Sciatic Nerve giving me fits........

[Vet4jdc]

MRI results came back today.....bulging disc between L3 and L4....SUCKS! A new round of steroid scrip and told to make an appointment with a neurosurgeon.

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by Vet4jdc

MRI results came back today.....bulging disc between L3 and L4....SUCKS! A new round of steroid scrip and told to make an appointment with a neurosurgeon.

L3/L4 that's in the "ouch" zone.

Just beware, there will be no shortage of surgeons who will gladly cut on you. Listen carefully to the one(s) who aren't quite so anxious.

[mrvette]

Do not take the term 'CUT' to mean 6 months in the ICU, necessarily......

you MAY be perfectly fine after a few weeks or less......

shit happens for the good to man.....

[Vet4jdc]

Originally Posted by Gilligan

Do not take the term 'CUT' to mean 6 months in the ICU, necessarily......

you MAY be perfectly fine after a few weeks or less......

shit happens for the good to man.....

Got an appointment with a neurosurgeon in 10 days. Nothing else anyone can do right now. I will live with the leg pain and use Motrin / Advil / Aleve as needed to get thru this next week and a half.

Seems like from what I hear the process is P/T, then possible injections and then surgery as a last resort. Guess we'll see.

I am an active person that is always on the go. Doing stuff around the house, cleaning cars, going to the gym, riding a bike, etc.......the "rest" and ability to do nothing is killing me!

[mrvette]

I"m arthritic as hell, all the joints, toes to nose,.....and years ago I found out I"m highly allergic to ALEVE,/ Sodium Neproxyn that makes my symptoms infinitely worse, to the point of hospital....

so to pay attention as to how you feel with some of that shit, I take heavy doses of Ibuprofen....600 mg tabs 2-3x/day.....

[Cybercowboy]

If it's any consolation to you, yesterday my back went into spasms and it sucked very much. Even after 13 years since injuring my back, it still has bad bad days.

[Vet4jdc]

Originally Posted by Gilligan

I"m arthritic as hell, all the joints, toes to nose,.....and years ago I found out I"m highly allergic to ALEVE,/ Sodium Neproxyn that makes my symptoms infinitely worse, to the point of hospital....

so to pay attention as to how you feel with some of that shit, I take heavy doses of Ibuprofen....600 mg tabs 2-3x/day.....

Since I have nothing better to do.....I have been experimenting this week with the NSAIDS and trying to determine which gives me the best results. The Ibuprofen just does not seem to help me as much as the Aleve. I hate taking anything so if I must to be comfortable....it needs to at least work a little!

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by Vet4jdc

Since I have nothing better to do.....I have been experimenting this week with the NSAIDS and trying to determine which gives me the best results. The Ibuprofen just does not seem to help me as much as the Aleve. I hate taking anything so if I must to be comfortable....it needs to at least work a little!

Ibuprofen works pretty well for me and Aleve...Well, I'm not sure it does a darn thing. I honestly cannot even tell if I took it or not (the few times I tried it.) Tylenol is somewhere in the middle, and wears off very quickly for me. And the very best thing, for headaches, is aspirin with ibuprofen a close second.

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

Ibuprofen works pretty well for me and Aleve...Well, I'm not sure it does a darn thing. I honestly cannot even tell if I took it or not (the few times I tried it.) Tylenol is somewhere in the middle, and wears off very quickly for me. And the very best thing, for headaches, is aspirin with ibuprofen a close second.

Aleve works best for me. Everybody reacts a little bit different to meds

[Vet4jdc]

Originally Posted by JRD77VET

Aleve works best for me. Everybody reacts a little bit different to meds

[NDMIKE88]

My sciatica nerve was pinched when I blew out my L5-S1 disc. Had the disc operated on and all is well.
Best of luck and get the surgery done ASAP. The longer the nerve is pinched the harder it is for it to return to its normal position.

[HellCat]

Originally Posted by Vet4jdc

MRI results came back today.....bulging disc between L3 and L4....SUCKS! A new round of steroid scrip and told to make an appointment with a neurosurgeon.

Before I had back surgery, I had read that 80% of the people in the USA had one, or more bulging disks. Some are painful, most aren't. The exercises listed here are good but a long time cure. Ask your friends , co-workers for the names of good chiropractors and see one. You'll be glad you did. Don't go to those who want to sell you herbal medicines that clean impurities out of your body, just a good Palmer Chiro. School graduate. He'll change your life. Pretty soon you'll be doing this

[Meh]

Originally Posted by HellCat

Before I had back surgery, I had read that 80% of the people in the USA had one, or more bulging disks. Some are painful, most aren't. The exercises listed here are good but a long time cure. Ask your friends , co-workers for the names of good chiropractors and see one. You'll be glad you did. Don't go to those who want to sell you herbal medicines that clean impurities out of your body, just a good Palmer Chiro. School graduate. He'll change your life. Pretty soon you'll be doing this

Active exercises are the best long-term treatment (even if surgical intervention is needed at some point, since it will still be required after surgery). Passive therapies are not going to "cure" anything. The good chiropractors will tell you the same.

[onedef92]

Originally Posted by Gilligan

I"m arthritic as hell, all the joints, toes to nose,.....and years ago I found out I"m highly allergic to ALEVE,/ Sodium Neproxyn that makes my symptoms infinitely worse, to the point of hospital....

so to pay attention as to how you feel with some of that shit, I take heavy doses of Ibuprofen....600 mg tabs 2-3x/day.....

Are you allergic to shellfish, Gene? If not, you might find taking glucosamine Chondroitin (CHONDROITIN SULFATE) supplements helfpul.

My knee joints used to pop and crack like the ball joints on a clapped-out, '69 Chevy II Nova until I started taking this stuff. My wife uses it as a complex with iron for treating her anemia, too.

[Vet4jdc]

Finally had a consult with a Neurosurgeon yesterday and received a proper diagnosis from the MRI. Slight bulging of the disc at L3 and L4 and major bulge or possible herniated disc at L4 and L5. I'm starting physical therapy on Monday. Hoping for some good results.

Gonna be praying a lot. I really don't want to go to the next step if PT doesn't work which would likely be surgery.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by Vet4jdc

Finally had a consult with a Neurosurgeon yesterday and received a proper diagnosis from the MRI. Slight bulging of the disc at L3 and L4 and major bulge or possible herniated disc at L4 and L5. I'm starting physical therapy on Monday. Hoping for some good results.

Gonna be praying a lot. I really don't want to go to the next step if PT doesn't work which would likely be surgery.

*CON-sult

[Vet4jdc]

3 weeks into physical therapy. Slooooooowly seeing some improvement.

[mrvette]

Originally Posted by Vet4jdc

3 weeks into physical therapy. Slooooooowly seeing some improvement.

Best of luck with it, but like some friends, much less myself, all that seems to do little, just last week my back went out again as I got outta my recliner, can't win, and the friend who had back surgery last year they did a small micro modern trick, and just disolved/cut/aleviated some disc material rubbing against his nerve.....I dunno how else to describe it, but pretty close to what I was told, he was walking within a week, and working normally in a month.....he has had a rough life, every time something goes right for him, more shit hits the fan.....

[Cybercowboy]

L4/L5, knew it.

[Kerrmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Vet4jdc

I've been dealing with a sciatic nerve issue for almost two weeks. I get up every morning and can hardly put any weight on my left leg. Sharp pains run from my butt cheek all the way to my foot. As the day goes on, it loosens up and feels somewhat normal again by bedtime....then the following morning it starts all over again. I've seen three doctors and have been given muscle relaxers and Prednisone but no relief in sight. The last doctor wants to schedule an MRI to see what is causing the problem but I have to wait until my insurance will approve that....oh what a wonderful healthcare system we have! What say you VBOT....anyone else experience sciatic nerve pain? What did you do for relief?

If it's worse in the morning and gets better during the day I'll bet your bed is the culprit. I've had a disc/sciatic problem all my life and I can always tell when my mattress needs flipping over when my back starts hurting. If you've got an older bed change it. Even if it's new...flip it over once a month. It makes the world of difference for me.