My sympathies Chris. I've suffered myself. Once I went for a fortnight without being able to sit, stand, walk or lie down. I spent the whole time on my hands and knees. Acupuncture helped a bit, but only time really did the trick. It was such a relief to be able to go to bed for the first time!

Chris my heart goes out to you. Sciatica is AWFUL! I have found this helpful. I hope it will help you. I lay on the floor (be sure you will be warm, you don't want your muscles to get cold) and put my bottom right up next to an ottoman. I place my lower legs over the ottoman and lay there. The ottoman I use is about the same distance in height as from the floor to my knees so my back is flat. Then I just lay there. I watch TV or read or just be. I can slowly feel the pressure on my Sciatic nerve release and the pain recede from my feet to my hip. The bad news is it can take me 45 minutes before the pain releases its grip. Fortunately it usually takes less than that much time. You really need to see the doctor though. A chiropractor is great but sometimes he/she cannot fix the problem. And 4 weeks is a long time to be in such pain. But try this and please make that appointment with your doctor. Please let me know how you are doing. And BTW, be sure to help you tummy out with antacids. Those meds are hard on your tummy.

Hi, Chris- I have had it, but it has been a mild case compared to what you are describing. I took Aleve for several days, and that helped a lot. The other thing that really helped me was standing in a hot shower for longer than I normally do. (Perhaps someone else may have tried and recommend a cold pack to the lower back instead?) I know it is hard to think in these terms, but nothing helps more than time. Hope you feel better soon.

Oh, Chris...so very sorry to hear this...I am sorry I can't be of any help with treatment or relief...but you will be in my thoughts and prayers....wishing you speedy relief...but I do think after four weeks, it is time to see a doctor...

So sorry to read of your troubles. My mom suffered from sciatica off and on and would suddenly call out in pain. She said it was like an electric shock. She said she couldn't sit long and couldn't stand long, or she got in trouble. She never had surgery. A young (under 50) friend of mine who had it would just collapse, so he had surgery right away. I gather there is great variety in the level of pain and the specifics of how it presents. Prayers do help, but keep those doctor phone numbers handy!

It is horrible! I do the pelvic tilt constantly to prevent it. Also would you believe the 2 basic belly dancing moves is extremely helpful. Tai Chi works although I only know a couple exercises.

I pray for you Chris, and hope you are better to enjoy your Christmas Ladies Lunch once again this year. My mum was so bad the Drs finished up giving Cortisone [if that's how it's spelt]

ITS ABSULUTIE HORRIED.I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM THIS FOR 50 YR..I THAVE A THARA CANE.A CANE WITH NODULES ON IT AND I FIND THE SORE SPOT AND PRESS IT INTO THE SORE SPOT AND BEND FORWARD AND SIDEWAYS IT WILL HURT BUT HELPS THEN ICE AND HEAT..I TAKE A BATH WITH EPENSALTS.YOU CAN DO THE BATH FIRST THEN THE CANE..OR USE YOUR KNUCKLE AN DIG IT INTO THE SORE SPOT.I ALSO TRY NOT TO SIT TO LONG,WALKING I FIND IS GOOD.HOPE THIS HELPES...LUCY

sorry to read you are in so much pain. Hope the tips from some here, will help you. And the appointment you will have will improve your body, you are in my prayers. hugs/love Gerry

will pray Chris hugs

Chris, I am so sorry to hear this. I don't know any remedy, but will put you on my prayer list. Hugs Lynn

Take a bath with Epsom salts. Make the water as warm as you can stand. Once you have been in the bath for some time...stretch forward and off to one side (pulling on the area that hurts) until the pain subsides. I have had relief from a Physical Therapist placing his elbow on my nerve until the muscles relaxed and the pain stopped. It hurt -- a LOT!!! I visit my Chiropractor regularly to avoid the pain...but they have a special table that "works" the area while I am strapped to it (my ankles and head -- face down) as an adjustment is not enough.
Also, I sleep with a stiff pillow or rolled blanket between my knees anytime I feel one coming on.
These things have worked for me and I have had it since I was injured in a car accident as a teen.
I also found "Formula 303" (an herbal remedy) to help if I take it before bed and during the day when I have issues.

Chris I am so sorry you are in so much pain. Please see a doctor and take advice from him. I am also suffering from this. The pain is so bad. Went to see the doctor and was sent for a scan. I have 2 collapsed discs and 1 is protruding. He has given me a tablet called Lyrica to take morning and night. This has helped a lot with the pain. He also sent me to have physio therapy. That is helping and she is giving me exercises to do each day. They help also. He said the next thing to try is cortisone injections. I don't like the sound of those. He has also written to a surgeon as he says I need to have surgery to fix it properly. My son had surgery for the same thing about 15 years ago, and my grand daughter is also having problems with this condition. I hope you get relief soon. Hugs Shirley

Chris, I am so sorry you are in this pain. (((((HUGE Hugs))))) I don't have sciatica but since the hot wheat bag is helping, at least a little, I would continue trying that, along with the advice of Karen, Lucy, Rescuer and any others who have found ways to help with the condition. The post about the hot shower reminded me about another person, who posted on a site I had been, on years ago, they posted that they had an item with a suction cup on it, that they would have the shower water on, as hot as they could stand, hitting that area,and press the painful spot against the firm object until the area relaxed. I would think a hand held water pic shower head wand with adjustable settings may also help to get that area to release. I hope the visit to the acupuncturist is able to help relieve your pain. Hugs again, Pam

Oh Chris so sorry to hear this :(
Hope you find a solution soon and relief from this awful pain!
Make sure you visit the doctor and may be an MRI would be required??!! I am not sure in the case of sciatic nerve but for my DH it was the neck and shoulder pain and he had to get one done! He is taking physiotherapy since last 4 months and is in much much better state! Hope you find what works best for you....take care! BTW supplements of vitamin B complex are supposed to be food for the nerves.....probably you need some too! (Here we get these as neurobion tablets)

Hi everyone, it's now 10.30am here. I saw my Acupunturist and he suggested because I was still in so much pain to have a scan. I went straight to my doctor's surgery - got there about 9.10 and thank God someone had cancelled at 9.15 (prayers answered there) and saw my Doctor. She has given me a script for Tramal (Mum has it and her dog too!) and also some Valium for muscle spasm relief. She has given me a referral to go and have an MRI - can't get in till Friday at 3.00. As I had my last stage or Root Canal Therapy at 1.30 which would take 90 minutes and I had to be at the MRI at 2.45 I've cancelled my Root Canal and rebooked for January 14th.

When I was making the MRI appointment the receptionist asked me all sorts of questions and whether I was claustrophobic! I said a little bit and then she proceeded to inform me the machine table bed is only 70cm wide - which is o.k. and that the MRI machine is very noisy. So I can listen to music if I want and I will be in the machine for half an hour and I have to lay still for that time. I've had a nagging cough too, so I hope that will stop before Friday.

Thank you for all your hints - I'm going to try the Tramal and maybe take a Valium before the MRI. I like the hot shower on my buttock and lying down is great, it's the getting up and lifting my leg to put my socks on that kills. Also getting in and out of the car - gosh it's not nice growing older is it?

A huge thankyou also to you who are and will be praying for me. I'm so worried about the weekend. I've got the MRI Friday, Dana's children Saturday and in the evening I'm leading the singing at our church Carol service. Sunday is our Op-Shop luncheon and there are 75 of us who volunteer and then of course Monday is my annual Christmas ladies lunch. I know with your prayers and the kind wishes I'll get through it and then I can relax a bit. Thank God for modern medicine. Love Chris

My sympathies are with you, Chris. Sciatica should be properly diagnosed by a physician--preferably a neurologist. Mine was caused by a bulging disk pinching the nerve. I was in severe pain and unable to walk for about three weeks before I finally started getting relief through PT (helped immensely) and drugs specifically for neuropathic pain (from which I had some minor side-effects). Acetaminophen-based products do not give relief to nerve generated pain (do not reduce swelling) and taking too much can cause liver damage so please be careful with your dosage. Now, sitting too long, bending over, or twisting motions are generally the originators of the pain which I can generally get under control by using the techniques learned in PT.

So glad you got right in and will be having an MRI. For the MRI they will generally give you foam ear plugs which helps with the noise. For feelings of claustrophobia they will lay you on the table and once you are set up they will push a button to move the table into the tube. Before laying on the table look around the room. Then lay down and if you get cold have them lay a light blanket over you then before they push that button, close your eyes and envision that room, think through where everything is in that room think about the open large room. etc. Do not think about the machine you are inside of. If you happen to open your eyes anyway...most of those machines will have a mirror right above you, set up so that it reflects and you can see the person in the room taking all the films. They also have a speaker so you will be able to hear them and they will hear you, when you talk to them, so if you did happen to have a panic attack they would have you out quickly. They also will give you a panic button to push as another back up to say get me out. A cough would just make them move the scan back a few steps and repeat that area which is not a huge deal just a bit more time in the tube so the calmer and more still you are the faster the process will go. To keep my mind busy and not thinking about the tube, I spend the time counting, as they will generally say this film will take 3 minutes, this next film 4.5 minutes and I will count and see how close I can get to the actual amount of time. You will have many prayers for your busy week ahead. Hopefully you can rest your body and hopefully get some relief and then figure out what motions are agitating those nerves for your body. I know our daughter had to switch vehicles. Her legs had started to go to sleep when she had to travel any distance plus it felt like you were crawling out of a go cart getting out of her car. Hopefully this can resolve quickly or you can find ways to compensate, try out what has worked for others. More hugs and hope the medications you have been prescribed will give you some relief and will continue to pray often especially through these coming weeks in your behalf. Pam

Positive thoughts coming your way Chris. You sound as if you have a very busy week ahead

I pray the God will extend His Healing Hands out to you in this you moment of need. I've never been in your shoes, but have and know several people who have.

You will get through the MRI without a hitch. When you are in that much pain, you don't more brain waves to concentrate on being confined in a small place. :)
Here is a PT exercise that I do daily to stave off these attacks. Unless I miss 5-7 days in a row not doing them, I do really well. I hope the link works. https://youtu.be/382mvJvns9M

Prayers and lots of love sent your way.

I wanted to make sure this post was not "lost" and so I captured it (with the Snipping Tool) and placed it here.

Chris, i am so sorry to hear you are unwell,i do hope after the MRI that you will get some treatment, Praying that you can recover quickly from this terrible pain, nothing worse when you can not get releif . With christmas and your busy life you must get yourself better, hope that you do not miss much over the holiday time, and you are still able to have your annual ladies luncheon. I so look forward to seeing your beautiful decorated table each year, you have made some lovely presents for your friends. Thinking of you, hope you shall be feeling better very soon. Sandra.

So sorry. I had this condition 40 years ago and I would not even attempt to address the treatment. What I had would be old school now. I was confined to total bed rest and so drugged up that I did not know who I had just talked to on the phone. You can go ortho or neuro with the Dr. but I was never a Chiropractor girl. My diagnosis was a herniated disk. Be positive as you are in a different age of medicine. However, I do know your pain. Kay

That is really so painful. Please go to a doctor & see if they can help you. I had a "nerve block" several yrs. ago & it's still holding! But they did a MRI to be sure what was going on before they touched me! Praying you can get some relief.

Dear Chris,
You are in my prayers!
I know what is live with pain, I suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis and believe me, sometimes is very painful. I am on trial treatment and it will finish in 6 months, feeling better with this treatment.
God bless you,
Love, Yoriko

Chris, hope you are coping I sometimes get that type of pain when I have to bend over at the table a lot cutting but it's nothing compared to you. Glad to see your got a week of nothing to do. lol I know these event you have planed are very important, but your health does take priority. The Valium and Tramal should help. Keeping you in my thoughts Marian

Thank you for this frank and informative discussion. I am experiencing this also. MRI coming up soon along with therapy. Thank you all for your helpful encouragement and suggestions, and Chris do so hope you are gain relief soon.

So sorry to hear this Chris. I sometimes get a pinched nerve in my lower back and the pain is horrible. I find the best cure is rest, rest, rest. I hope all goes well on Friday. Hugs.

Mine has not been too bad - generally clears quickly. My mother did have it like you do - she did the nerve blocks (shots) and they helped her very much.

I hope you feel better soon!

Oh, Chris......been there.....I was clued into the wonderful Tens machine by another cutie, last year when I had this.........it worked better than the chiropractor or the nerve blocks........I got a Tens 7000 on ebay for less than $30 and believe me it was the best investment......my sciatic nerve was so bad, I slept in a recliner for an hour at a time, sometimes less... I couldn't even get into bed......
I pray your relief will come quickly.......hang in there!!

Chris I do feel for you. The Sciatic nerve is one of the pinched nerves I have from my bac problems and believe me I know the pain, but no pain meds for me. Heat and specific exercises help me. Nerve blocks helped for about a yr. But no more. Is it going all the way down into your foot? When mine is that bad I can hardly walk. Did they give you exercises to do? You can go on line and get exercises to help sciatica. Important thing is heat prior to doing the exercises, moist heat is best. I had P.T. and he had me doing the exercises 3 times a day at home. For pain I simply take extra strength Acetaminophen, only thing my tummy can tolerate and that not on reg basis. Know how you poor mom felt also, took Ron to Dr once ,by time I got to his office I was crying,long walk to his office, Ron rides his mobility scooter. Dr. gave me what's for and made me cry even more, anyway I do know what you are going through and pray relief comes soon/Lillian

HI Chris, so sorry to hear of your problems. My husband had terrible back spasms after back surgery, and went to acupuncturist. She worked miracles, but it took 6 visits for it to work.

Also what is causing the pinched nerves? You need to get to the bottom of the problem.

Hope you can find relief

Prayers for you poor Chris...........I hope you can discover the root of the problem ~hugs~

God be with you sorry just now seeing this. Praying your pain will be taken away and peace returns. hugs.