Treebranch Posted April 28, 2004 Posted April 28, 2004 I was wondering if anyone had any advice for lower back pain. My Chiropractor said it is my sciatic nerve causing the pain. It really sucks and is really making it difficult for me to train as often as I'd like to. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. "It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.""Lock em out or Knock em out"
CanuckMA Posted April 28, 2004 Posted April 28, 2004 Sciatic nerve pain will be felt at the back of the leg. Typically when you try to stand froma sitting position. It is usually caused by bulging/herniated disks at either L4-L5 or L5-S1. Symptoms typically go away after a few weeks. Chiropractic or physiotherapy treatments can help, as can anti-inflamatory medication. If symptoms do not go away after about 3 months or get worse then surgery may be indicated. The procedure takes about 4 hours, normally done as an outpatient procedure, and full recovery takes about 3 months. How do I know all this? I'm 6 weeks in my 12 week recovery period from surgery for it. It sucks big time. For more info http://www.medinfo.co.uk/conditions/sciatica.html
Treebranch Posted April 29, 2004 Author Posted April 29, 2004 Thanks for the info and sorry you had to go through surgery. I hope my Chiropractor can do what they claim they can do. Did you ever try Acupuncture? I hear it's good for releaving the pain. I wish you a speedy recovery. "It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.""Lock em out or Knock em out"
Rich67 Posted April 29, 2004 Posted April 29, 2004 Watch out for chiropractors. I have had many a friend treated by them and had their conditions aggravated as a result of the treatment. A good chiro will not make a diagnosis of your condition without an xray, MRI or both. If he doesn't...run away...very fast. Most back pain (not all, mind you) especially lower back can be attributed to weak abdominals. This is because your stabalizing muscles along the torso are the abs and the back muscles. If the abs are weak, then the back muscles must work very hard to stabalize the torso; and hence back pain/problems. Try doing this for a while and see if it eases up: Hanging leg raises: hang from a bar and lift your knees up to your chest, pulling your knees with your stomach. Start with 3 sets of 8-10, then add sets or reps as you get stronger. Crunches: with your knees up on a bench or sofa. Small ranges of motion. Lower back extensions: lie flat on your stomach with arms extended. Lift arms and legs off the ground, leaving stomach only on the ground. Hold for 5 count. Do 5 reps to start, hold for longer and lift higher as you improve. Those core exercises will seriously strengthen your abs and lower back, easing the stress on the back. I have done this routine for about a year now, and I rarely have any lower back pain. It only hurts if I twist the wrong way or squat too heavy. Mixed Martial Artist
CanuckMA Posted April 29, 2004 Posted April 29, 2004 Thanks for the info and sorry you had to go through surgery. I hope my Chiropractor can do what they claim they can do. Did you ever try Acupuncture? I hear it's good for releaving the pain. I wish you a speedy recovery. There reaches a time when relieving the pain is not adequate. My disk had herniated to a dimension of abou 1/4" square. It just had to go. Recovery is coming along. It ucks that I can't train. OTOH, the 10 lbs max on lift gets me out of doing a ton of stuff around the house.
Treebranch Posted April 29, 2004 Author Posted April 29, 2004 Thanks for all the great advice guys. I appreciate it. "It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.""Lock em out or Knock em out"
angelica d Posted April 30, 2004 Posted April 30, 2004 It doesn't sound like much, but get someone to give you a really good massage! My fiance has had the same prob as you for a long time, and although he goes to a physio and has all kinds of treatments, he says that a good, vigorous massage is great for short-term relief. "Weaseling out of things is what separates us from the animals . . . except the weasel."- Homer J Simpson
trekmann Posted May 13, 2004 Posted May 13, 2004 I would see a sports physio over a Chiro anyday. The strongest principle in human growth lies in human choice (Alexander Chase).
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