# sciatica



## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

I've been getting some mild and not so mild sciatica in my right leg. I've never had sciatica until I started kayak fishing and its got to the stage now where its been going on for some time and is of concern.

So - thought I'd put it out there and see if anyone else is experiencing sciatica or back pain from yakking?

I did a bit of research and found these few links:

http://painless-kayak-fishing.blogspot.com/
http://www.wavewalk.com/PADDLING%20POSITIONS.html

Mostly motivated by marketing the W kayak it seems. I'll keep you posted on what I find - I do notice that I got far more numbness and shooting pains down my leg in my x13 compared to my mini, which may be due to horizontal pressure placed on the spine from the rudder peddles.

I may investigate whether I can get a comfortable kneeling position with the aid of some padding just to vary the position a bit.

Cheers
Matt


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Matt, boy have i got it bad right now , and i would literally do anything to stop the pain , i cant sit down in front of the computer for longer than about 10 mins as the pain through my right Glute is horrendous . If anyone has any ideas on here no matter what let us know


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

sorry to hear that - think when it gets to that level - hitting the anti inflams is the way to go + long term some ergonomic adjustments to what you do alot of and exercises - I think I need to have another look at how I sit in my yak and go get my back checked as well.


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## wayner (Jan 7, 2009)

got it in my left leg and had chiro for ages.that reduced 95% pain that i got and as soon asi jump in the truck i upset it again.can sit in the hobie for hours and dont get effected.seeing the chiropractor helped me ...

wayne


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## Kevlar (Nov 7, 2008)

How are your hamstrings? I've had a shite back since I ruptured a disc in 92 (operated in 94) and most of the time I have a flair up of sciatic pain it's due to either *a)* lifting the wrong way (which isn't the best with a 27kg kayak !) or *b)* my hamstrings are really tight and therefore pull on the lower back and glutes enhancing the sciatic pain.

I've also got a great chiro that is aware of my condition and between the two of us we manage to keep it under control for the most part.

Look for a book called *"Overcoming neck and back pain" by Kit Laughlin*. Should still be around. The guy has some really good effective and simple stretch and strengthen exercises to do. As with anything though you have to apply yourself to do them or they won't work. Takes a bit of work but I can vouch they work.

I feel for you guys because it is a horrible thing to go through, and of course if pain persists see your doctor. ;-)


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

bazz and matt,

about 1000,000 australians have time off work each year due to back pain so its pretty damn common.
true sciatica is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve where it leaves the spinal cord usually at L4L5 or L5S1. your vertebrae like your teeth wear out. between each vertebrae is a disc of cartilage , firm on the outside with a jelly interior. the disc (as with all cartilage in the body) has a poor blood supply and it deteriorates with age. much faster if you are 
1 overweight which pinches the blood vessels
2 smoke which clogs up blood vessels
3 are diabetic

interestingly exercise is not that bad for the discs. labourers get no more back pain than desk jockeys.

if a disc gets a crack in it, then the goo in the middle can be pressed out (sort of like squashing a sandwich and squeezing out the butter). if this presses on the nerve to either side you get sciatica on that side.

a laminectomy is an operation to remove the arch of bone behind the disc. this SOMETIMES works.
an injection of long acting cortisone and local can be done into the same area to stop the nerve firing off. (you need a good radiologist) they used to use a paw paw extract which broke down the goo.

when your discs get worn you often get stiffness and generalized low back ache but this is not try sciatica.

swimming is very good for the low back. it pulls the vertebrae gentley apart and allows the goo to be reabsorbed. traction used to be used for the same thing

chiropractors can often move something in the low back to temporarily take the pressure off the nerve but it is often not a permanent fix.

often lying on the floor with your legs bent and placed on the bed will relive the pressure.

old ladies tend to get spinal stenosis . this is caused by the bones decaying and pressing in on all sides around the spinal cord. it is often relieved by bending forward and leaning and you will often see old ladies leaning on a shopping trolley for support.

the end summary is get a ct (mri very expensive) 
expect that it will get better without surgery 95 % do.
take painkillers especially at night
swim.
see a good surgeon , not a cowboy if it isnt settling after 4 to 6 weeks

cheers and good luck , pete


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Thanks Pete , i had hoped you may hop in here with a bit of advice . I will take your advice re swimming and also laying on the floor legs on the bed . I guess i am looking for Miracles as i have had a tumour [benign thank God ] removed about 10 years ago fro l3 l4, and then 12 months later my back was obviously in a pretty bad state as i had to have a fusion . I know this sciatica will settle down , it always does , but this time i wanted to know what i do to make it settle down and keep it away, i have just got back into paddling and am not going to give it up , so if swimming helps Pete , i''m into it .Kevlar , thanks for the advice champ and i will try and find a copy of that book , no doubt about this forum and you guys are so great , thanks lads


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

Thanks Grinner & Kevlar.

My hammies are nice and flexible, so I don't think they are the cause. I think it may be more that the kayak seat is causing the issue. I've adapted my yoga practice to include more lower back and hip flexibility/strength components in it. Thanks for the swimming tip- I'll give that a go. I'll also try upping natural anti inflams in my diet such as tumeric to see if they help. As luck would have it I'm just about to do my annual ayurvedic detox which includes lots of steam/oil therapy to the lower back. Will let you now how it all goes.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Kevlar , thanks again mate for your advice and the heads up on that book , i have one on its way from America as we speak ,ordered it yeaterday , good old Amazon , you can buy anything through them with great confidence , thanks again


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

redphoenix said:


> Bazz, that bent & busted strut in your back should probably be seen to mate. You're never too old, and it might just improve the back enough to start returning to at least some of the old activities.
> 
> Go talk to the doc, or I'll get Pauly to bug you about it.
> 
> Red.


Thanks Leigh , your probably bright , its just that i have the horrible memories still with me of the pain that lasted 4 months and an inability to be able to sit down for a similar period , so now i'm just scared


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## johnny (Aug 12, 2007)

ditto to above..2 soft foam mattresses on bed to soften your soft bed,,,stretch the hammies..swim a bit..chinese pin medicine uses needlestick injury to damage the tips of nerves i think....guru gentle chiropractors not exorcist owl neck twisters or the majority of them...belly sit ups/core strengtheners/pilates[ a painkiller before can get you moving a bit but don't over do it].....a different massage twice a week-manipulative muscle therapy,then thai,then chinese-mix it up so you get benefits...n try reflexology[a guru foot treatment can fix any back as i was a skeptic once]....get soft soft joggers to decrease jarring


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## wedgetail (Mar 27, 2008)

All good suggestions Kit Lochlans book is excellent but hard to find in Aust , look at the ergonomics first try to engineer out the problem :- paddling technique seating do you still keep your wallet in your hip pocket when you drive!
next look at the muscles that cause this problem Piraformus , Quadratis Lumborum 2 that are the main culprits for sciatica.
Try Bowen therapy you can find a qualified therapist here www.bowen.asn.au . I have been working full time with Bowen therapy for the past 10 years , for sciatic pain I have an %80 success rate .
Cheers Mark


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## gonfission (Feb 21, 2009)

When the pain subsides a bit and you can *relax* in comfort, basic pilates. The first thing you'll probly learn is about a muscle that lies transversely to your abdominals. The fact that it is under used/developed in most people is because most people do not realise it is there and that it is at the core of core strength (Did you ever see an apple with a sore back?). Once you develop a bit of control over this muscle you can then learn to use it to support the spine when doing anything that tends to be a bit iffy for anyone with a sore back. E.g. Driving over speed bumps, bend/twisting, (don't ever bend and twist at the same time if you can avoid it!). Tensing this muscle while making other movements is probably the best toning exercise you can do.
Most small/medium "beer bellies" and sore backs are really all about developing and using this muscle.

8) Ok now I've done the preaching thing I'd best get back to doing MY exercises more frequently.
Seriously though it has helped me heaps with bulging discs. They press on the nerve sending muscles into spasm. Muscle thinks it is doing the right thing supporting sore back and remains in spasm: actually causing more pain than the original sciatica. If a doctor, surgeon, musculoskeletal specialist, and I saw plenty of them, had told me about this thirty years ago I woulda save myself a lot of drama.
Regards John.


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

Just an update. Went to see an osteopath last week and he was of the opinion my sciatica was caused by tight piraformis or gluteus medius muscles rather than lumbar spine degeneration. So after some rather painful stretches of those hard to reach short muscle groups, I'm feeling much better.

Thanks for all the advice.

I've taken this as a warning shot from my body and modified my technique.

Cheers
Matt


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## mustrumr (Feb 27, 2009)

That's good news, Matt - I wondered how you had been getting along.

Cheers,


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

mattyoga said:


> So after some rather painful stretches of those hard to reach short muscle groups, I'm feeling much better.


Thats good news mate, and hope the recovery is long lasting.


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## Kevlar (Nov 7, 2008)

Just keep doing the stretches so they don't become tight and painful again and it sounds like you'll be right. Good news indeed.


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