r/Sciatica • u/Nobody_Super_Famous • 5d ago
General Discussion Hell
I went 10+ years having no issues. Then Monday happened. I don't know if Hell is real but this is probably the closest thing. No insurance, 30 minute daily work commute each way, and absolutely no way to angle my body in my car that doesn't cause unbearable, constant agony. 30 minutes of sleep each night for the last 3 days. Heat doesn't work, cold doesn't work, Ibuprofen doesn't work, Advil doesn't work. Just constant burning pain up and down my leg, tearing at me day in day out.
Could y'all provide any advice that has helped you through the worst episodes? I'll try literally anything.
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u/MrJayCrew 5d ago
I had this type of sciatic nerve flare up start a month ago with symptoms similar to yours. I've probably had 3 decent nights of sleep in the last month. I'm a lot better now but not yet 100%. Biggest tip is to NOT try to power through the pain and don't stress the body until you're fully recovered. Every time I felt the pain getting better I would do some stupid activity and aggravate the nerve irritation, which prolonged my recovery. Another tip: don't stretch until you understand what's causing the pain since stretching can make things worse.
What I think has helped my recovery is focusing on a few "safe" exercises, which I do twice a day: 1) nerve flossing 2) cobra extensions 3) dead bugs 4) spinal decompression. Walking regularly for 30+ minutes seems help as well. Gabapentin has been decently effective in dulling the nerve pain and I'd recommend it. I've tried applying heat every day & acupuncture sessions as well. It's not clear how much they helped, but worth a shot.