Question
Hi Nurse Red:
Maybe you can answer me a question? I have been experiancing sciaticia in my rightt leg for a year now and have even taken 3 epidural injections(steriods) in my back for relief of the pain to no effect. I have no health insurance (I am a owner/operator - do not have that option) and have paid this cost myself. I have been given various pain meds - does not touch it.
I am trying to find some relief from this as it has taken me off the road - which I know sounds crazy - but I miss the road. If you can offer me any advise as to alleviate this pain so that I may return to driving it would be very helpful.
I should tell you after 2 injections was feeling pretty good and went back to work - even passed my most recent d.o.t. physical last month but the pain has returned with a venegence. Now I have a dot physical good for another 2 years that I cannot use. Pain returned after crossing louisiana on I-10 afetr getting bounced around hard.
Thank you in advance of any suggestions you may have to offer.
Yankee Lady
Answer
Sciatica is really something pressing on your nerve that runs out of your back. The pain usually starts and runs across your bottom and as the pressure gets more intense, the pain will begin to run down your leg. It all really starts in the back between the bones or vertebrae. We have pads or discs between the bones to cushion the bones from smashing against each other. As we get older, these tend to get drier and less pliable and any little thing can cause them to bulge foreward towards the spinal column which runs down the center of the vertebrae. When we sit, this naturally puts pressure on L-5, an area that produces alot of back problems. When the bones are out of alignment, or the nerve is pressed on, the muscles in our back will spasm and create alot of pain also. If the disc is bulging against the nerve running out of the spinal column and down the leg, it can cause intense pain. You know how the medical profession says, "describe your pain on a scale of 1-10?" Well, through that away, the pain is more like an 8,000 watt cattle prod being applied consistently to your nerve and the muscles of your legs and back respond to that constant message from your nerve, by clamping down. What can also cause a narrowing and pressure and pain in your back is spinal stenosis and also a growth. So it is important first to get a good diagnosis, because you can not effectively treat what you do not know is for sure the problem. If it is a disc problem, and you are only bulging, usually back strengthening exercises are recommended, but you do not want to do this unless you know what the problem is in the first place. If the disc ruptures, that is a whole different ballgame. You can have partial paralysis or even trouble passing your water. This then becomes a medical emergency. Pain medication usually does not help the pain of this kind of problem if a disc is bulging or ruptured. If you have osteoporosis, there is a new outpatient procedure to stablize the area between the bones that has had excellent results and virtually eliminates all pain forever. It was pioneered at Emory in Atlanta. But then again, you need a correct diagnosis to determine what the problem actually is. Hope this answers some of your questions. Sibyl
Answer
Yankee Rose,
I saw your question on another site and answered it there, but am glad you came to Truck.net to post it as well.
Running So Late has done a fine job of defining sciatica, so I am not going to go into that. She has also made a very good point about the proper diagnosis. I think you mentioned in your other post that you had not even had an MRI to help determine the cause of the pain. That is a must. It can tell so much more than any other diagnostic aid at this time.
You indicated you were driving for a living when this occurred. Do you pay some sort of worker's comp tax in your home state? If so, worker's comp. may be able to help you get the medical care you need.
You also mentioned you had tried SSI without success, how about just applying for Medical Assistance or contacting your local Disability office? It really is important to find out what is causing the pain and treating it. The injections you have been undergoing were temporary fixes. They did tell you that right?
But regardless, the problem can NOT be treated without knowing exactly what to treat and how. My only other suggestion would be a chiropractor, but I still wouldn't do that until an MRI had been done. The potential is there to cause even more damage.
Let us know how you are doing and if we can be of more help. So sorry you are going thru such a tuff time. Good luck to you.
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Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse Red
Visit us at www.Truck.net/abmsVisit us at
Answer
all to well , had a cat (?) scan last year , turns out I have a crushed L4 ,L5 and a bone spur that rubs on the siatic (?) nerve , was working in the shipyards and had to climb 50 flights of stairs a day . Was seeing a bone doctor , wanted to give me steroids ( injections) no thanks , dont know what I will do , dont think theres any thing that can be done with digenertive (?) disk diease . The hell of getting older , will be 54 this year , tried Celebrix did not go down to the beach though
Answer
it was not a cat scan it was a MRI and I too was seeing a Orthpedic Surgeon . Have had a bone doc since I was 5 years old and used to call him bones , saw him for 30 yrs then he just up and died , he was a real neat guy. Also worked for a Heart Surgeon for awhile , that guy Invented the chest spreader Rubin lewis , lots of funny stories