Sciatic Nerve pain

Okay all you amateur doctors out there, here's the deal.  I've been fighting this issue for a long time now and it hasn't subsided much after 6-7 weeks of PT.  My whole hip area was still screwed up from last fall and I think all of that except for the piriformis is under control now.  It gets really irritated by running and sitting in the car.  I had been seeing some improvement and then after two road trips the last couple of weekends, I'm nearly back to square one.

I've had my ortho suggest a cortisone injection in the past, so I called and got that set up but I don't go in until 7/23.  In the mean time, any suggestions for alternative treatments or anything else anybody has had luck with?  I'm open to just about anything because I've pretty much been reduced to biking and the elliptical at this point because running even 4 miles causes a pretty significant flare up.

Edit:  I guess I should add that the PT and I are fairly certain the sciatic pain is being cause by a tight/cramped piriformis.

Dr. Oz, here.    

I had sciatic nerve issues around 2007, but the chiropractor said it was weak lower back muscles for me.  He gave me the round of various exercises on a bouncy ball.  He said any exercise that helps the lower back muscles is fine and even said the below picture would work as well.  So, whenever I have some issues, I do these at 24 hour fitness.  Except I'll bend all the way forward.

Have you tried the pigeon pose?

ounce wrote:Dr. Oz, here.    

I had sciatic nerve issues around 2007, but the chiropractor said it was weak lower back muscles for me.  He gave me the round of various exercises on a bouncy ball.  He said any exercise that helps the lower back muscles is fine and even said the below picture would work as well.  So, whenever I have some issues, I do these at 24 hour fitness.  Except I'll bend all the way forward.

Yep, doing those 3-4 times a week.

T Miller wrote:Have you tried the pigeon pose?

Not exactly that, but yes, something very similar.  I'm familiar with it and have done it in the past though.

I had dry needling done as I am not a lover/supporter of cortisone.  It worked and I have not had the problem since.

I had it back to 2006/2007. Core strength workouts killed it. I don't know what was most effective ones, but always felt good with hip flexor stretch. My feeling is strength instead flexibility cured me and I never looked back even after I uppered my mileage to 70 mpw(was 50-55mpw at peak weeks only.)

Plank now is my favorite strength workout. It cured my lower back pain. I have a feeling it would've helped earlier too. But what do I know?!

If you haven't routinely done core workout, I would strongly suggest it before you apply medical solution. Yours may be more serious than mine. I had a lady colleague who suffered serious sciatica during pregnancy and had to undergo an operation. But she had to strength core as well.

Looks like strength training is a must. So why don't you try it alone first?

Then again, what do I know? maybe you have already ....

Good luck.

Jerry, I completely agree with what you're saying and that's a big part of what I've been doing as part of the PT along with stretching, stim, and ultra sound. 

Michele, that sounds kind of painful.  Is it?  And where did you go to have it done?

Is there someone certified in ART around your area? I have found that this works wonders and I normally feel better after a couple of sessions.

Do you stand a lot as part of your work?

It hurts but not too bad and I have a high pain tolerance.  I also think acupuncture would work and it is not painful at all, but I had it to release tight back muscles once.  

A PT did the dry needling (it was combined with electric stim), and after one session, I felt the difference.  I think I had three total and she made sure I was doing clamshells, planks etc properly.  I've continued with those ever since and the treatment was in 2012.

Nick Morris wrote:Is there someone certified in ART around your area?  I have found that this works wonders and I normally feel better after a couple of sessions.

I got a massage yesterday and she actually did a little of that.  I had her concentrate on just that and even after driving to Chicago yesterday, it feels better.  I have another session scheduled for Saturday.

Jim Lentz wrote:Do you stand a lot as part of your work?

No, and it's the sitting that irritates it.  I have no idea why, but I was getting better until a couple of road trips the last couple weekends.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:It hurts but not too bad and I have a high pain tolerance.  I also think acupuncture would work and it is not painful at all, but I had it to release tight back muscles once.  

A PT did the dry needling (it was combined with electric stim), and after one session, I felt the difference.  I think I had three total and she made sure I was doing clamshells, planks etc properly.  I've continued with those ever since and the treatment was in 2012.

Ok, I'll check with my PT.  I scheduled the injection but it's still a couple weeks out so I'll see if the massage works, check on the ART (my chiropractor does that) and keep up on the exercises.

OK, can you modify your desk so that you can stand while working? People who stand a lot for work can get this if they don't move the position of their feet often. Some people where I work modified their work areas so that they can work on their computers while standing and the general consensus is positive.

Jim,

About the sitting that irritates, it's normal. You need to establish a habit not to be on one position too long and always keep a good posture. 

I probably developed the diet coke over drink habit at that time so I have to use restroom often. Haha.

Well Jim for what it is worth I have been dealing with the same issue for the last year. I had ART done and it help some and my chiro adjusted my pelvis which helped more and we did a lot of stretching. Still with that I still had the issue to some extent when running. 

The funny thing that has worked for me is faster and more intensity in my running. Why this has worked for me I don't know but it is like the problem has almost cleared up 100%. I will still get it from time to time sitting but more so after longer runs or driving long distances. Another thing I started doing is waking and staying on my feet for at least 20 mins after running. Oh, another thing that i have found to work well for me is rolling on my tigger point roller along with sitting on a tigger point ball. I also contribute using my Compex stimulator after runs. But like I said the thing that has help the most was adding more up tempo running in my training again vs. just doing a easy runs.

So I think the massage I had Saturday may have revealed the origin of my troubles.  She couldn't get my piriformis or glute medius to release, so she had me roll onto my side and worked on the TFL.  Once she got that to release, the other two came along for the ride.  This all makes sense to me since I've had some irritation/increase in muscle size in that area for a long time, but never any pain associated with it, so I didn't think anything of it.  After doing some reading, there's actually some info out there about TFL problems associated with leg length discrepancy, so I'm pretty sure I've stumbled onto the root of the problem.  Now, I have to get in touch with my PT and figure out how to fix it permanently.

That is great that you identified the root cause.

That's great news!! Hopefully you will be able to find a more permanent remedy.

mul21 wrote:So I think the massage I had Saturday may have revealed the origin of my troubles.  She couldn't get my piriformis or glute medius to release, so she had me roll onto my side and worked on the TFL.  Once she got that to release, the other two came along for the ride.  This all makes sense to me since I've had some irritation/increase in muscle size in that area for a long time, but never any pain associated with it, so I didn't think anything of it.  After doing some reading, there's actually some info out there about TFL problems associated with leg length discrepancy, so I'm pretty sure I've stumbled onto the root of the problem.  Now, I have to get in touch with my PT and figure out how to fix it permanently.

So, which are you saying?  That you have a big ass, you're a pain in the ass, or you're a big pain in the ass?   

All of the above, especially the last two if you ask my girlfriend!

mul21 wrote:All of the above, especially the last two if you ask my girlfriend!

Nice!!

Glad you found the root. I don't think that we should ever underestimate the accumulative stress that we put our bodies through in distance running. It does take a toll.

I have had a piriformis syndrome a couple times in my nine years of training and racing. Eventually wore it out and it healed. Did a lot of chiropractic, stretching, taking enzymes, cold laser, and time.

Whenever I have to drive for over 2 hours which is a weekly occurence I had pain in my left leg and went all the way through the glutes. I have been sitting on a tennis ball in the car when I have pain and it's been working . My pain is worse after I've run long then drive try the tennis ball it works. It feels kinda weird at first but when it hurts sit right on it at pain area

On recommendation from my PT, I went and got a further diagnosis from a sports medicine doc this morning.  He had me freaked out a little when he said he wanted to do an x-ray to rule out arthritis since I've had pain in the same area on and off since high school.  Fortunately, the x-ray was negative and he's diagnosed some sort of issue with my sacroiliac joint.  Back to PT with a bit of a different emphasis, but the bottom line is that I'm stressing the joint because of, wait for it, you've all heard this one before.........weak hip muscles!  I'm hoping I get some more specific stuff this time around and can fix the problem long term.

mul21 wrote:On recommendation from my PT, I went and got a further diagnosis from a sports medicine doc this morning.  He had me freaked out a little when he said he wanted to do an x-ray to rule out arthritis since I've had pain in the same area on and off since high school.  Fortunately, the x-ray was negative and he's diagnosed some sort of issue with my sacroiliac joint.  Back to PT with a bit of a different emphasis, but the bottom line is that I'm stressing the joint because of, wait for it, you've all heard this one before.........weak hip muscles!  I'm hoping I get some more specific stuff this time around and can fix the problem long term.

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