Lower back pain on right side

[Kieran123]

First of all, I suffer from Sciatica BAD. I get a dose of it at least once a week, and every few months it will be so bad I can hardly walk.

On Monday I was lifting a heavy bag into the back of the car and a muscle on the right of my spin on my lower back felt like it cramped up unless I lent over to me left side to stretch it. It was like this for around 30 minutes and has been sore all week.

I have a tee time tomorrow - should I golf or stay home? Pain is worst when I wake up in the morning and dies down during the day and flares up again at night.

By the way,

Anyone else suffer from sciatica...have any good stretches.routines to help with it?

[saevel25]

You sure its a Sciatica? Is there radiating pain down your the outside of your leg, even to your feet. Does your leg go numb? Because a sciatica is a nerve, and pressure on the nerve causes it to shoot pain down the leg and even numb it in some cases.

If its the Sciatica its tough to call whats causing it. Because the Sciatic nerve has a few points were pressure can be put on it. One is in glut muscle, if that is week it can put pressure on the sciatica. Another is in the base of the spine, were the nerve reaches the spinal cord. If thats the case, you could have a bulging disk in the back.

I would go see a doctor and get a scan done on your back to make sure its not a herniated disk. Because if is, then you will probably need physical therapy. If not, then you probably can just start doing light exercises to build up muslce strength around the area to take the pressure off the nerve. Also anti-inflamitory drugs can take the pressure off the nerve.

I had the issue were my glut meets my back, thats my week point. It happened after i slept on the couch, bad idea. So for about 3 months i slept on my bed with my feet elevated. I would fold a few blankets ontop of each other so i can sleep on my back. This position with the knees up takes pressure off the back in that area. I also would massage the area with a tennis ball, just lay on it and roll it around the area, its a great massager. I would also constantly ice the area and take advil. That and i continued with my weekly working out, i would jog, and do exercises in that area, i made sure i warmed up first before hand. It took me about 3-4 months but i have little or no pain now.

After that i started big time on doing exercises to get my hip flexors and abductors, as well as my gluts strengthened.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by saevel25

After that i started big time on doing exercises to get my hip flexors and abductors, as well as my gluts strengthened.

Ding ding ding!  Don't forget the transverse abdominals too so you can hold your lumbar in neutral.  Also, check out the hip slide thread http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/29616/the-biggest-secret-slide-your-hips .  Peter Kostis swingvision mechanics have people rotating too aggressively which also hurts the lower back.

[Kieran123]

The pain I usually have is a pinchy tingling pain at the bottom of my spine where it meets my butt. My knees will ache like hell as well during this.

I could imagine it is a bulging disc as I sit all day at my job and do little or no exercise.

For the last 2 years I have been living on Robaxacet

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

The pain I usually have is a pinchy tingling pain at the bottom of my spine where it meets my butt. My knees will ache like hell as well during this.

I could imagine it is a bulging disc as I sit all day at my job and do little or no exercise.

For the last 2 years I have been living on Robaxacet

I sit for a living too.  My recommendation is walking.  Lots of walking.  The natural trunk motion is really good for the lower back.  Ease up on golf for a while, do the strengthening exercises, get plenty of walking in to help things settle.  Take a look at your golf swing mechanics when you are healthy because that may be a contributing factor.

[fmk123ster]

Try the  these tips. Avoid sitting for any length of time. When laying down put pillow behind your knees and lie flat. move move move... the more you move the more this will free up.

if you do have a disc problem you need a muscle relaxer pain reliever and anti inflammatory combo

Good luck

Frank

[allin]

A back brace may be of some benefit. They can offer some extra support ease your discomfort. I would go to one of the stores where you can try several on to determine whether they may help and comfort. The price premium over the Walmart and big sporting goods stores is worth it for this kind of item.

[poser]

If you find the magic answer please let me know.  I have sciatica bad also.  I had back surgery last year because the pain had gotten so bad and I was losing strength in my leg.  Since surgery on the herniated discs the pain isn't near as bad but, now I get muscle spasms every night in my right calf muscle.  I can't sleep on my side or anything even with a pillow between my legs the spasms are so bad I can't sleep.  Only way I can get it to stop is sleeping on my back.

[jshots]

I have thought that I had sciatica. Over the past few years I've had lower back pain that radiates down one of my legs at a time. It started after I had done some very heavy lifting helping some people move which made me think it was maybe a bulging disc. Last summer I completely quit golfing because of it. This summer the pain was much better after doing some back and stomach exercises in the off season but started again once I started golfing. I was worried but didn't quit golfing and the pain actually completely stopped for a few weeks after golfing a serious amount. Sadly this week it is back but not too bad, and I think it is because I have been sitting around a lot.

[Kieran123]

Had my first decent sleep in a long time last night.

Put my feet up on a pillow and woke up with no pain what so ever.

It;s a strange feeling!

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

Had my first decent sleep in a long time last night.

Put my feet up on a pillow and woke up with no pain what so ever.

It;s a strange feeling!

I had the exact same experience a couple of years ago, chronically for about 15 years, and then licked the problem completely with zero recurrence.  This means your hip flexors and quads are too tight and your glutes are likely too weak.  When you sleep, they pull your lumbar into curvature and compress your lower discs leading to nerve pain/sciatica.  Lifting your feet up (as if you were sitting down at a desk? ) gets the lower spine back into a neutral position.  What is healthy is that neutral position with the legs straight.  This takes some flexibility and glute/abdominal strength that is lost the more we sit down.  Again, I recommend a lot of walking and stretching of the quads and hip flexors along with glute strengthening.  Take a knee and lift the same side elbow up in the air with a tilt to the opposite side so it stretches all the way from your knee to just above your belt line.  During the stretch, try to press your tailbone forward by engaging your abdominals and tucking your butt under you.  Breathe very slowly and deeply to a count of 10.  Do it 5 times a day for a month.  That's about all it will take.  Do it like this in case the explanation isn't clear:

[saevel25]

A good book is New rules for Lifting: Abs. They have a unique perspective on working the core, and its definetly around also strengthening the gluts, and the hips.

Pilates also does alot of work on the legs, one leg balancing, ect..

[robinoso]

I don't have Sciatica per say, but I do suffer from SI joint issues which does affect the Sciatica nerve (which can mask Sciatica).  I've had this for years.  I can go out and play a game of full contact sports and be ok, but if I lean wrong, BAM!  When it hits bad, it's hard to walk, bend, even put on socks.  It's worse in the morning as well, but as you walk and go through the day it will loosen up in the mild days, but if it's bad, it's bad.

I have a really good chiro that I visit once or twice max when it's bad and over the course of a week, it fades.  I've learned to NOT rub it.  I don't do the roller bed or lay on a tennis ball or even use a heating pad.  I just let it work it self out.  The joint is the size of a suture on your skull and just jams up causing your muscles to tighten around it and a big bundle of nerves are right on it, so it's lovely.  That is why it's bad to rub it or try to pop it.

The best thing that I've found is like mentioned above is working on your core muscles.  Don't try to look like Brad Pitt, but just strengthen them.  Drink lots of water too.

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by robinoso

I don't have Sciatica per say, but I do suffer from SI joint issues which does affect the Sciatica nerve (which can mask Sciatica).  I've had this for years.  I can go out and play a game of full contact sports and be ok, but if I lean wrong, BAM!  When it hits bad, it's hard to walk, bend, even put on socks.  It's worse in the morning as well, but as you walk and go through the day it will loosen up in the mild days, but if it's bad, it's bad.

Hmmm...this sounds more like what I have.

[robinoso]

Well, if so, then just know it's gonna get you.  It will happen less if you can get your core strengthened and stretch.  I went over a year until here recently.  It's hard for me to stretch it, because my hammys are really tight and always have been.  I googled a bunch of lower back stretches and just about all of them I could feel the pull.  So, I'd find one that is convenient and you don't feel like a goof doing at the course.

[Boyder]

I have a bulging disc that flares up from time to time ... I find regular exercise and 10 minutes a day on my inversion table really keeps me going with little or no discomfort.