sciatica

Body: 

Over the past 6 plus months I have had a partially numb leg from sciatica. I have a bulging disk and a neurologist said I could have a surgery to scrape away some of the disk to alleviate the pinched nerve. I would like to avoid surgery but am at a loss at what to do now, after chiropractic work, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc. Any suggestions?

Welcome mama. A little bit outside the scope of this forum, unless any of our members have similar experience to relate. Do you practice Whole Woman posture? I'm thinking maybe a consult with Christine, who might be the only one here who is totally knowledgeable about all the elements of spinal well-being. - Surviving

My brother had that surgery years ago for the bulging disc. He was in so much pain that he couldn't even move, so he went for it, although He did try chiropractic first. The surgery did alleviate the pain, but I think he lost some movement from it. That is a hard call to make. What do you do when the disc is all ready bulging? Wonder if Christine would have some insight on this.

I do remember after having my children that I did have issues with sciatic nerve pain going down the leg. I always though it was because my hips were spread out from pregnancies, and after a time it just went away on its own. I don't know if that is just an old wive's tale, or if there is some truth in it, because our bodies certainly do go through a lot of changes from having babies.

I work with a 68 year-old woman every week who had this surgery in her thirties. She now has no lumbar curvature, which has wreaked havoc on her hip joints. That area becomes scarred together and as Aging said, there is (in her case anyway) profound loss of natural spinal movement.

In this age of the quick fix, it's hard to trust in the wisdom of the body and entertain the possibility that these sorts of things come and go. Not that there isn't some dysfunction going on and a way to help resolve it sooner rather than later. The sciatic nerve runs under piriformis and easily becomes compressed by a short, tense muscle. Unlike the orthopedic perspective that prevailed for a long time, it is now widely known that lumbar curvature is protective of the vertebral discs. Please understand that in general neither chiropractic, acupuncture, or physical therapy incorporate the WW perspective of natural, wide-radius spinal curvature. It is this anatomy that stretches out piriformis.

Wishing you well,

Christine

I have for the last 3weeks had this problem.Numbness and pain down my right leg.I have had it a couple of years ago and.I understand what is happening with my body and with massaging the reflexology points and stretching, especially in the shower, has my leg and hip back to normal.I have put up with the pain with no medication and also I do think getting into the habit of good posture and how we do things,like lifting and bending,being aware.Now my learning is about prolapse thanks to this wonderful sight.

Natural posture is the key to healthy hips and spine. That's the beauty of coming here with our prolapse, and finding a gold mine for our overall well-being as we mature and age. It is amazing how everything is related to everything else. - Surviving