The trouble is while you have paid in for 35 years,those that have never paid a penny are in the same fucking queue.Bit of an update, had an MRI scan two weeks ago got told it takes 2 weeks to get results phoned up today and was told it’s 10 weeks! The NHS is fucked, blaming an IT failure yet again. I’m on a Gabipentin 2700mgs a day now, I feel like a smack head half the time and im still in pain, looks like I’m retiring on the sick, not the way I wanted to finish my career.
I’ve paid for 35 years into the shit show the one time I really need it and it’s failing me :( looks like I’ll end up going private if I need an operation as I reckon the wait will be years.
Im afraid the NHS is not fit for purpose now and something needs sorting people will be dying needlessly.
Had physio for 4 months mate and been for rehabilitation, if sciatica doesn’t go away after 8 weeks it’s a good chance the disc isn’t going back in. The specialist took one look at me and ordered an MRI. Im thinking worst case scenario if it is an operation (I hope not) there not a cat in hells chance I’ll get it in the next few years. I met a guy from Scotland at my rehabilitation centre who had exactly what I had, all the symptoms etc got told it would be at least two years for an operation he paid £7500 to get the operation done he said it was the best money he has ever spent.@Blue Maverick: who has mentioned an operation? Your first port of call must/should be physiotherapy. The NHS on Trafford are brilliant. Despite my Mri showing problems with 3 vertabrae, the clowns, sorry specialt neurologist and others decided it was migraines. Luckily a few days later I saw the head honcho at Trafford.
Sciatica is just another word for stenosis or in my case Severe Bilateral Forminal Narrowing. Different names but same thing.
Get physio, even if you have to pay but get a good one.
No I haven’t, I’m waiting on the results of this scan before I try anything now, I’m keeping moving but any exercise/stretching to do with my back leaves me in agony, ive only just managed to get back to walking the dog a few miles at the moment and then I have to stick a hot water bottle on my back for an hour.Have you tried acupuncture…I had sciatica for 14 weeks and tried a private physio for weeks and it wasn’t working and the acupuncture worked a treat haven’t had a problem for 6 years and I have degenerative disc disease
Last year I got an X-ray which showed just degenerate arthritis in my back, however come February I was in a bad way, all they would do was arrange a telephone call and I ended up talking to a clinical pharmacist, he was just pushing pain killers at me, I told him in no uncertain terms that that was not curing me it was masking the problem. He basically asked me what I wanted and I said a scan, you can insist on it, they dont want to do it because of cost, well fuck them I’ve paid in about time I got something out.Sorry to hear your pain blue, literally hust going through this myself yet again. Had a bad injury at football at 26.. now 34 and have had it flare up about 4 times since, sciatica only starting the last 2 times where you can literally feel the nerve being pulled like a string down your hamstring, mixed with hay-fever at the minute I feel like I'm 1 sneeze away from being paralysed!
Tried calling the Dr's today too to get some painkillers as going Knebworth Saturday and I doubt I'm going to last standing the day but all they can do is get the physio to call me next week :(
How do you push for an MRI scan because in the near 10 years I've had it now I've never even had a scan so I never understand how they continue to try and cure/ keep under control,something they're not even sure on!!
Try it 100%No I haven’t, I’m waiting on the results of this scan before I try anything now, I’m keeping moving but any exercise/stretching to do with my back leaves me in agony, ive only just managed to get back to walking the dog a few miles at the moment and then I have to stick a hot water bottle on my back for an hour.
Try it 100%
Having acupuncture will not set you back in anyway just give it a go it worked wonders for me you have nothing to lose I know how bad back pain isNo I haven’t, I’m waiting on the results of this scan before I try anything now, I’m keeping moving but any exercise/stretching to do with my back leaves me in agony, ive only just managed to get back to walking the dog a few miles at the moment and then I have to stick a hot water bottle on my back for an hour.
Yesh tbf that's all the physio done for me when i first had this injury, just some simple back stretches I'd already read about myself after researching.Last year I got an X-ray which showed just degenerate arthritis in my back, however come February I was in a bad way, all they would do was arrange a telephone call and I ended up talking to a clinical pharmacist, he was just pushing pain killers at me, I told him in no uncertain terms that that was not curing me it was masking the problem. He basically asked me what I wanted and I said a scan, you can insist on it, they dont want to do it because of cost, well fuck them I’ve paid in about time I got something out.
Im 4 months down the line now, the painkillers are still not 100% but at least I can walk (just), doing the old Google research suggests that after this length of time, if physio, drugs etc haven’t worked then it could well be an operation, I’ve got my credit card ready and if they can’t do it on the nhs within the next 6 months I’ll be going private and be done within weeks of getting my mri results.
I can tell you now the physio will just give you some strength thing exercises to strengthen your core, recommend yoga or Pilates as well, for me u less the get hands on,that’s seems to be their patter.
Will look next week pal, I’ll try anything at the momentHaving acupuncture will not set you back in anyway just give it a go it worked wonders for me you have nothing to lose I know how bad back pain is