Fellow sciatica sufferer: I feel your pain (literally)

I resorted to physical therapy for 6 weeks and religiously performed all my stretching exercises. It definitely helped. I also resorted to sleeping with a pillow under my knees, entering/exiting my car a certain way, getting out of bed a certain way, and much more.

“How is sciatica treated?

Treatment for sciatica focuses on relieving pressure and inflammation. Typical sciatica treatments include:

Medical treatments for sciatica — such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, oral steroids, and epidural steroid injections — help to relieve inflammation.

Epidural steroid injections where steroids, with their strong anti-inflammatory effects, are delivered at the origin of the inflamed sciatic nerve roots.

Physical therapy usually starts after adequate pain control, and has an essential role both for the acute episode as well as long term avoidance of further episodes.

Surgery for sciatica might be warranted if the sciatic nerve pain is severe and has not been relieved with appropriate manual or medical treatments. Patients should seek immediate medical attention if they have any symptoms of progressive lower extremity weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control.

Copied from an article on the Cleveland Clinic website:
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/3600/3695.asp?index=12097

Here’s a similar article from the Mayo Clinic website
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sciatica/DS00516

Go to http://www.healthline.com and search for sciatica. This site has a good definition of it. I had sciatica and my doctor told me that I injured it because I fell backwards. I can’t even remember falling backwards at the time. I remember bending forward and not being able to get up out of the position and the problem started shortly after that.

sciatica pain is a sever lower back pain due to nerve root compression by spinal vertebrae , first line treatment is by muscle relaxant and analgesia , it is better to treat it by physiotherapy by skin traction for several days in the hospital , for sever refractory cases there is surgical intervention by spinal decompression

I know of two people who suffer from this very painful problem. Both of them have refused to take the drugs their doctors prescribed. Both go to an Upper Cervical Chiropractic Doctor. These doctors are NOTHING like the regular chiropractor. There is NO popping, twisting or hanging from contraptions from the celing to help separate the vertebra, etc.
I do not know if there is one in your area, but I suggest you trying to locate one close. One friend found IMMEDIATE relief with less & less reoccurance over a one year period. The other required more frequent visits, but the most IMPORTANT thing to remember is do NOT give up going. Many things require time to heal & when there is a problem that reoccures, like sciatica there can be damage that requires TIME!!!!
After blowing out my knee sometime ago, I started having migraine headaches ALL the time. My right hip was about 4 inches higher that the left & my left shoulder was about 3 inches higher than my right. When my Upper Cervical doctor took the x-rays & did her eval. she asked me had I been in an auto accident because my back was so out of whack. I had to have monthly adjustments for a full year before the right side of my back caught up with the left & started doing it’s own job. Before that, the left side was having to over compensate for the right side not being able to function properly. I now have NO more migraines & I walk & sit & everything with my body being in alignment & placing EQUAL body weight on BOTH sides.
Contact the NATIONAL UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, INC. 217 W. 2nd. St. Monroe, Mi. 48161. I would imagine there is a website, but I have never needed to look it up since we have a U.C.C. doctor here who can answer my questions. Request a patient guide & whatever other information they can provide.
Good Luck to you. Just remeber that once you begin seeing a U.C.C. doctor, it is VERY IMPORTANT to “CONTINUE” until “THEY” say not to. If they tell you to have follow-up appts. MAKE THEM!!! Just because you feel better does NOT mean your are healing or healed. And, remember to follow their instructions, it is important to keep the adjustment as long as possible. After each one the healing continues. I hop you are able to find one of these types of doctors.