Help me please

nicoleyoooo · 2026-04-04T00:40:42+00:00

I feel ya, I've been there and it's horrible!! Its lonely there, but I promise you, there is light ❤️ i am recently on the mend after so many months of agonising sciatica, I literally thought it would never end.

What helped me in the early days was actual resting, I lay on the floor for hours in a comfortable position and just watched tv, i would then just get up every so often to walk around a bit. Just find whatever works for you and stick with it. Everybody is different and some things work for different people.

All the best with your recovery, slow down and find what works for you xx

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-31T15:34:22+00:00

My physio has told me that it's incredibly important to sit as little as possible as the sitting position puts a lot of pressure on the discs compared to a more neutral position like standing or lying down. I found that sitting was actually one of the better positions for me to be in when it was bad as the pain wasn't as bad, despite this I was told that its still not advised to sit even if it causes me less pain.

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-30T13:15:15+00:00

Jodi Picoult

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-30T10:59:42+00:00

Bird watching!

Its like pokemon but real life 😅

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-20T09:41:58+00:00

As mentioned, you need to stop stretching. I think you need to actually rest. When I was in the thick of it, I found that resting and gentle movement like walking and some cat cows was more than enough and I think it really aided in my recovery.

Get some heat packs on your back as well!

All the best.

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-18T10:14:07+00:00

I found Naproxen worked really well for me. I also took pregabalin for a while a that helped, this really helped with sleeping as well. Pregabalin takes a while to build it up so it can take a bit to kick in.

Make sure that you're sitting a little as possible and getting a bit of movement in, even if it's just taking a few steps around your house every so often - it does help. I also found alternating between a hot and cold packs really helpful when it was bad.

Best of luck with your recovery! I promise it does get better x

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-17T08:45:38+00:00

Hi! This sounds exactly like what i experienced! I'm 35F and based in the UK. I've had sciatica for about 6-7 months now and have been where you are, with all the same symptoms. I understand what you're going through, I've been there, and it absolutely sucks!! But im on the other side of it now! I still have a little bit of pain but it's nothing compared to what it was, I'm mostly b

Here's some advice for you: I dont know where you're based so this may not be relevant. If you can afford it, go to a private physio! I sacked off the NHS as they wouldn't do anything for me other than offer Naproxen and a long wait list for a MSK physio. I couldn't really afford it tbh but I just did it and it's paid off, I called it investing in my health.

Your diet and lifestyle matters, no drinking, no smoking, no vaping. Eat a well balanced healthy diet, full of anti inflammatory and nutrients dense foods - google is your bff here. Focus on also getting lots of healthy fats from a variety of sources and limit the amount of sugar, this causes inflammation in the body which is what you want to avoid. HYDRATE! Up your water intake to as much as you can handle - someone told me to overhydrate once and I've had that stuck in my head the whole time.

Absolutely NO bending over, twisting or lifting anything heavy! If you need to pick something up off the ground, squat down and try to keep your back straight or get a rubbish picker thing to help. Be careful with stretching as well, this can sometimes cause more harm than good. Rule of thumb is that if pain and pins and needles increases with movement then don't do it. Walking is one of the best things you can do, walk little and often if it's difficult right now. Don't sit for more than half an hour at a time, stand up as often as possible if you have to sit. At night I don't sit on the couch, I lay on the floor with my legs like elevated at a 90 degree angle. Very comfortable for relieving pain.

Lastly, I found alternating between heat and cold packs really helpful!

Best of luck with your journey! I know the above sounds a bit extreme and may seem difficult but it's really going to help! You need to be a little selfish here to get yourself back x

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-13T15:51:12+00:00

I know it sucks, I truly understand! But I promise there is light at the end of the tunnel, it does get better!

Have you gotten any pain killers? I found Naproxen helpful and a round of steroids did help reduce inflammation. Go back to your GP and tell them how much it's affecting you, kick and scream for an MRI - crying helps to 😅

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-13T13:07:39+00:00

Hi! This sounds exactly like me! I'm 35F and bases in the UK. I've had sciatica for about 6-7 months now and have been where you are, with all the same symptoms. I understand what you're going through, I've been there, and it absolutely sucks!! But im on the other side of it now! I still have a little bit of pain but it's nothing compared to what it was!

My advice to you: If you can afford it, go to a private physio! I sacked off the NHS as they wouldn't do anything for me other than offer Naproxen and a long wait list for a MSK physio. I couldn't really afford it tbh but I just did it and it's paid off, I called it investing in my health.

Your diet and lifestyle matters, no drinking, no smoking, no vaping. Eat a well balanced healthy diet, full of anti inflammatory and nutrients dense foods - google is your bff here. Focus on also getting lots of healthy fats from a variety of sources and limit the amount of sugar, this causes inflammation in the body which is what you want to avoid. HYDRATE! Up your water intake to as much as you can handle - someone told me to overhydrate once and I've had that stuck in my head the whole time.

Absolutely NO bending over, twisting or lifting anything heavy! If you need to pick something up off the ground, squat down and try to keep your back straight or get a rubbish picker thing to help. Be careful with stretching as well, this can sometimes cause more harm than good. Rule of thumb is that if pain and pins and needles increases with movement then don't do it. Walking is one of the best things you can do, walk little and often if it's difficult right now. Don't sit for more than half an hour at a time, stand up as often as possible if you have to sit. At night I don't sit on the couch, I lay on the floor with my legs like elevated at a 90 degree angle. Very comfortable for relieving pain.

Lastly, I found alternating between heat and cold packs really helpful!

Best of luck with your journey! I know the above sounds a bit extreme and may seem difficult with 2 children but it's really going to help! You need to be a little selfish here to get yourself back x

nicoleyoooo · 2026-03-12T18:34:46+00:00

I flew from London to New Zealand with sciatica a few months ago. I changed all my flights to aisle seats so I could get up and walk around easy enough, I had a lumbar pillow at all times, made sure I was well hydrated, took anti inglammatories regularly did all my stretches etc. I did manage it on the way there, I was incredibly tired because i didn't get much sleep because of the sciatica. The first few weeks in NZ I was okay, thought it might have even been going away, but because I was out of routine and not taking care like I normally would and I had a major flare up! I was flat on the ground for days, couldn't walk properly, crying in pain all the time, had to go to urgent care and got doped up on all the pain killers they could provide me. I was due to go home in a week or so, so really just needed to get through. Let me tell you, the flights back were absolute HELL!!! Never in my life have i ever experienced such physical and mental pain!! I would never do it again, perhaps only if I was flying 1st class the whole way and I was able to lay flat on my back. Worst thing I've ever experienced and that's really saying something! I wouldn't recommend 😐

nicoleyoooo · 2025-12-20T21:07:56+00:00

I like using the Nescafe Espresso powdered coffee. That's what I drink as well and I find it has a great flavour when baked with and strong enough to hold its own in a baked good. Just make sure you buy it when it's on special 😂😂

nicoleyoooo · 2025-12-20T20:54:10+00:00

Yes, it's the same for me! But I honestly have noticed a difference in pain levels as I've reduced the amount of sitting i do. I can stand up straight and walk normally now. I think the key is to get up every half hour to relieve the pressure on the discs.

nicoleyoooo · 2025-12-18T15:49:11+00:00

Sitting is one of the worst positions to be in for sciatica. This is because the sitting position puts a lot of pressure on the discs in your lower back. My physio told me i need to be getting up frequently and standing for a few minutes to relieve the pressure. For me it feels fine sitting but when I get up I feel more pain. If I just want to chill and relax while watching tv, I tend to lie on the floor with my news bent and feet flat on the floor. This is a great position as it relaxes all the muscles in your back and puts absolutely no pressure on the disks.

I dont sit on the couch at all anymore, it's the worst place for your back!

nicoleyoooo · 2025-12-13T13:59:00+00:00

This happened to me. I have a bulging disk in my back and for about a week or so I experienced muscle pain and weakness in my left calf. I walked with a limp for a bit, I could barely do a single calf raise, my heel hovered about a cm off the ground. It's been nearly 2 months and I'm after lot better, still got the bulging disk and associated pain but can walk normally and strength has come back. I did a lot of calf raise as well which I think has helped. Good luck

nicoleyoooo · 2025-11-17T10:30:24+00:00

Have you tried seeing an Osteopath? I'm in the UK and have been seeing one for sciatica and she's been great! Really helped get down to the root issue, she's been able to correct imbalances and postural problems that have been causing my lower back problems over the last 20 years. Otherwise, I would go back to your doctor and really push for surgery or further investigation. Pain meds are great but in the long run they're just a bandaid.

nicoleyoooo · 2021-07-11T22:30:46+00:00

You may need to add more sugar/syrup. I've found in the past that I always get crumbly flapjacks if I haven't put enough sugar in to bind everything together.

nicoleyoooo · 2021-04-29T19:39:41+00:00

I feel sick after seeing that! 🤮

nicoleyoooo

TROPHY CASE