Reply #13: Yes. I have sciatica. 20 years now. [View All]

[TahitiNut]

About 10 years ago (when I was 50) I went to a new doctor (osteopath) who, unlike the others, did a complete workup including many X-rays and other test. He found I had congenital scoliosis of the lower lumbar area - a condition that led to sciatica (a pinched sciatic nerve).

Well, that explained my 'natural' ability to do the breaststroke at the varsity level in college. Too bad I didn't know when I was drafted and sent to Vietnam. I also explained why I was never able to ski very well (feet point out) or run long distances without a great deal of pain.

The ways I need to manage the condition include:
(1) Keep my weight down. (I'm not very successful at this.)
(2) Do the back exercises, which include abdominal strengthening and flexibility. Swim.
(3) Use a stool when I do "counter work". At 6'2" counters are just too low for me and the slight bend-over aggravates my back.
(4) Do edge of chair "crunches" and flexibility exercises.
(5) Walk. Sit. Walk. Walk. Sit. (I do lots of walking.) When I sit, I use lumbar support and do very mild leg and stomach exercise.
(6) Ibuprofen. (I also find B-Complex helps.)

Some days (about 20%) are relatively pain-free. Most days (about 70%) are uncomfortable. About 10% require me to take pain-killers and floor exercises.

About 90-95% of sciatica sufferers manage the condition with the above approaches. About 5% go surgical. Only about 70% of the surgical cases are wholly successful, I'm told. Then there's always a risk when one has surgery.