Wellspruce (Juneau, Ak, Usa) on 03/02/2013
Last night before bed I spent about a half hour, 1. Rubbing my L's and lower S's and the entire siatic nerve path down leg to just below the knee where the pain ends, with cream methyl silicylate 17% with menthol USP 12% (probably 12-15 min. ),
2. Doing the exercises recommended on this site where you cross your ankle over knee then pull knee toward opposite shoulder and hold 20 or 30 seconds; doing both sides. This feels GREAT and I highly recommend for anyone not just siatic sufferers. I also did this as recommended every time I sat down yesterday and again today.
3. I also developed and performed other joint stretches in lower back and hip joints I thought would help, I did them GENTLY. Be careful.
4. I increased my B12 intake to 2000 mg morning, and an additional B12 2000 mb at evening (began the increase last night). B12 was reported on the Earthclinic under the siatica site to have cured someone's siatica.
5. The last thing I did was take about a half teaspoon of ground ginger in a finger of water before bed along with 800 mg ibuprophen. I had taken the ground or raw every three or four hrs during the day.
I don't like taking ibuporphen so will probably not take it tonight. Hoping for at least similar experience of last night.
Still awaiting the sacral wedge I ordered.
Will continue to report back. Thank you all so much for input.
Replied By Wellspruce (Juneau, Ak, Usa) on 03/11/2013
I pray all siatica sufferers read this. After trying several suggestions on earthclinic for siatica pain the two that healed me are: taking the ginger in both raw root (minced into tiny pieces and eaten throughout the day) and ground (about a teaspoon couple or three times a day) for only three or four days the hot and cold pain that was shooting down the siatic nerve path from back, over hip and to just below my right knee has stopped totally and I believe the numbness is improved. However I believe the recommended exercises that came with the sacral wedge I ordered from Amazon.com has done the most to heal me. I've never even used the sacral wedge as I was healed doing just the exercises. I'll try to describe the exercises, the one I do in chair and, and the two I do about three minutes on bed on waking and before I fall asleep at night.
The three exercises:
1. Sitting in chair, cross ankle at knee, with both hands pull knee toward head while back is straight. Hold 20-30 seconds. Do other leg. I do this a couple times a day. You will feel the tug over your butt muscles and into your hip and down leg. This feels marvelous and I highly recommend for anyone who wants to remain or become more limber. In the deep reading I've been doing to understand siatica, I've learned that done daily this keeps the muscle relaxed over the siatic nerve.
2. Lay flat on back; I do have my head on a pillow. Maybe you could try with then without pillow. Draw knees up with feet flat on bed (the literature recommended floor or table, but my bed is hard). Tilt pelvic area toward your head, rock your pelvis like this intermittently for a minute or so, occasionally hold the tilt for a few seconds.
3. After the above, feet still flat on bed knees together, back remaining flat on bed, roll knees to the left until they lay on bed, then rock them to the right. Rock them back and forth for a minute or two.
I was waking many times during the night with severe pain radiating from back into right hip socket and down my leg to knee; and now I have none of that pain waking me nor none of the pain at any time.
I've had no waking pain the last six or seven nights. I've noticed that doing the exercises and taking the ginger also has my other joints limber now.
I do hope so much this helps other sufferers and that they read this.