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So I have had this condition for 2 years, I have finally found acupuncture that helps relieve the pain. but my situation is that I am having issues of getting a good burn from a cardio. I'm limited and it's frustrating that i can't run or do the eliptical. I can swim but i dont feel like i get the same feel of when i used to run.

In addition i need help figuring out a plan that would maximize my exercising without effecting my nerve.
So if any of you have advice or plans that u can sugget that would be great.

thanks
Alex

Heff saidSo I have had this condition for 2 years, I have finally found acupuncture that helps relieve the pain. but my situation is that I am having issues of getting a good burn from a cardio. I'm limited and it's frustrating that i can't run or do the eliptical. I can swim but i dont feel like i get the same feel of when i used to run.

In addition i need help figuring out a plan that would maximize my exercising without effecting my nerve.
So if any of you have advice or plans that u can sugget that would be great.

thanks
Alex

ive been experienceing this pinched nerve as well, for about 2-3 years and i have found that shiatsu(acupressure) points help, but only for about a month or so...i will def try acupuncture next...i have noticed that when i do lunges/squats, and using the stair master it really helps, plust i get a great cardio workout. good luck!......oh try stretching and icorporate yoga into your routine before or after any cardio routine...ive known it to be of benifit to most, but then again every body is different

So is it true, doctor-diagnosed sciatica or is it a problem with certain muscles impenging (pinching) the nerve cluster? It's hard to give guidance for these types of questions other than suggesting that you see a physician and first find out what he/she says.

You really should consult a neurologist if it's a problem with the nerve. A chiropractor may also be a good place to start, since you seem to be into alternative medicine, but definitely get a professional to assess what you can and can't do before seeking advice from the cyber community.

Heff saidSo I have had this condition for 2 years, I have finally found acupuncture that helps relieve the pain. but my situation is that I am having issues of getting a good burn from a cardio. I'm limited and it's frustrating that i can't run or do the eliptical. I can swim but i dont feel like i get the same feel of when i used to run.

In addition i need help figuring out a plan that would maximize my exercising without effecting my nerve.
So if any of you have advice or plans that u can sugget that would be great.

thanks
Alex

I have your problem as well. I suggest you get some x-rays and head over to a good chiropractor. No really, I know it sounds insane but ultimately that's what saved me.

REwind back to Dec 2007, by that time I had gotten used to random sciatic nerve pain resulting from any elliptical, stair climber, or lunges type of activities. The problem had started when I was 27 and gotten worse and worse in the last 7 years. I used to get one inflammation a year, then it became a few and then it became monthly, finally in the last year I was having at least one day of the week spent in pain. But I had somehow gotten used to it. I was training around it etc.

Then came Jan, I took 20 days off of the gym, and went abroad. When I came back from my transatlantic flight something was off. i had traveled in a really nice first class seat, I should not be this sore but I was. The next morning I figured I should go to the gym do my stretches and the sauna (that usually made the pain go away at any other time) Well when I got out of the gym strangely walking was very difficult. I drove myself home, and it was excruciating to get out of the car. I threw myself into bed and pretty much kind of passed out. When I woke up I could not turn in the bed without getting a feeling of thousands of BBs fired inside my hip joint. It hurt so much. I can not describe the feeling. It was like someone hardwired a cable into my hip joint and any time my legs moved in or out sideways it hurt like hell.

Even vicodin could not dull the pain. The next day I went to my PCP only get stupid skelaxin and some other dumb ass pain killer prescribed. By the third day I was crawling on the floor, I could simply not take a step forward even with assistance.

As a last resort I went to a local chiropractor. It was my first time ever because I thought chiropractors were hokey and not real doctors etc. Well he put me through something awful but when he was done, I could walk again, after the very first session. It hurt but I could suddenly walk. With every following session things got better until the pain was completely gone in 2-3 weeks.

I never had to go again. My lower back and neck have never felt better. And I have a Pars Defect (fractured L5) so I have many many lower back complications and pain usually but NOT SINCE I went to the chiropractor. It is almost magic, I feel like 25 again, it is wonderful to wake up without back pain in the morning.

So I definitely suggest looking into chiropractic care. Also if you do not have any specific injuries that you know of, I would have back x-rays, and possibly hip xrays done, and also see a physical therapist to identify possible muscle imbalances in lower back, legs, and hips. A lot of people go through pain for no reason because of strange imbalances in these awfully complex regions.

Finally, check your bed, your office seat, your posture, your diet, your sleeping habits. These all have be aligned just so (no pun intended). You can not sleep on a 10 year old spring mattress and hope for a healthy back. Same thing with your office chair, your posture and other variables.

Good luck.

There are a lot of variables in back pain- I'd start with a physiatrist or orthopedist that is a member of the American Orthopedic Medical Association- these are MD's that specialize in non-surgical treatment of orthopedic issues.

If your problem is hypermobility of the SI(sacro-illial) joint then a chiropractor may make it worse.Based on length of time and type of pain I'd bet 100 bucks you've injured the ligaments that keep your si joint in place. If that's the case you may want to consider prolotherapy or platelet enriched plasma injections.(www.prolotherapy.org) But get an mri and have a good diagnosis done- you are way too young to have to curtail activities due to this kind of injury.

There are alot of things you can do.
1. Sleep correctly, pillow under the knee, etc. Sleep on your back mostly, but if it is a nerve problem you may want to sleep on your stomach with a pillow.
2. Low impact exercise, swim, bike, do not jog.
3. Do not take long car rides without taking breaks.
I made the mistake of taking a 2.5 hour bike ride and then driving for 6.5 hours....yeah buddy did I pay for that.

try Pilates to strengthen your core which will help support your spine

I have a L5 S1 disc prolapse (pinched nerve) i have tried everything the best things that have helped me are Accupuntcor, Physio, Pilates, and also invest in a TenS machine. Recommend doing core work at least 2 times a week to keep on top of it.

Core exercises are extremely important. When I train my clients that's one of the key areas I always focus on.

Let us know what gives you relief when you do indeed find it. Good luck.

Hopefully it's not structural as this may require invasive surgery to correct.

Get chiropractic help fast. Get X-Rays. After a few adjustments I felt much better. Keep ice packs on your back and butt after your adjustments.
Good luck. Keep us informed about your progress.

My yoga instructor also gave us a specific stretch for this that really seemed to help me. Course, it's difficult to describe and I don't have a video camera handy. But basically, you're on your back and you bend your legs to one side and your head goes in the other direction and you stretch out that part of your back.

I also stopped carrying my wallet in my back pocket.

Hope you feel better soon!

VinBaltimore saidMy yoga instructor also gave us a specific stretch for this that really seemed to help me. Course, it's difficult to describe and I don't have a video camera handy. But basically, you're on your back and you bend your legs to one side and your head goes in the other direction and you stretch out that part of your back.

I also stopped carrying my wallet in my back pocket.

Hope you feel better soon!

Amen Brother ....Wallets are EVIL. I carry a money clip...front pocket.

Heff saidSo I have had this condition for 2 years, I have finally found acupuncture that helps relieve the pain. but my situation is that I am having issues of getting a good burn from a cardio. I'm limited and it's frustrating that i can't run or do the eliptical. I can swim but i dont feel like i get the same feel of when i used to run.

In addition i need help figuring out a plan that would maximize my exercising without effecting my nerve.
So if any of you have advice or plans that u can sugget that would be great.

thanks
Alex

I wonder if you over extended and your hip is out. Get some chiropractic help fast. You need X-rays too.

i would recommend an evaluation by your physical therapist. Most back pain is very treatable. However back pain is an Art and Science, as there are many variables that can create back pain.

Sciatic pain can be one of the most chronically severe pain anyone can experience
it's highly variable and can be episodic or constant
it's also very determined on ones position
which is why sitting for long periods in a car or a plane might bring it on
It results from a pinched nerve
usually emanating from your spine but it also can occur further done the nerve path too
worn discs... spinal bony spurs muscle impingement
all can be the cause
and the course of treatment will reflect these factors

as far as working out with sciatic pain goes
Listen to your body
If it hurts ... then don't do it
when you aggravate the condition to the point of pain you are inflaming the nerve... and it will take time and treatment to calm this inflammation down again
so find other ways to get your calories burned
biking
swimming
walking instead of running
trial and error is the way to go

i know it is scary, but i gotta suggest surgery

it was the best decision i ever made

i had back issues for about 5 years, it got worse and worse. i tried physical therapy and the guy gave up on me because there was no improvement. after that, i just lived with it for a couple years. i was very limited in what i could do, i did some yoga moves several times each day to minimize the pressure (the cobra was a good one)

finally, something slipped or popped or twisted, or whatever and it was all i could do to inch my way (so very painfully) to my car, drive home, and inch my way onto my floor at home. there, i basically stayed for the next 3 months. i could not move. i went to the emergency room, they gave me all the pain killers they could, but it didn't really help. meanwhile i got a referral to a new doctor, he did a new mri and told me it was the worst hemorrhage he had ever seen, worse then an old man's (i was 27 at the time). he scheduled surgery and after an overnight stay, i recovered in a couple days and now just have 2 inch scar. They just removed the extra tissue, didn't fuse anything or anything more invasive. Yea, that means there is still a hole in there and it could happen again, but so far so good!

it has a few years since the operation, and i haven't had any issues. i still am careful not to twist my back if i can avoid it, but don't feel limited at all. i also take Glucosamine and Chondroitin every day. i never feel like i can know for sure if that is helping or not, something is working.

it is a hard decision, and you need to do what is right for you, but it was by far the best choice i could have made. i only wish i had done it years earlier.