudden burning feeling just sitting i can feel it in my left glute/hip.

i feel it mostly at work when im wearing a 30lb duty belt and sitting for long periods of times ( doesnt help) when im up and moving its not TOO bad.

people ive spoken to think it may be mild sciatica / pinched nerve of some sort..ive been reading it hasnt gone lower into my leg and pray it doesnt.

Ive been told ice, stretch ( which i already do) and foam roller ( which i hate) anyone else have experience with this type of pain? suggestions?
im deabting chiropractor right now thinking maybe a good deep massage might help?

anything???? all i know is i wanted to cry at work today :(

[cog]

One of those angled seats?

[scottlove]

I had problems with sciatica 20 years ago and still till this day, once in a while, it will flair up on me. When I feel it coming on, I'm extra cautious of how I sit and I take an anti-inflammatory, and it usually disappears within a day or two. It hit me 20 years ago when I got carried away one day warming up doing trunk twists with a stick on my back. The next day I could hardly get out of bed, my low back and hamstring were so stiff and sore. Anyway, I lived with it for a couple months. After a hot shower it would seem to ease off but after my 45 minute drive to work, I could barely swing my legs out of the car. As for the chiropractor, didn't help in my case. He cracked my hips and measured the length of my legs(?), and the next day I was stiffer than ever. He did tell me that sitting with your legs crossed and driving, (because of the angle of the seat and the way your leg is situated controlling the pedals) were the two worst culprits. I must say, I've had torn muscles and ligaments over the years but nothing makes you feel more useless or helpless as a bad back, especially sciatica.

[born2juice4ever]

I am trained in rehab...I am not a doctor, nor know everything.

Foam roller is a great idea, but it will not go deep into the muscle.

I suggest trigger point---and spend time doing this.

I don't know if you sit down for long periods of time, but if you do, then your mid glute is probably tight as hell. stretch the life ouf of your glutes, hamstring, hip flexors!!! ALL THOSE specially. Stretch all hamstring heads, and roll the life out of those as well.


Trigger point ball will do wonders.

for now it does not sound like it could be sciatica, but anything is possible, hard to tell without a proper assesment.

Ice treatment is a great idea but not optimum in your situation IMHO



I have had numerous clients with sciatica, and I myself ongoing as well.

Chiropractor is not effective approach/waste of precious money.

ART is more to the point.


Let us know how things go.


B2J

[cog]

I would try some reverse hypers,slow at first no weight,semi straight and bent at the knee.

[tiramisu]

How about starting with... What is the source of your Sciatica? Do you actually have Sciatica? It doesn't sound like what you've described is Sciatica to me. No radiating pain, numbness or tingling. A sharp burning pain in the Ass sounds like you've pulled an Ass muscle... A tight ass combined with a heavy belt on your waist is a pretty good recipe for a pain in the Ass.

If you've pinched the Sciatic nerve in your Butt it will be in the Piriformis.
I have a chronic tight ass and
1) Piriformis stretches are my Miracle Cure for this problem.
2) Better than simply loosening the Piriformis is to resolve the issue causing the Pain in the Ass.

3) Test Your Hip Mobility

a) Hip Flexion -
Thomas Test - Find an elevated physical therapy table or simply any elevated padded surface - for example a bed. Now lie on your back with both legs dangling off at the gluteal fold (at the upper thigh). Pull one knee towards your chest while the other leg remains extended. Pull this leg to the chest until the lower back touches the testing table. Note whether the opposite leg rises off the table.

If your opposite leg rises you have a mobility issue

b) adduction

To begin, sit on the floor, bend your knees and press your heels together. Let gravity pull your knees down at the sides. Grasp your feet with both hands and gently pull them towards your body. Measure the distance between your heels and your groin.

greater than half your foot length? then issue

c) Hip External Rotation

Lie on your stomach with one leg flat and the other bent to 90 degrees at the knee, so that the lower leg is perpendicular to the floor. Let your foot and lower leg rotate as far away from your body as they comfortably can. Note the angle between your shin and vertical. This will test the flexibility of the hip external rotators (e.g. deep hip rotators, piriformis etc.)

less than 40 degrees? issue

d) Hip Internal rotation

Lie on your stomach with one leg flat and the other bent to 90 degrees at the knee, so that the lower leg is perpendicular to the floor. Let your foot and lower leg rotate across your body and other leg. Note the angle between your shin and vertical. This will test the flexibility of the hip internal rotators (e.g. TFL etc.)

Less than 40 deg? issue

e) Leg Extension

Lie on your back in the middle of a doorway so that the middle of your upper thigh is perpendicular to the frame. Raise the test leg as high as you can manage while keeping your leg straight and your back neutral. Does your heel come past the doorframe?
Foot does not pass doorway? issue

f) Knee Flexion

Lie on your stomach with both legs straight. Now raise the foot of one leg towards your butt. Grasp the ankle with your hand and, without lifting your thigh off the floor, hyperextending your lower back or pulling your knee from the body, bring your heel to your butt. Can you reach your hip with your heel?

Knee does not touch wall? issue

4) Are you hyper-mobile in any of your joints?

5) Take your new found knowledge and check out the Kelly Starret's "Mobility WOD" (ignore his stance on ICE/NSAIDs but listen carefully on his recommendations on appropriate mobility work for your issues (goats)).
- Mobility work is very easy to know when it's working as the results are noticeable almost immediately. Range of motion will increase and things will feel better.

[ChristineD]

thanks guys.... again today ..im fine when at home , walking and standing...after sitting in a car with duty belt for 10 + hours im done...today after my shift i wanted to cry ..the min. i took belt off got home stretched and walked around pain goes away its tender after but seems to be at its worse when sitting :(

I plan on stretching more and incorporating foam rolling...going to get into see a RMT as well..finger crossed this isnt anything serious and goes away sooner rather than later :(

[tiramisu]

As far as trigger point balls go... A lacrosse ball is my go to ball for leaning on a pressure point in the butt. I also have a s-shaped plastic stick I spent to much money on that I can get at hot spots in my back/butt with but the old lacrosse ball generally gets the job done for about 3$ and can be found in just about any sporting goods department.

[tiramisu]

If you are going to go see an RMT do a little research and find one that deals w/ athletes. Most will give you a quick rub down but don't have the skills required for an appropriate athletic massage.

[rickerred]

Is the belt required for your line of work? if so do you need to wear the belt when sitting. if the belt is for exercise not try not wearing it for a while.

Sciatica is normally caused by 1 of theses four conditions, mine is caused by the first condition
http://www.vitalityclinic.ca/articles/4_things_cause_sciatica_causes_and_treatment (site my chiropractor told me about)

Condition #1- Herniated Discs
Pressure caused by a herniated or bulging disc. A herniation is when a disc protrudes out from between the vertebrae and this can either be caused by an event like a car accident, or, by months or years of uneven pressure due to muscle imbalances. This can sometimes cause sciatic pain, but it is also important to note that many people with herniated discs don't even experience pain or symptoms, and many don't know they have the condition.

Condition #2 - Piriformis Syndrome
The most common cause of sciatic pain and is created when pressure is placed on the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle. Muscle imbalances pull the hip joints and pelvis out of place and this changes the positioning of the piriformis muscle, which then places pressure on the sciatic nerve.
the sciatic nerve runs under the piriformis muscle the majority of the time... however, it occasionally will run through or around the piriformis...
Whatever the case, muscle imbalances will cause major problems and are the underlying cause of piriformis syndrome.

Condition #3 - Spinal Stenosis.
Pressure caused by spinal stenosis, which is a decrease in the space between the vertebrae. This is primarily caused by uneven pressure and compression due to muscle imbalances.

Condition #4 - Isthmic Spondylolisthesis
Pressure caused by Isthmic spondylolisthesis which is simply when a vertebrae slips or moves... this can sometimes pinch the sciatic nerve but often times people who have this condition don't have any sciatic pain, symptoms, or even know they have it!

If you are not sure which one of the four is causing your sciatica, I recommend you book an appointment to allow a professional to diagnose the problem. As most cases of sciatic pain are caused by joint malpositions and muscle imbalances, we usually begin to work on correcting the joints and often the muscle imbalances decrease. You may start to see improvement right away.... and likely eliminate your sciatic pain in a few weeks or less!

Sciatica comes about either due to a traumatic event, muscle imbalances, or a combination of both...

[Hosehead]

I had awful sciatica about 12 years ago that was a result of a herniated disc from a bad deadlift - MRI confirmed this. I too was wearing a duty belt at the time and had to sit most of shift. It was ****ing horrible. I had to eat all my meals and watch TV laying on my stomach with a pillow under my chest to keep a constant arch in my lower back. I saw a chiro who used current right on the injury itself. He'd turn the machine up all the way and I would be in tears. 15 minutes three times a week for three months. He also did some adjustments but the other big thing he go me to do was stretch for a half an hour every day. Intense stretching. A year later I had another MRI and the same physician could see ZERO evidence of a disc herniation. It completely healed . Within a few months I was squatting and deadlifting more than I ever had previously. Now and then I will get a little tingle in my foot if i sit for a few hours in a row at work without walking or moving around but I can stretch and 'pop' the tight area. I also must keep working my abs at least three times a week or I get some lingering pain. Anyhow, that worked for me. No painkillers or anti inflammatories EVER. IMO although they will reduce swelling they also mask the injury. Just my two cents. 30 lb duty belt ? Cop ? Firefighter ? Please say firefighter.

[ange_d]

Could be a form of arthiritis from the work you do.
I have the same sort of thing, I wake up so stiff and in pain and once showered and moving goes away. Rest during day and stiff and pain comes back until I move again.

I have ankylosing spondylitis, rarer form of arthirtis, I was diagnosed at 20 and thats why I started lifting weights.
Not saying you have this but inflammation and pain after resting can be a sign of an arthritic joint.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[ChristineD]

today was my breaking point i was almost in tears 1 hr into my shift so off to the doctor i went with WSIB forms...as i only feel this pain with my duty belt on..

doctor says most likely bursitis of the left hip..solution take the weight off my belt on the left hip - sounds like an easy solution but in reality it isnt so easy having to go to some extra steps/miles to get things changed on my belt ..... in the mean time he's prescribed me an anti-inflammtory, says ice and get the pressure off the hip joint. I have two days off work THANK GOD another day and i probably would have been on modified - which is what i am trying to avoid. i have 4 shifts then 11 days off thank god...but at the end of the day my emplyer has to work with me to help alleviate the pain...the fact doctor has filled out paper work and is on my side will help..just a matter of how long it take them to do this for me..
doctor says with proper rest and alleviating the source of pain ( belt) with time it should go away ..fingers crossed
just a real damper on training at this point..on a positive note this type of stress in the past would have lead to emotional eating/binging...my diet has remained bang on and perfect

i wouldnt wish this pain upon my worse enemy :(

[ChristineD]

Is the belt required for your line of work? if so do you need to wear the belt when sitting. if the belt is for exercise not try not wearing it for a while.

Sciatica is normally caused by 1 of theses four conditions, mine is caused by the first condition
http://www.vitalityclinic.ca/articles/4_things_cause_sciatica_causes_and_treatment (site my chiropractor told me about)

Condition #1- Herniated Discs
Pressure caused by a herniated or bulging disc. A herniation is when a disc protrudes out from between the vertebrae and this can either be caused by an event like a car accident, or, by months or years of uneven pressure due to muscle imbalances. This can sometimes cause sciatic pain, but it is also important to note that many people with herniated discs don't even experience pain or symptoms, and many don't know they have the condition.

Condition #2 - Piriformis Syndrome
The most common cause of sciatic pain and is created when pressure is placed on the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle. Muscle imbalances pull the hip joints and pelvis out of place and this changes the positioning of the piriformis muscle, which then places pressure on the sciatic nerve.
the sciatic nerve runs under the piriformis muscle the majority of the time... however, it occasionally will run through or around the piriformis...
Whatever the case, muscle imbalances will cause major problems and are the underlying cause of piriformis syndrome.

Condition #3 - Spinal Stenosis.
Pressure caused by spinal stenosis, which is a decrease in the space between the vertebrae. This is primarily caused by uneven pressure and compression due to muscle imbalances.

Condition #4 - Isthmic Spondylolisthesis
Pressure caused by Isthmic spondylolisthesis which is simply when a vertebrae slips or moves... this can sometimes pinch the sciatic nerve but often times people who have this condition don't have any sciatic pain, symptoms, or even know they have it!

If you are not sure which one of the four is causing your sciatica, I recommend you book an appointment to allow a professional to diagnose the problem. As most cases of sciatic pain are caused by joint malpositions and muscle imbalances, we usually begin to work on correcting the joints and often the muscle imbalances decrease. You may start to see improvement right away.... and likely eliminate your sciatic pain in a few weeks or less!

Sciatica comes about either due to a traumatic event, muscle imbalances, or a combination of both...

my belt stays on me for 10 + hours a day a must...my life line......

[rickerred]

10 hrs a day, yikes. can you attach some type of suspender to the belt so the weight is on your shoulders? 11 days off should do you some good.