My Own Chariots of Fire.
Please stretch out, perhaps relax that back of yours and then get comfortable, because I am about to tell you of my own chariots of fire.
Some months back I experienced my first bout of sciatica. It is for those who do not know or who have not heard of it, an excruciating pain localised from the lower back, extending to the full leg and ending in the foot. Although my pain was in my right side, the left side or both, can be affected by sciatica. It is not the most lovely of experiences and can knock you sideways, quite literally!
What causes sciatica is generally a compression or inflammation of the large nerve that travels down from the lower spine and on through to the pelvic bone, buttocks, thigh, calf and foot. It can be debilitating but my second session of sciatica at the moment is no where as acute as the first. Also I have a good practical experience of how to deal with it and remedy the situation. However I must stress that it is paramount to have confirmation from a medically qualified authority, that if you are suffering back and leg nerve pain, it is actually sciatica. Once that has been established it is useful to know a lot can be done to reduce the severity and time of this most painful condition.
My first acute session of sciatica or my own chariots of fire as it has become latterly known is a somewhat personal but poignant story of perseverance. It is an age old tale of struggle, strain and serious conviction. If you can get over all that, then please carry on and read about my epic event.
The sunlight was streaming through the closed curtains illuminating my bedroom and once again the time to get up had come. On pulling back the bed clothes and moving to get up I felt a pain of extreme severity from my lower back. I managed to put my foot flat on the floor and stand, but again there was a sharp pain, of the type I had never experienced before. I started to lose my balance and grabbed the side table for support. Actually standing the horror of my predicament really frightened me, as walking is part of my health regime. I shuffled forward with my good leg, panting and sweating with the effort to open the bedroom door. I held the door frame of the door and tentatively stepped forward exploring how far my affected leg could stretch before the intense pain struck again. In the passage way swaying unsteadily I quickly felt for the wall to gain some support. Slowly I persevered, each step a gamble as to whether it would be painless or painful.
On reaching the living room I had the next shock of sitting down as it had suddenly become a very painful ordeal. After a short rest, I painfully stood up to proceed with my own chariots of fire. I kept on walking and gradually something miraculously began to happen. Each step was becoming easier and eventually by midday I was walking near enough normally.
Moving, and particularly walking despite being a painful ordeal, did help me to ease the stiffness caused by the sciatica. One tip to try is a gentle exercise that involves lifting your left leg and placing your right ankle on top of the left knee. Then keep this position for a moment. This helps to stretch the tiny piriformis muscle, which sometimes become inflamed and press against the sciatic nerve, causing pain. If you can attempt to do the same exercise with the other leg.
My joy was a little premature as the next morning the pain was back again exactly as it had been on the previous day. At least I had the knowledge that perseverance and walking was the way to combat the condition. Unfortunately I still had to experience the gradual progression from not walking because of pain to walking normally. The hobble and staggering gait, in my case, lasted a few days.
I hope the above is useful in giving an idea of what to expect, if affected, by this condition. In fact generally sciatica is not a life threatening condition although it can be a life altering one and extremely painful.
Some months back I experienced my first bout of sciatica. It is for those who do not know or who have not heard of it, an excruciating pain localised from the lower back, extending to the full leg and ending in the foot. Although my pain was in my right side, the left side or both, can be affected by sciatica. It is not the most lovely of experiences and can knock you sideways, quite literally!
What causes sciatica is generally a compression or inflammation of the large nerve that travels down from the lower spine and on through to the pelvic bone, buttocks, thigh, calf and foot. It can be debilitating but my second session of sciatica at the moment is no where as acute as the first. Also I have a good practical experience of how to deal with it and remedy the situation. However I must stress that it is paramount to have confirmation from a medically qualified authority, that if you are suffering back and leg nerve pain, it is actually sciatica. Once that has been established it is useful to know a lot can be done to reduce the severity and time of this most painful condition.
My first acute session of sciatica or my own chariots of fire as it has become latterly known is a somewhat personal but poignant story of perseverance. It is an age old tale of struggle, strain and serious conviction. If you can get over all that, then please carry on and read about my epic event.
The sunlight was streaming through the closed curtains illuminating my bedroom and once again the time to get up had come. On pulling back the bed clothes and moving to get up I felt a pain of extreme severity from my lower back. I managed to put my foot flat on the floor and stand, but again there was a sharp pain, of the type I had never experienced before. I started to lose my balance and grabbed the side table for support. Actually standing the horror of my predicament really frightened me, as walking is part of my health regime. I shuffled forward with my good leg, panting and sweating with the effort to open the bedroom door. I held the door frame of the door and tentatively stepped forward exploring how far my affected leg could stretch before the intense pain struck again. In the passage way swaying unsteadily I quickly felt for the wall to gain some support. Slowly I persevered, each step a gamble as to whether it would be painless or painful.
On reaching the living room I had the next shock of sitting down as it had suddenly become a very painful ordeal. After a short rest, I painfully stood up to proceed with my own chariots of fire. I kept on walking and gradually something miraculously began to happen. Each step was becoming easier and eventually by midday I was walking near enough normally.
Moving, and particularly walking despite being a painful ordeal, did help me to ease the stiffness caused by the sciatica. One tip to try is a gentle exercise that involves lifting your left leg and placing your right ankle on top of the left knee. Then keep this position for a moment. This helps to stretch the tiny piriformis muscle, which sometimes become inflamed and press against the sciatic nerve, causing pain. If you can attempt to do the same exercise with the other leg.
My joy was a little premature as the next morning the pain was back again exactly as it had been on the previous day. At least I had the knowledge that perseverance and walking was the way to combat the condition. Unfortunately I still had to experience the gradual progression from not walking because of pain to walking normally. The hobble and staggering gait, in my case, lasted a few days.
I hope the above is useful in giving an idea of what to expect, if affected, by this condition. In fact generally sciatica is not a life threatening condition although it can be a life altering one and extremely painful.
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