[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

After nearly 30 years of fitting and 15 years of cleaning, I've had my fair share of ailments. Particularly, slipped discs and burstitus in my knee.

But nothing compares to the pain I have now with sciatica.

Imagine a slipped disc, torn hamstring, pins and needles in your foot and someone sticking a knife in your butt cheeks - all at the same time 24/7. If I cough, the pain down the back of my leg is so intense it makes me shout out in pain - what a big girl's blouse !  

I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy !

I've just come back from the Osteopath and I have to go again on Friday. She has advised me to take 2 weeks off ! Easy when you say it quickly like that isn't it.

I've postponed all of this weeks work but I've got to work next week or I am going to run out of month to earn any money.

Anyway, that's my whinge for the day - at least I can catch up with entering details into my database.

[Gary Humphreys]

Chin up chap

[Colin Day]

Hope you're well soon......

[Andrew Briscoe]

Rub some powerburst into the pain Steve, cures everything 
dont laugh too hard,

seriously, hope you get over it soon, could you not get some help
with your jobs, mabe someone trustworthy local.

Take a break.

Andrew

[brianbarber]

My partner had this,
It came on within 2 days, started
Ike hamstring pain, then got worse,
She didn't work for one year,
Best advice, go docs, get a scan, she actually had two discs that had moved, which gave her the sciattica symptoms.

Get sone strong pain killers from doc, and muscle relaxants,
These will help.
Hospital advised againt osteopath.they said they can make it worse.
Suggest go casualty, lay it on, and you may get scanned as emergency, plus get medication all in one go!

Wish you better

Mr B

[Neil Williams]

Steve, I know exactly how it feels.
As much as the doctor may say total rest it's never as simple as that when you're self employed and doing a physical job.
The most painful position I used to find was driving, used to make me get to jobs damned quick just to get out of the driving seat (yes officer I know I was speeding but.......)

[Simon Gerrard]

Steve,

Sounds painfull, hope you get better soon.

Simon

[clinton]

Hi Steve my uncle has it and is in reall pain sometimes so know were your coming from.

Il prob get this with all the weights i do at the gym ..

[Steve Gunn]

I sometimes get pain down my hamstring when I go to the Osteopath she massages the top of my feet then my thigh finished off with a but turmeric on the tongue,continue with turmeric for up to 5 days then hey presto problem solved.Hope you put yourself right soon but I would go to the docs too

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Clinton - 10 years of weight training hasn't helped either.

I've been seeing the same osteopath on and off for 12 years, but the disc that is compressing the sciatic nerve is too inflamed to move, so fingers crossed for Friday's appointment.

Been to the quacks to day and I've got so many pain killers and anti-inflammatory's I will rattle when I walk !

[garybristow]

Steve do yourself a favour,have you ever been to a chiropractic? they will x ray before treating.do you actually know what the cause of the problem is? its obviously a mechanical problem in your lower back ,if it is a slipped disc your osto is probably right to tell you not to work,if its a slipped disc or bulging disc you simply cannot work,i urge you to get a second opinion it could save you a fortune in the long run.
I used to swear by a chiro i used for years i thought he was brilliant until i went to a more local guy,he did things differently but much more effectivly,he sorted me out ,i also now go every 6 weeks to maintain it and so far it has worked
other than that get on with it you tart
GaryBristowclean

[Paul W Jones]

Steve I know what you're going through mate as I've had it now for about six weeks!  When it started I could hardly move and had to rely on co codamol but it does get better!  I've now had physio and one acupuncture session with another at 8.30 in the morning.  They reckon that six weeks should normally do it but obviously it can go on longer for some.  Funnily enough my physio asked me last week if I was back at work!  Wish I could have taken some time off! 

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Steve

I'm sorry to hear of your pain and hope it gets easier soon.

Our backs are so important and every CC dreads problems.

Good luck and I concur with getting the best opinions possible.

Cheers

Doug

[derek west]

hows this for strange then, i can clean carpets all day long, and without a glide as well, and my back is fine, yet 30 mins in the driving seat and the pain when i get out the van is excruciating. takes me a good 5 mins to get rid of the pain and straightening up is when it hurts most.

weird.

anyway, good luck steve. hope you get it sorted.

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

I first damaged my back about 15 years ago, lifting a huge roll of carpet.

Since then it pops every 18 months or so - half hour at the osteopath, £35, a day off work and I'm right as rain until the next time. This sciatica is different, it's a nerve problem, it's being compressed by an inflamed disc.

Trouble is, once you get a weakness in your back, you've got it for life.

I'm 50 next year and the worrying thing is, there will be a price to pay in later life for all this manual labour.

[Steve. Taylor]

Steve not good but look on the bright side, now if you were a horse

best wishes mate

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Steve not good but look on the bright side, now if you were a horse

best wishes mate

I would have been put out to stud years ago Steve 

[Mike Halliday]

WARNING: LONG, BORING, WINGING POST!!!!

I have had a 'bad back' for 12years, basically what nearly everyone has when they say ' bad back' .....

is a medical condition affecting the spine, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring (annulus fibrosus) of an intervertebral disc (discus intervertebralis) allows the soft, central portion (nucleus pulposus) to bulge out

that was cut & pasted from wicki to save me typing, so this bulge is poking out and pressing on a nerve which is causing the pain.

I have watched every video on youtube, i have spent evenings sat in front of the tv doing stretching or 'core stability excercises'     I've visited every complementary health practitioner there is, inc:

osteopath
chiropractic
check practitioner
yoga
pilates
sport masseuse
acupuncture

all of them said they were the answer and they all told me  a similar story..... one of their 80yr patients who came to them unable to walk..... but now they are in the 2012 GB gymnastics team!!!

and then when it does'nt work its was my fault for not commiting to the treatment or missing appiontment, it was never becuase they were a bunch of robbing quacks.

the one person who made the most sense was the sports masseuse who told me the bulge doesn't go back into place, minute pieces slowly break away and are absorbed into the body, what breaks the little pieces are movement, it you rest it does'nt happen. you need to move.

another thing that is worth concidering is how your mind and body react to the problem, I had a really bad time once, i found it hard to move until our lass was screaming in the garden I went from an invalid to Linford Christie in half a second another time the alarm went of in the morning on full volume, I was out of bed in a shot........ both times no pain at all. but try and wipe my arse after a crap and i was screaming for help. I think if you are expecting the pain your body tensing up to prepare for it and that can make the problem worse

so the only advice i can give is keep moving.

[JandS]

A friend of mine is an ex pro rugby league player
and he said any problems and they swore by the
chiropractor.
Try one.

John

[Mike Halliday]

after an xray & MRI scan I saw the spinal consultant who spends his life working & operating on backs, he told me to keep well away from chiros....

another thing about backs, there is a massive amount of contradictory advice, one person will swear by a particular treatment another will say they tried it and it was useless