Sciatica - Any Tips Please?

[MissLead]

A friend has been suffering for about eight weeks now- she hasn't had it before and has previously been generally in good health. Now she cannot drive, can hardly sit down and finds it difficult to sleep - has to pace up and down for ages just to tire herself out. She has been to her GP several times - he prescribes painkillers and she has attended physiotherapy sessions but no improvement in her condition has resulted - can anyone help please?
I wondered about alternative medicine - perhaps acupuncture? Although I have never had cause to use it myself.

[MissLead]

It sounds good but, have the "many" friends and colleagues all actually suffered from sciatica?

[MissLead]

Thanks Tinkerbell.

[jourdain2]

This is my old enemy, sorry I didn't see this before. My very worst was 2 slipped discs which trapped the sciatic nerve in 3 places. At this point I was offered surgery but opted for treatment by manipulation from a dual-qualified phsio/osteopath. It took him 6 months, but I got better. That was in France.

It started up in UK a year ago, I took (French) X-rays to GP to explain condition of my back and was referred to (eventual) physio, who did no manipulation and asserted that the aim was to enable me to 'manage' the pain. Rubbish! I do the exercises anyway - and have done, for ages.

Only way out was to find a good osteopath (for whom I have to pay privately) and after beginning with 2 sessions a week I am now down to 1 every 2 months and the aim is for one session every 3 months to keep me walking and out of pain.

I strongly suggest that you follow this route. (I've tried almost everything else.) Good luck :)

[MissLead]

Thanks Jourdain - I'll pass your reply on. Sorry to hear that you have been suffering from pain for so long.