the munchkin wrangler.

I understand brother... understand.

Flexeril is a wonderful thing...
I've made one bottle last about five years now.

Oh boy.... you are in trouble now!
I posted your plight on my Mal-Fits blog and asked everyone to stop over here and keep you busy.

I am dead certain all two point six readers I have will spring into action long before the new year arrives.

You'll be so busy moderating comments you'll forget all about that knife twisting in your lower back.

I know the feeling; I've had a pinched sciatic nerve for about 35 years now. During changes in air pressure it gets excruciating.

I'll give you fifty dollars, cash money, if you stagger through the house, hunched over, screaming "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!" like Quasimodo. And then post video.

Bonus points if you toss one of the kids over a shoulder while you're doing it.

Sorry about the pain, glad you have meds, though!

Marko, do you know if your sciatic pain is caused by nerve impingement at the nerve root, or nerve entrapment at the piriformis muscle (aka "pseudo-sciatica")?

'Cause if it's the latter, massage can really, really help.

Crankyprof,

under normal circumstances, I'd be glad to relieve you of your money, but I'm afraid I have to pass on that one right now. A trip from my bed to the bathroom downstairs takes about five minutes, and is accomplished with much hollering and cursing. If I tried the Quasimodo thing with Lyra, I'd drop her on her little noggin. (Quinn weighs as much as an economy-sized bag of Dog Fud now, so he's totally out of the question.)

Christina,

I have no clue...it's never actually been diagnosed properly. The last two doctors who looked at it just tossed Vicodin and muscle relaxant at the problem, which (in all fairness) seems to be all you can really do with a prescription pad here.

Robin's a speech-language pathologist, and she hangs out with tons of OTs and PTs all day, so I'm getting lots of helpful advice. Some of it is redundant...like "Stay on your back" and "avoid pressure on the area". Yeah, no shit. I was doing an Irish jig here to try and fix it, thank you.

Well, if, while lying on your back, even attempting to raise your leg causes you to feel excruciating pain, you've got the "real deal". If it doesn't hurt until you've lifted the leg up a few inches, it's most likely pseudo-sciatica. Not that this'll help you much at the moment!

I like the idea of an Irish jig...I'd pay at least as much to see that as CrankyProf would for the Quasimodo thing.

Must follow Carteach0's orders...

Must follow Carteach0's orders...

Wait a minute, I already did that.

Anyway, hope it passes soon!

Yar!

I used to have problems with sciatica and was treated with pain killers and muscle relaxants. Mine is not a problem now as long as I occasionally remember to do a particular stretch. No guarentees because there are different types of sciatica. Costs you nothing to try. Bent leg knee pulled toward your chest and then toward the opposite side. So if it is primarily your left side, up toward your chest and then toward your right side.

Yes! Anonymous...that's a stretch for the piriformis muscle! :)

I have had 3 instances of that type of back problem. A physical therapist made me start stretching, and it has cured most of the problem. Please consider this option, (talk to a doc also).

Bob

Marko, Three suggestions to consider. One, try acupuncture. Years ago, my sister was in bad shape, all bent over from sciatica. Doctors were no help. What finally got her fixed up was a series of visits to a 'puncture practitioner. Afterwards, she went back to putting miles on a bicycle, which she had given up for a few years prior to the sciatica appearance.

Two, chiropractic. Didn't work for my sister, and my first couple tries at it weren't good either. Turns out it is as much an art as a science. Even in the same clinic, all 3 trained the same, one was great, one ok, one left me worse than I started.
However, to get maximum benefit, you must strengthen the muscles and connective tissue, so that things will stay in position. Working out (correctly) will lessen the number of times you need to resort to an adjustment.

What made the biggest long term result for me was going to a sports doctor (physiatrist). Their focus is to get you back in action, with a focus on physical therapy, with surgery as a last resort. The professional athletes use these people, so take that as a recommendation from people who MUST have reliable, first class results. Unfortunately, you may have to travel to a city/area that has at least one professional sports team to find this specialty. My PPO covered the cost. Just make sure you keep up with the exercises they will specify for maintenance.

Jesus, you too? I threw my back out but bad yesterday morning, and only just now got out of bed...25 minutes for a trip to the can was getting old, so I convinced myself the pain is weakness leaving the body and got up.

I must've been really weak...

Get better old man! Ibuprofen and slow stretching have helped me today.

The leg raise is the real test. I'd been having severe pain in my back at the beltline between the spine and the hip; went to the doctor who had me lie down. The leg lift did not hurt appreciably more, so he said I strained one of the nameless muscles in the back, and prescribed Ibuprufen.
Good luck!