Sciatica

[LittleDemon]

Hiya,

I suffer with terrible sciatic problems they occur every now and agin but i find are most painful when they do happen. My physio says i need to stretch out my glutes when i feel the pain but i sometimes find this is too painful, the pain goes all down my legs and worse in my knees and shins its like chronic tooth ache pain - im good with pain and after a good martial art workout i dont mind if it hurts means ive worked hard but i hate it when it just comes on for no reason.

What can i do for this problem and does anyone else have this problem and what do you use for pain relief?


Little Demon

[eXcessiveForce]

Stretching enough will probably cure the problem. So start stretching.

[Broadsword2004]

If you're having sciatica problems, according to the stuff I just read on google, you may potentially have or be risking a serious injury to that nerve area. The soreness comes from the roots of the nerve being irritated, by compression from a herniated disc or compressed spinal discs or whatever. I'd research into it and check it out. The sciatica are the biggest nerves in the body, so if they hurt, it can mean a LOT of pain.

Remember, the saying, "No pain, no gain," in general means, through training, one will encounter injuries here and there as they progress (most likely) and will definitely have to sweat and endure a lot in training. It does NOT mean you should literally be in pain after each workout, however.

[IPON]

Hey Little Demon, I just finished recovering from this it actually was so bad that I could barely walk, if you can attend MA class it must be mild. But you should see an orthopedic doctor for examination and possible an MRI if it is a frequent occurrence you could have more severe disc problems especially if you notice more frequent urination. Using the term "pinched nerve" sounds mild but it is not. Stretching is fine toward the end of the episode but the key is to reduce the swelling first so use ice but mainly use a heating pad and some anti-inflammatory. The big take home is you should not try to work through the pain in this case. The pain will start in the glute on the left side and travel down the hamstring and to the calf. The pain should resolve in the opposite direction (calf to hamstring to glute).

[Penance]

Don't mess around with back and spinal cord/nerve injuries and problems. "Treat it conservatively" is what my doctor told me about my herniated disk. If it gets bad enough they can inject cortisone into the area to reduce swelling. You don't want to have it go that far. Just treat the area nicely. Do some gentle stretches and light exercises to build up the support muscles for the area and definitely don't beat on it, you'll only make it worse and even induce a permanent problem. (You can find these exercises online through google searches or ask your doctor.)