UKH

I managed to develop my first ever bout of sciatica back in March this year (probably due to wading through snowdrifts around Burbage).  It's not crippling, but it's also not really getting better.  I can walk and run (both of which seem to improve the situation) but I'm really struggling to drop off boulder problems (indoors only - I rarely get to climb outside these days).  Seems like the impact of landing on a pad is causing trouble (not really a surprise!)

I've been to see a trusted physio (who is also a runner and a climber) and she's confirmed the diagnosis and has given me some exercises which seem to be helping to keep the sciatica under control.  But, it's still not anywhere near 100% better - and it's been going on for 6 months.

Any positive stories?  How long did it last for you?  Any exercises that helped?

Cheers in advance!

I had sciatica about 20 years ago. I saw the gp and then a physio, but it was the exercises from this book that finally shifted it. https://www.simplebackpain.com/backsufferersbible.html

About 25 years ago my dad, who would have been around 62 then, was suffering from very bad sciatic back pain. So much so that in the evenings he could hardly stand up. Various physiotherapists and chiropractors had had a go at him but with limited success. Then, whilst my brother and I were mountain biking along the Ridgeway with him and heading quite quickly downhill, we decided to give him a bit of a squeeze with one of us on each side. The end result was a massive pile-up with my dad going absolutely flying and landing hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him. We obviously panicked as that wasn't quite what we were going for, but my dad instantly felt something was different  in his lower back and from that moment onwards he never suffered again! A bit drastic to recommend as a course of treatment but it 100% worked!

That's a great story!  Not sure how I can replicate it in a 'controlled, medically-safe' way though...

I have had a couple of jarring landings over the past 6 months which have actually improved the situation temporarily - which makes me suspect that there's a very slight misalignment of vertebrae contributing to the issue.

I get it now and then, though in my late 20s I prolapsed two discs which on occasion was agony and I was pretty crippled for about 3 months. Sciatica came and went for a couple of years but became less painful as time passed. I was religious about the stretching exercises and used ice and hot water bottles on my lower back a lot. I also saw a chiropractor which yielded very good results, though at the time I didn't realise there as a quack element to it and I certainly don't necessarily recommend going to one. My recovery was slow going, after 3 months when I could function again I went swimming and eventually rock climbing albeit at very reduced grades. I think I went hillwalking after about a year.

The exercise which helped me more than any other was the one where you lie on your back, pull one knee up and let it flop over to it's opposite side so the weight of you leg stretches your lower back and glutes. I do this regularly to this day.

If it helps, my prognosis was very bad but I got back to climbing, sea kayaking and for many years I had an occasionally physically strenuous job. It's always required maintenance, but no more than anything else one might do to stay mobile and in shape.

Good luck with it.

I've suffered from a bad back since my early 20s but about 8 years ago a backache which extended down my left leg as far as my knee was probably the worst pain I've experienced. I could walk, but sitting or lying down was unbearable for over two months - doctor, osteopath and physio couldn't do anything until a physio friend suggested acupuncture. I was very wary of this, but gave it a go. The results were amazing! After 2 or 3 sessions I could sit, drive and sleep and I had to eat my words. Consider acupuncture.

Thanks for the thoughts - sounds like you had it much worse that I have!  One common theme I'm picking up from speaking to people with sciatica (except blackmountainbiker's dramatic tale above...) is that it can take month / years for the pain to recede.

For me, it's not the strenuous exercise that's a problem (mountain marathons and multi-day orienteering events seem to have helped!) but sitting down for long periods, or driving for a long time seem to make things noticeably worse.

I've had bouts of it for years - when it's bad, I'm crippled. And that can be periods of many months.

Ok - that's the bad news. The good news is that it eventually relents. (So far, anyway ...)

Appropriate exercises - done religiously when you're pain-free enough to manage them - are a very good idea. See a physio for a suitable regime.

Appropriate drugs can also help: amitriptyline was a game-changer for me at one point.

Good luck. It'll pass eventually.

Thanks - very interesting.  I'll definitely keep acupuncture in mind - whatever it takes to fix it!

Have you had any re-occurrences?  Or did the acupuncture fix it completely?

I generally find that climbing has helped keep my ongoing back issues at bay but I tend only to do roped climbing. Is it possible for you to try that in place of bouldering for a while?

+1 for this. If you can, get a friend/partner to (gently!) push down on the "flopped" knee and the now opposite shoulder (i.e. if you flop your left knee over your right leg, get them to press on this and hold your left shoulder down). It also helps if you turn your head to face (in this case) left.

I also found deadhanging from jugs on an overhang quite helpful, you can feel it streeeetcccching your lower back out!

Roped climbing is fine, doesn't seem to aggravate the sciatica.  I'm just being a bit lazy - because I live less than 10 mins from The Climbing Works and I have annual membership (and I love bouldering at the Works!)  But you're quite right - I can always replace bouldering with autobelay sessions if things get really bad. 

My wife had sciatica for months and unknown to me at the time was spending entire mornings lying on the lounge floor in pain.  The cause was lifting small children.  The GP was useless and recommend pain killers and nowt else.  After finally insisting on seeing a physio she was put on the "rack"; an extending bed with chest end hips strapped to the independent top and bottom half.  The bed was wound out - stretching the spine.  After months of pain within 30 minutes she was pain free.  The pain returned for a few weeks and it took repeated stretching sessions, but finally it cleared up. The trapped nerve just needed the space to move into the proper position and repeated treatments to keep it there.  Magic!

Its worth noting that a visit to an osteopath made matters worse.

Will this work for you?  If you have pull up bars high enough just try dangling from your arms for as long as possible with your body as relaxed as possible.  I find this helps lower back pain.  Let the weight of your legs do the stretching and see if you can be pain free or less pain for a while.  The aim is to unweight the disks and spine and allow that nerve to slide out of the trap.

I strongly recommend you avoid the impact drops of bouldering for a while.  Permanent back damage just aint worth it.

If the hanging works ask your physio for a bit of rack torture. 

Years ago I had crippling sciatica for well over 6 months, got an MRI scan done which confirmed a prolapsed disc, L4 I think. I tried osteopath, chiropractor, acupuncture and some unproven hack I came across as I was that desperate! I cannot recommend any of these except acupuncture but only as a means of treating the symptoms not the cause. In the end it was one simple yoga exercise from the physio done 2-3 times daily that righted it - the Cobra.

Not saying this would be applicable for you as depends what is causing your sciatica. For me it seems a tight hamstring was the root cause that led to the prolapsed disc and everytime I feel the warning pains I try and stretch my hamstring or do the cobra and it always recedes. So I guess I'm saying stick to the physio exercises applicable to yours and hopefully in time it will not become an ongoing problem.

Sciatica may eventually immobilise you. It did me at any rate. The good news is that surgery as a final option for stenosis works. Get yourself onto the waiting list sooner rather than later. An MRI should confirm the diagnosis. 

Nothing from the sciatica since. Still get the backache now and again.

I've had a couple of episodes of sciatica.  Pilates seems to keep it at bay for me: the stretching version of Pilates not the high intensity version.  Stretching and moving lots of muscles that you haven't seen for years, or muscles that have got stuck in their routine due to too much sitting on a desk chair, or sitting on a bike saddle, or strapped into a rucksack.  Plenty of movement in most of them, but lower body often in the same position.  Someone mentioned the exercise where you lie on your back, lift & bend a knee, and move the knee to the opposite side: I love that one, and it moves my lower back and seems to have benefits.  Everyone's different, but regular Pilates seems to help me, and possibly has lots of other unexpected/unintended benfits for a creaking, aging (senior railcard next year!), well-used (hiking, cycling, running) body.  This is all my own experience, and I have no medical background to substantiate it, though.

This. Movement is key. For a few years I sat on an exercise ball when at a desk, you never really sit still on one of those. When I have the space I'll get a variable height desk so I can alternate between standing and various ways of sitting. Having the discipline to regularly get up and move around or stretch a little, especially when you're under pressure at work is not easy but is important.

I have a sit/stand desk but find my posture can get poor when standing for a while.

I'm adding an under-desk treadmill, as walking seems to improve pelvic posture immediately.

I've had a couple of bouts of sciatica, though not as serious as some here. What's worked for me every time is sitting on a tennis ball at the point where my sciatic nerve goes under my pelvis. It made my whole nerve fizz, like static, all the way down to my toes, and was agonising but a few sessions of doing that for a few minutes really nailed it.

I think you've hit the nail there: Movement.  Agree that having the discipline to get up and move around is the key.

I'm also picking up a couple of trends from this thread;

• Recovery can take a long time - and might be more 'management' than 'recovery'.
• Keep doing the exercises / physio - even when you're feeling well.

Thanks for all the replies so far - comforting to know it's not just me who can't put my right sock on my foot some days...

I've suffered from sciatic pain due to canal stenosis for about the last four or five years. It came on very suddenly while I was training for a marathon. The first one to two years was crippling and I piled on weight, which didn't help at all. I had two treatments of steroid injections, the first of which worked for a bit, the second not at all.

I used amitriptyline early on but the benefit reduced over time and I started taking gabapentin too. The side effects aren't nice, but it did give me some mobility. I'm finally at the point where I'm reducing the dose and I can manage to 'walk off' any bouts that I get. I'm still 15kg heavier than I was five years ago though!

My sympathies to everyone who has or is suffering from sciatica!

Another vote for acupuncture.  Sorted mine out two tears ago and there's been no recurrence

Sounds a bit painful

I had it last March through to around Sept.....had 3 nasty bouts that lasted 2 weeks debilitating pain and then slowly eased. Like you, I mostly kept active which I think is right thing to do but also like you I did continue to do quite concussive stuff initially anyway. I eventually realized I had to stop landing heavily etc.

Mine is due to gradual degeneration of L4/5 which I think probably just me aging but maybe my nerve got a specific twang that took a long time to settle. That's my thought anyway. I ended up seeing a surgeon and MRI and got some definite physical lesions causing the pain. I came close to getting spinal decompression and fusion but the pain eventually very gradually eased. I'm now 1 year on from it starting to ease. I'm very active again but live with a delicate back.

Important things for me: keep core and back strength good....work on it all the time but careful not to overdo too.

Keep active 

Avoid jumping off etc as much as can and be a slow steady more static route climber rather than doing dynamic powerful bouldery stuff.

I'd say I haven't stopped my climbing or eased off.....I've just changed and adapted what I do 

Getting older....

There's a lot of amazing solutions online....cushions, straps, upside down frames.......they're all a waste of money. I'm very cautious of chiropractic use personally....

Answer for most....time, controlled exercise, keep fit.....

Hang in there. It's bloody crap but should improve

Driving was a big problem for me. Eventually I figured that sitting on a cushion while driving helped. Not sure how. Sitting in a normal car seat often has your pelvis lower than your knees....if you raise you bum above knees in the sitting position it helped. Sometimes I have hot water bottle on lower back too. Heat is good analgesic for my back. I also wiggle a lot while sitting.....just keeps my facet joints etc warmed up sort of thing. 

My back doesn't like staying still. Not sure if lots of movement keeps blood flowing down there better too.....

Raise bum. Heat. Wiggle 😂.

I suffered with debilitating sciatica as a result of a sports injury.
I used to train and compete strongman and in a deadlift competition I herniated two lumbar discs doing a 300kg pull.

I didn't realise the severity at the time, although I knew I'd hurt myself, and finished the competition. Perhaps continuing the competition wasn't the smartest idea, but I had the bit between my teeth. For about a week after the comp I could barely walk, I would get regular spasms through my back, hamstrings, calves and into my feet. My toes and feet would feel numb most of the time. After that first week or so the worst of the swelling had subsided I guess and I was able to walk although I couldn't stand up straight and I could only shuffle rather than walk.

I saw chiropractors and physiotherapists, both NHS and privately with minimal improvements over an 8 month period.
Eventually, after much complaining, I got an MRI scan which confirmed the disc bulges. I was offered disc re-section surgery but with poor odds for a good recovery, with even 50% chance that I could suffer the loss of use of one or both legs temporarily or indefinitely due to nerve damage. I decided I didn't like these odds so went a different rehab route.

I followed the rehab advice from a world record holding powerlifter at the time, Stan Efferding and the advice of one of the world's best sports physiotherapists, Kelly Starrett (writer of the Supply Leopard).

And after all this, the best thing that improved my symptoms and eventually, condition... Lying on my back on the bed with a hot water bottle in the small of my back taking Ibuprofen as regularly as I could without doing my stomach any damage. The hot water bottle encourages blood flow and nutrient transit locally and obviously the ibuprofen helps to reduce inflammation.

But, I'm pain free and symptom free for over 4 years now. I'm able to walk, hike, run, cycle, scramble and climb pain free. I still train regularly at the gym (3-4 times per week) and deadlifts are still a regular part of my training, albeit not pulling the weight that I used to. Nowadays my training isn't for brute strength and is more about endurance so lighter weights, higher volume.

Hopefully this insight is helpful, and if you can get the right rehab in time you can get on the road to recovery before increasing it's aggravation.
Best of luck with it. It's a challenging journey.

For sitting in cars I found raising my bum with cushion helped as does a hot water bottle on lower back and wiggle a lot. 

I think bum above knees if possible.

I had to drive home from South France with it last year. I found sort of paddling with my feet helped ...like jogging in the seat.

The deadhang is a a useful tool, but can also aggravate an injury. It's basically a form of traction.

I was using deadhangs and lying my torso on the bed face down and letting my lower back decompress over the edge of the bed as my spine extended. But this led to greater pain as soon as the movement was released back to a 'normal' spinal position. I guess it depends on your injury but this aggravated my herniated discs as it decompressed the discs during the movement but re-compressed the discs causing the same if not more bulging to the discs when loaded again.

Just a thought.

The pain relief from a deadhang was immediate and satisfying though!

This is something I should think about. Partly through being tall and partly because I've historically gravitated to 'sporting' cars, I've always preferred a position where I'm sat fairly upright but with bum low, knees up and legs stretched out, and a lot of driving does generally aggravate my various physical ailments. When I had a campervan with its counterintuitive sit-up-and-beg driving posture, I was able to regularly drive huge distances without stopping and had no such issues. 

Blimey!  Sounds like a long, serious journey.  Glad to hear you're back to full health and fitness.

This thread has demonstrated that there are many people in a much worse state than me (and who have - eventually - recovered).

Thanks to everyone on the thread for the thoughts, stories and advice - it's been massively helpful!

Dr Google reveals that as you get older bulging or herniated discs seem to get more complex to manage and treat. I’ve had sciatic pain for a year or so now but a couple of months ago it flared up and also became quite mobile, migrating from L buttock/thigh to R waist and hip, often in the space of a minute or two. It got me almost immobilised, at its peak just as I arrived for a week in the Dolomites😡.

Physio investigated by touch, declared for an inflammation L of my lumbar spine which he treated with massage and acupuncture and a set of exercises for strengthening my lower back and working the piriformis muscle. The pain on my right promptly got much worse and I’ve since been through the whole cycle again. The exercise set, the way the physio showed me, left me feeling beaten up and seemed to make the whole situation worse. My GP thinks it’s a disc and has put me in the queue for an MRI (six months apparently).

The good news is that by reducing the intensity of the exercise regime (reasoning that I need to treat my spine with care and not place undue load on it) it’s all improved substantially - still niggly but now able to walk briskly without pain intensifying. So my suggestion would be to get a proper investigation underway but keep up the exercises, with care, meantime. Good luck.

Thanks - again, you've convinced me that my sciatica is not too bad when compared to other people!

Sadly the issue of 'getting old' raises its head again... damn...

youtube.com/watch?v=FilJVa2LdTg&

(although I'm 57, not 37...)

Be aware that, while the MRI will almost certainly show various degradations and bulges, it will not necessarily be diagnostic.

I had really bad sciatica about 30 years ago, I could hardly walk 50 yards for a couple of months (did something to my back when I was climbing an overhang and using a toe hook)  tried everything but the only thing that sorted it was a huge wipe out when I was surfing when I was tumbled over and over in the breaking wave. When I got out the water I was back to normal, the consultant said I was lucky as it could have gone the other way! 

I had it about 10 years ago, on and off for a couple of years. No stretches worked for me, but the magic fix for me was starting deadlifts. Within a week or so of starting I had a big improvement, and fixed soon after. Obviously not a great idea if you've got a bulging disc etc, but for me it worked 100%. It occasionally comes back, and lifting for a few days sends it away again.

I've had it in my left leg since being a teenager (now 40), in my case its most likely that my pelvis is a little longer on that side and the nerve protrudes and is compressed by the piriformis muscle.

Sciatica can be caused by spinal disc compression which is a completely different cause and treated differently so its really important you determine the cause of your sciatica in order to treat it correctly. When I saw a chiropractor she new in a few minutes of me describing the symptoms.

Because I know mine is related to piriformis I can adjust my posture when sitting or laying and prevent it. Interestingly, I can also cause sciatica on-demand by sitting over my left bum cheek for 30 seconds or so. Driving is more of an issue as its harder to adjust position.

Interesting! Sounds like an excerpt from a 'How To' book that no-one wants to read!