Expert: Dr. Nekessa Remy - 11/9/2009

Question
Recently went through a sciatica flare up that was brutal my worst to date, i dont have a family doctor or chiro so i just went to the emergency room at 3am they gave me a 6 day steroid pack and some vicodine to calm it down which seems to work fine for my back, day 6 i can now move freely,bend ect.

My problem now is i cant walk far maybe 1 or 2 minutes of standing or sitting and i get knotting,burning,muscles contracting in my right hip,thigh and shin that brings me almost to crying it hurts so bad but if i lay down it goes away in minutes and i can repeat if i want sometimes this makes it feel better. ok now for my question:

Is it best for me to keep pushing the pain and force myself to walk or rest it for days ? kinda want to avoid further damage thanks any advice would be helpful

Answer
Hey Mike,
To start,  the medication you were prescribed does NOT cure sciatica, it simply masks the pain. It will most likely come back until the cause of the sciatica is identified and treated.  You need treatment!!! Whether its through chiropractic, physiotherapy, or massage. You can't stand or sit for long periods because your sciatic nerve is still inflammed and/or impinged. Lying down just takes the pressure of the nerve.  The sciatic nerve travels throughout the back of the thigh and throughout the entire calf and foot, this is why you feel pain in the areas you mentioned. To avoid further damage I suggest you begin treatment sooner than later. There are a variety of causes of sciatic symptoms, the cause of your sciatica needs to be identified so that further damage or continued flare ups can be avoided.

Best of Luck
Dr. Remy