Time Off

Imagine a sledge hammer pounding at a long dull railroad spike aimed between your hip and femur (thigh) bone. Twist, bend, or otherwise put pressure on the joint and the pain sharpens exponentially, with echoing vibrations ending in a numb foot sole and tingling toes. It's impossible to sleep or sit through. But standing and walking don't elicit this sensation because being upright apparently relieves pressure on the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the human body. 

Sciatica normally results from inflammation: either muscles like the strap-like piriformis or a bulging lumbar disc, pressing on the nerve root emanating from the lower spine. NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen are the recommended meds, but honestly, they don't offer much relief for pain of this intensity. 

I've spent most of the week on my feet walking or standing because sitting or laying down has been too painful. Driving even short distances to the dog park is painful. The worst part is exiting the car. I'm glad I have a small SUV instead of a regular sedan that'd be lower to the ground! Today I went to the chiropractor for relief. He made some adjustments and I'll be back tomorrow. Then I went to the gym so I could shower. It's much easier to step into a shower than have to climb over a tub, and there's nothing like great water pressure to relieve stress. But driving is still painful.

I saw my internist on Wednesday for follow-up blood work to see if changing my dietary habits have helped the worrisome cholesterol levels I've started to develop. The good news is that my Total Cholesterol dropped 9 points (good but not great) and LDL-C down 13 points (awesome). So my cholesterol is still above desirable levels, but it's a lot better. If I want to get my levels lower, I should restrict red meat to once weekly, cull my use of butter (there's no better way to nuke green leafies than with a sprinkle of salt and a few pats of butter!), and cut back on adult beverages. 

I mentioned to my doc that pain from my sciatica feels worse than shingles. She gives me another prescription for gabapentin which worked well to help me sleep back then. They don't work nearly as well now. I've slept on my stomach for the past two days which is bad for my glaucoma. (Optimal sleep position is on your back with your head elevated.) Laying on my stomach is less painful than being on my back or side and I can sleep for a few hours before pain radiates out of my glute, waking me at 3:30 in the morning. From then until dawn, it's a painful wrestling match with my pillows to find a position that will allow me a few more hours of rest. But it's futile and I only snatch minutes here and there. I'm thinking of doubling my dose and taking a pill twice daily instead of once just before bed.

Sadly, the last time I had a major sciatic flare-up it occurred the day after I did Seated Cable Rows. Even though 85 lbs isn't heavy, perhaps for my 61-year old lower spine it's too much stress. I'm chagrined to admit that using lighter weights isn't enough. I don't want to go through this again so I'm not dropping the stack to 70 lbs just to have another painful bout like this. I'll just have to find something else...