Health knowledge made personal
I can't make any sort of diagnosis, but if you've had pain for over 3 months, it doesn't completely go despite exercise, massage, chiropractic, stretching - then it's probably simple chronic pain. If you're able to run up to 3 times a week, and it doesn't change (get worse or better), then I think you're probably stuck with it.
the best management for this is to follow these basic rules:
- simple analgesia (paracetamol used three times a day irrespective of pain intensity), try this for a couple of weeks (don't exceed the dose!). If this doesn't help, you can go up the next step of what is called the 'WHO Analgesic Ladder' - usually to NSAIDs.
- exercise as you are already - do the same amount of activity every day, irrespective of your pain intensity. Exercise is good for health, chronic pain and mood!
- develop good relaxation strategies, and I don't mean just chilling out in front of TV or reading a book! Deep relaxation, meditation, or self-hypnosis are all really helpful for pain relief and to help with sleep and stress.
Unless your pain is worsening, it's associated with numbness/tingling/bowel/bladder weakness, or loss of motor control, it's not likely to be anything sinister like cancer or spine nerve compression.
Self management is the very best way to cope - if you can, grab a book called 'The Chronic Pain Survival Guide' written by DC Turk and F Winter, published in 2006 by the American Psychological Association. It's a great guide to how to manage, although from the sounds of it, you're doing great anyway.
Do think about stopping paying for chiropractic or massage - they cost a lot, they're not 'fixing' it, and you might as well be doing something more fun!
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Posted by Mykii
I am a 30 yr old woman who originally began experiencing some sciatica years ago. It would come and go and was never chronic. In the last 6 months, I have really tight muscles in my buttocks and hamstrings causing sciatica and muscle discomfort. Sitting is uncomfortable. Stretching, chiropractic care and a therapuetic massage helped but doesn't eliminate the problem. Exercise loosens it some but nothings permanent and it always comes back almost same day. IU feel like I was in an accident, like I'm injured, but I wasn't. In the last 1.5 years I began running 1 to 3 x a week. No matter if I stop working out or continue, I have this problem. It's to the point that I feel it standing and very much sitting. Unless I"ve always had it standing and didn't recognize the sensation for what is is.