These archives contain extracts from discussions held on the UK Midwives and Consumers email list, a discussion group for people interested in midwifery in the UK. Open to midwives, students, mothers, and anyone interested in improving maternity services in UK. Posts in these archives express the views of the individual authors, and not those of the Association of Radical Midwives.
A question for you wise women...A friend is 24 weeks with # 8. Her midwife
is currently in Kenya, Africa. My friend has had back problems off and on. She
recently sneezed and experienced excruciating back pain. It is continuing 4
days later, running down her legs, feeling like charlie horses in her calves.
A chiropractic adjustment was no help. A herniated disc has been suggested.
She is semi ok while walking, but in extreme pain while sitting, when moving
from laying to sitting or standing, or much of the time while laying down. A)
any experience to share? B) recommended herbs, medications, etc? Even prescription
- she is thinking of going to a doctor, but wants to be sure what they recommend
is safe. Thank you! Tracey
It definitely sounds like a typical slipped lumbar disc giving her sciatica - one of the signs of sciatica ia a straight leg raising test which is what it sounds like she'd experiencing when she sits down - Flexing the hip pulls on the sciatic nerve causing its roots to rub against the herniated disc and extreme pain.
As far as I know, the pain most people experience is shooting, tingling pain or numbness down one or both buttocks and down the leg/s. Also, if the disc she has damaged is the bottom one, it presses on the S1 nerve which has some supply to outer buttocks and could be making it painful to sit - does she have pain on the soles of her feet as well?
The trouble is, there isn't much conventional treatment available apart from surgery but that's a bit drastic. Her doctor or alternative practitioner would obviously be able to advise her better than I can (I'm a 1st year medical student) but I think the main thing is to rest, drink reasonable amounts of fluids (the discs dry out making them prone to damage- they have no blood supply and absorb the water from nearby intercellular fluid etc).
From now on for the rest of her life pretty much, she should be careful to lift things properly with the whole bending knees not back thing, and I think she should avoid lifting anything for a bit although she may have worked that out on her own!
It can take around 4 to 6 weeks for the pain to really go away so I guess any homeopathic treatment for ligament tears and/ or pain would be quite good. Hope this is some vague help.
For a conventional medical description, have a look at: http://www.aafp.org/afp/990201ap/575.html
Love abi x
I don't know about the slipped disc, quite possibly, but you rang some major alarms in my brain that this woman sounds like she has a severe calcium deficiency, this always results in leg cramps and then also muscle cramps as they need Ca to contract.
Certainly, it wouldn't hurt for her to try mega supplementing, she needs to have it be a food-based organic Ca, so it is in a truly absorbable form and not just a pharmaceutical one that would just be hard on her system and then not really do it's job anyway. Most Ca comes with Magnesium and sometimes Zinc, i would go for the Cal/mag they need to be taken together anyway.
Try for at least 3000mg everyday and she should get relief within no more than three days if it is the issue. I would really suggest she try this. Good luck
Darjee
LW updated July 9, 2004