Lots of great advice above. Ice, heat, an inversion/back swing, yoga, have all helped me in the past. Muscles relaxers sometimes were all that got me through. I do yoga stretches 5-6 days a week now and the episodes are now few and far apart. Hope you feel better soon, that pain sucks big time.

Had bad sciatica a few years ago. Did the stretches. Completely went away after three weeks.

H&K-Guy

Ah yes...I know this pain well, I have had 2 bouts of sciatica. Each time lasted a couple of months. The last time I used a combination PT & Gabapentin. Alternate heating pads/ice packs also helped a lot. My physical therapist recommended continuing the exercises used in PT to help avoid issues in the future. I pray you heal soon. Sciatica is no fun.

If rest and Motrin doesn't take care of it in short order, get an MRI to figure out what you're dealing with.

So, my remedy of two fingers of bourbon isn’t good? Been dealing with sciatica for 30 years. Heavy lifting or long hours on concrete floors send me through the roof.

Used to have that pain all the time, chiropractic helped some, but how many times to go back is reasonable? Then I ruptured a disc in my back, carrying a softener down some stairs.

Went to a back doctor, he says got something else going on here.

Found out I had bad hips! Well, I got them replaced and no more pain, even though I've blown out 2 more discs. I'm now +2"s shorter than I used to be.

quote:

Originally posted by TBH:
So, my remedy of two fingers of bourbon isn’t good?

My Pop-pop used to call that “snake bite medicine”...seemed to make him more comfortable.

When I had a bulging disk I had to take gabapentin to reduce the pain until a series of steroid shots in my spine reduced the disk....now I make sure I don’t sit funny so that it will happen again....

And the only OTC help was alcohol(it’s a central nervous system depressant) but my neck doctor recommended against ETOH.

Also BTDT. Got a bulging lumbar disc years and years ago and sciatica, sometimes acute to the point of debilitation, has been an on and off thing for years.

Agreed what what most everyone said about stretching during the acute phase and then a lifestyle change to focus on strengthening your core and, perhaps counterintuitively, your glutes as well as improving overall posture. If you have anterior pelvic tilt, I'd look into correcting that too.

What I'll add is the inversion table. I got one a few years ago and it's a godsend. Hanging upside down will really help decompress the spine and your hips.

I have major lower back issues.. two fusions, plus multiple small procedures. I’ve had sciatic issues in the past, not lately though thank God. I know it’s maddening. What always helped me was a steroid pack RX from my doc, ice and heat and rolling on a tennis or racquet ball right into your gluts. The steroid pack really calms down the inflammation.

quote:

Originally posted by JeffSig2022:
I have been in pain on and off for a few days now, does anyone in here have any reccomendations for a good over the counter medication to aliviate sciatic nerve pain?

I wish you the best Jeff. As others have mentioned, the right exercises can help. Just start at a very slow pace. You can do more harm than good.