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It has been two months now since I injured my back. I managed to pinch my sciatic nerve during a flu induced fit of coughing. Having played football in high school and rugby in college, I'm conditioned to believe that all such injuries are best treated by exercise and Black Berry Brandy. I've gotten conflicting advice from different doctors. MD's think I should lay flat on my back until it passes, DO's think excercise is the answer, and Chiropractors think I should leave my wallet and check book with them until I run out of money and only then will I be cured.

Has anyone out there had a similar back problem and can you advise me as to what eventually happened? Is this going to be a re-occuring situation? Will I ever hike again? and will I be able to play the violin after this is over?

Snick, I've had sciatica in the past and here's a site that describes the treatment that worked best for me.

http://mama.essortment.com/whatsciaticner_rghf.htm

Ibuprofen (get the Walgreen or Safeway or store brand. It's exactly the same as Motrin and Advil, just a lot cheaper)
The prescription dose is 800mg's but try to get by with only 400. Take every six hours WITH FOOD! Stay away from heat. Ice packs every couple of hours or so and no excercise until it's greatly improved, then stretches to keep the back and leg muscles loose. Sitting puts lots of extra stress on the back and buttocks. I'm not a doctor by any means, but was a medic/physical therapist in the Air Force. Of course that was back in the dark ages when we did blood lettings and drilled holes in the skull to let the demons out! Gonna be a long treatment period so don't rush it. Once I got completely over my sciatica, I started stretching regularly and haven't been bothered in years, but did seem like forever to get over. Good Luck!

Thanks Hooli, Your advice is well grounded in experience. I'm getting discouraged because this has made me miss the best two months of hiking in Arizona. You may have noticed that most of my posts are about trips in my Jeep rather than hiking comments.

Snee, trips in your Jeep are probably not a good idea. Sitting puts extra strain on your back and buttocks, and a Jeep's ride isn't the smoothest in the world. Think you really need to rest the back....yeah, spending a lot of time lying down isn't my idea of fun either, but it's what will do the job. You've got to give it TIME to heal.

Snick...

Gimme the keys, its for your own good!

Sorry Cake, Patty already commandered the Jeep

Snick - unfortunately it might be harder to come back from this than you think.

I got a similar injury a while back. Got so bad it hurt to breathe deeply. I couldn't stand, sit or move (or yawn) for nearly 2 months. The hardest part of the injury is that your nerve becomes inflamed - thus the need for the ice and the ibuprofen (naproxin sodium - alieve - will also do the trick).

The difficult part is that for people like you and me, as soon as you feel - say 70% - (which we in our pea-sized brains and overfed ego's tend to figure is about 120% for some ordinary, non-tough, schlep) - we haul off and do something stupid like go hikeing or off-roading. This causes our back to get clanked, jarred, bumped and otherwise bopped around.

Lo and behold - what has happened? Our nerve is inflamed and sore again. This, by the way, is a surprise to nobody but us.

It's infuriating as hell - but I had to take an almost 2 year hiatus off of hiking before I was able to do it without much pain the day after (of course that was after 2 years of 3 months rest - hike - ouch - 3 months rest - hike - ouch....you get the picture). 4 total years in recovery just because I wasn't smart enough to do it right the first time. I cannot express how frustrated and annoyed I was in that time. Taking away my life blood (hiking) like that was just plain torture.

I tried all the same treatments you mentioned myself - but I found that for the LONG TERM recovery of my nerve, increasing flexibility and strength has been key. If I am not working out (especially good core-related back exercises) and stretching regularly (especially the back, hamstrings and hip-flexors), the problem flares up again.

I hope you're recovery is better and easier than mine.

Thanks for all the great advise Hooli and Olesma. After all these years, I only seem to learn lessons in life if they are lessons in objectivity. This can be a painful way to learn.

When I read about all the hiking and group activities, I feel like the water boy or equipment manager on a high school football team.

Thanks again guys

I weep with/for you Snick. My last canyon hike was in Feb. I have cancelled two hikes, and a river trip because of a nerve thing in my leg that appeared our of the blue. A word of advice--keep those calories down as best you can. When you can't exercise eating like you always have will put on the chubby and you will hate yourself for it when you can get around again and have to tote a tummy as well as your pack. This is what I am telling myself--I have only gained two or three pounds. :roll:

I fear I'm starting to look like I waited so long for my ship to come in, that my dock fell in the water.

My biggest problem is my left leg, I've lost all strength in it as a result of the pinched nerve. thanks for the prayers.

Snick, things could be worse....you could be in the same boat as GTG & Teva Joe where growing old just might be a


LUXURY

Snick33 wrote:My biggest problem is my left leg, I've lost all strength in it as a result of the pinched nerve.

Good grief - I had forgotten about that little symptom. That has to be the worst part about troubled nerves.

When I first injured my back I thought I was "better" and went and hiked Flatiron - on the way down the pounding my back took was just too much. About halfway down all of a sudden my right leg just collapsed under me - just the strangest and most alarming feeling ever. I completely lost the ability to control the muscles in that leg. It was useless for about 10 seconds. I got a little feeling and controll back and managed to limp and crawl my way off the mountain - that was the only time I could say that a hike in the Superstitions had a "miserable" element to it.

Fortunately, I had the help of a friend who had also injured his leg on the hike (cracked his kneecap when he tripped) - man did we make a great pair that day - every step was a grunt or howl of pain for the both of us...except when other hikers walked by, then we would nut up and walk for a couple of steps like normal humans. Once they were past we looked like a poor version of Igor again. Just pathetic.

Anyway - the "no strength in the leg" thing is terrible. You have my complete sympathy.

Last year when ever I passed anyone on the trail I always held my breath,sucked in my gut, and started jogging until they passed. And they say women are vain, lol . . . . . . . . .

olesma wrote:
When I first injured my back I thought I was "better" and went and hiked Flatiron - on the way down the pounding my back took was just too much. About halfway down all of a sudden my right leg just collapsed under me - just the strangest and most alarming feeling ever. I completely lost the ability to control the muscles in that leg.

I cant say i've ever had major injuries on my back, but about a year ago I hyperextended my left knee to the side playing soccer. (I'll never play that sport again). About 3 months later I was back hiking again doing mountains like Humphreys Peak. After only doing 3 hikes this year, on my fourth hike, Granite Mountain in Prescott, my knee decided not to work anymore. I could barly bend it. It went out on TOP of the mountain. I know how it is when you think your fine and an old injury kicks back in on top of a mountain. I just wanted to stop and give up. Strangly enouph tho, later on that eveining my knee popped and the pain went away. Since then it comes and goes. There is no swelling, so thats good; I suppose. I kinda theorize that something slid out of place pinching a nerve. All I know now is that i know how important it is to get a doctor to look at it. That was scary hiking in that much pain. luckly for me tho, as long as I kept my knee straight as possible it did not hurt. I was able to avoid the pain to some extent.

Snick33 wrote:Last year when ever I passed anyone on the trail I always held my breath,sucked in my gut, and started jogging until they passed. And they say women are vain, lol . . . . . . . . .

Hey! :!: I resemble that comment!

No fair - this is one of those dark secrets that every man hides behind - we all push ourselved harder than we should (frequently with unfortunate side effects) and try to make it look like we're just out smelling the roses.

I may not be vain about how I look - but don't ever question my manhood

Men may not be good for much besides lifting heavy things - but by golly - we do it with style!

Welcome to "Gut Suckers Anonymous"

hi
my name is joe
I've been suckin' gut for twenty years now

:arrow: my last belly inhale was last week in the woods on a switchback rising above the pines

she wasn't impressed :

I don't wanna be teva joe anymore
I wanna be "the bandit"

I crown thee "Bandit"

A person without a nick name is like bacon without eggs. Please note that I went for "Gender Neutral" on this girls . . . . .

My nickname for years Was "Doc". Years ago I made a reservation at a swanky Detroit restaurant, (Oxymoron) under Dr. Bailey, thinking it would get me a better table. It did, but when someone across the dining room started choking and I saw the hostess running towards me, I had to think fast and I screamed out my Doctorate was in Philosophy. I doubt anyone bought it in the restaurant.

Any particular reason for that title? Not that I object or anything...I was just wondering if you had some specific history or something behind the choice of names.

I agree with Snick though - all guys should have a nickname. I have had numerous nicknames in my illustrious career. Although currently, to the general public, I am nickname-less. Sad for me.

But here - in HAZ - I will probably always be known as "Olesma" - The Slug.

Wow!! Ooooh the back, oh,the hip,leg,knee Oh Aleve Oh Vioxx,OOOOOooohhhh VICODAN!! Get a back roller (The Training Room-Shea/Pima or from a PT office-about 3 1/2 ft. long 4"diam. hard styrofoam roll-you can roll on it,lay on it, drool on it-feel soo good-bad sometimes,will get rid of all muscle spasms, surrounding joints,etc. I stand for 2 pretty intense jobs, hair styling/color+catering(lifting unloading trucks,lugging crates of china, 8'tables,etc,whining +cursing!! Have been to PT's a lot+THE Answer is Sheila Northcutt at Metro PT One ofc. in N. Scottsdale+another near Arrowhead. Only person who has made ie her life to study ligament,muscle,tendon,soft tissue related stuff that others don't -she checks out the whole body-never seen anyone like her-she saved my back(+ butt) a few times,when no other could+ I could barely move or get off (or on) the john :roll: She is not for the weak, asit hurts like hell,but WORKS!! I do a lot of stretching+yoga to help all this,but ,Yeah, the age thing! Phooey! Good luck with this! Oh the things we do to ourselves! Geez!!

Lets go back to the Vicodan, and lets not forget the Soma or Ultram either. These are the only good things about my back.

I'm going to take your advice and seek out your PT advisor.

Where did you get a 4" piece of hard styroform. I wonder if hard pipe insulation might work. I'll try Home Depot tomorrow.