General Chat

Has anyone on here suffered from this? Other than going to the doctor (done) and taking prescribed pain killers (done) is there anything to help relieve the pain that you have found. (cold/heat treatment tried).

Only other thing is to keep moving when the pain allows in the hope that the trapped nerve will release itself.

I've had a trapped sciatic nerve before and other than painkillers this is the only thing I was told.

Something different but a few weeks ago I ended up in A&E in an ambulance after bending down and my back going into complete spasm. I couldn't get off a chair for 8 hours (not even for the loo) and needed gas and air to get me up and into the ambulance. Never had pain like it in my life but all they did was examine me and give me a cocktail of painkillers and told to keep moving when the painkillers had started to work. I'm still having to be really careful and slow if I bend now.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Kath. x

More likely it is a pulled muscle or tendon.
Daily Brufen will take away the pain but avoid stressing the area for at least a month.

Oh Ann, poor you <3

I had a pinched nerve in my shoulder, very painful.

I went to a chiropracter/naturopath, and he helped a lot.

It is my OH not me and was diagnosed as a trapped nerve by the doctor. He has had it 2 weeks now, doctor said it can take 4-6 weeks to clear (if it does).

Ibrofren didn't help at all neither did Nurofen Doctor said don't rest, keep moving.
It is not a pulled muscle or tendon he has had that before pain is different and right from his back down the outside of his leg. Doctor said similar to sciatica Kath.
Thanks both.

Oh know what a time to get a trapped nerve, Only a couple of weeks before you fly off on your holiday.

i don't know whether it will help but i fell just before going to the UK so no time to do much about it here. I bought some Deep Freeze gel (the reverse of Deep Heat) and when applied it quickly went very cold and took the pain away. It took four weeks to be completely better and my friend, an ex nurse, thinks I may have cracked a rib.

I hope T will be feeling a lot better very soon

Wendy x

EDIT** Lovely weather, hot and sunny

Thanks LadyS He has wondered about a chiropracter but need to find one recommended by somebody.

Wendy, Glad you have more or less healed. We are seriously worried that we might not even make it. It is only two weeks. However, we won't make any decisions until a week before. It is not only the flight, but the hike across Madrid airport and then when we are there it is the walking down and back up all the time. However there is time for it to free itself. I will keep you in the picture. :-)

Thanks Ann, I quite understand. You can get wheel chair assistance in the airports if you need it. I booked it for M & A several weeks after I had booked their flights but they were flying direct. x

Lol Can imagine it would be quite chaotic getting help in Madrid. We'd still be waiting as the plane took off. :-(

Morning Ann
Oh what a thing to have .I do feel for your poor OH.I had Sciatica a few years ago and I took the usual Brufen and Paracetamol plus a Tens machine .Tried Voltarol.I think these things just took the edge off the pain but not much :-S.I think it took 3 to 4 weeks for my pain to disappear.I hope he can find some relief somewhere.I think it is just one of these very painful things that will just go in its own time.

Thank you Jane the Dr has given him Zapain which I think from reading it is a generic of Cocodomol so Codeine and paracetomol. they do help him to sleep so he gets a good nights rest then he tries not to take them during the day until late evening as the pain is bearable when he is doing things and otherwise he'd exceed the 8 pills in 24 hours. He did get some relief just now from a wheat bag heated. He also finds an ice pack helps. As you say time will tell, but he is not the most patient of people.

Sciatica is usually caused by Piriformis Syndrome and can be greatly relieved by simple exercises which stretch the piriformis muscle that traps the sciatic nerve....... plenty of info on the internet.

Thank you Joeva, it is not actually Sciatica as the pain is in the wrong part of the leg. The doctor said it is very common and is like sciatica.

Dont sit on a soft seat as it compounds the nerve even more,,,,a hard chair is the best thing in short spells and sitting upright as possible along with gentle short walks.


,dont rub the area hard with rubs as this can inflame the area more.

laying on a hard floor and stretching is best. :-D.

http://nuchiro.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/debunking-the-myth-of-the-pinched-nerve-sort-of/

OK rollo, thanks I have read that. Doctor didn't say it was a pinched nerve though but a trapped nerve and for a few days no way could he have gone to work (not that he has to at 76) as he could hardly put his foot to the floor. However that has eased a bit and the pain moved up more to his 'b*m side of and in the top part of his leg.

Hi AnninGlos,I have suffered just this for 40 odd years and the best relief I have is acupuncture.It isn't an immediate answer,takes two or three sessions before you feel any different,but it then lasts about six months.
Ask your GP about getting this on the NHS,otherwise it is not too expensive to have private,which would also be faster.

Hope this helps,wishing you pain free as soon as poss.

Nina in rainy Sheffield.

Thank you Annina.

My husband goes to a chiropractor. They correct your posture and straighten you up so even if it doesn't stop the pain it can reduce it.

My husband had severe sciatica 9 years ago and was under a NHS doc and physio for over a month, he was unable to stand straight or sleep in bed. He has a reclining chair and that was where he stayed for all that time.

I took him back to his chiropractor who he had used for other problems and after 30 mins he walked out straight for the first time in nearly 5 weeks. He had 3 more sessions and was able to do a 10 hr flight to see our daughter married 2 weeks later.

It doesn't work in every case but as I say it could make life easier. It isn't an instant cure, my husband when he first went about 20 yrs ago had to go for 8 weekly sessions and about halfway through thought he wasn't improving and almost stopped them. He persevered and he improved immensely over the last 2 sessions. It took a lot to get his hips level as he has had a back problem for many years and had over compensated on the opposite side of the trouble hence a lop sided stance which had to be corrected before any improvement was felt.

I hope this helps you as I know how difficult life can be for the person with a trapped nerve and the person looking on and trying to help the loved one in so much pain.

I am sending you a pm re his tablets as my husband had those tablets.

Thank you Pat for the PM and the post. He can drive with no problems which is surprising, it is walking that hurts. We are away for a few days for my birthday and to see our daughter, SiL (who is himself ill) and Grandsons and great grandson. I am hoping that will lift his spirits if not cure his pain. He is normally such an active person gardening and playing golf three times a week so is finding all this very annoying as well as painful. at the moment he is insisting on ironing 2 shirts. (He normally does all the ironing and I think finds it hard watching me having to do it. either that or I am not doing it to his standards).
He is due back at the doctors next week if he is no better, after that if no better we will seek out a chiropracter. The only good one I know who I went to is in Milton Keynes a bit far to go!!