I've just returned from a short 200 mile, 4 day tour with Sciatica, the whole shooting match, stabbing pain in the butt, back of the thigh, stabbing pain in the shin and numb toes. l woke up with it on day 3, I struggled with it until 10 miles from home, when I had to call for a pick up. It has turned into the most painful thing I have ever experienced, I've had broken bones and a kidney stone. I'm on pain killers and anti inflammatory pills and waiting for an "urgent" phisio appointment.
Anyway I'm trying to find out the cause.
I recently refurbished my bike and fitted a new fork and Brooks Flyer saddle. The handlebar height is a bit higher than before.
I think the saddle needs to go rearwards as there seemed to be a lot of weight on my hands, and I felt like I was sitting on the back of the saddle. But as per Brooks, there is no more rearwards adjustment left.
This is one of the reasons why I thought that the saddle was the cause, as the pain in my butt is where the back of the saddle was digging in.
I know that the change in handlebar height could change my back position and cause it as well.
The saddle is going no matter what, as it's squeaking is driving me nuts, even after greasing it as suggested in another thread a couple of weeks ago.
Any ideas?
Neil
Sciatica and saddles
Sciatica and saddles
If it aint broke, fix it til it is.
Re: Sciatica and saddles
I had sciatica a few years ago and know how bad it can be, definitely the worst pain I've ever had. When they ask you to rate a pain on the scale of 1 - 10, it's reset my scale, nothing since has gone above a 2 or 3. I tried a whole range of drugs of increasing strength and nothing helped. At its worst, I spent most of the day lying on the floor. I couldn't stand up long enough to wait for the kettle to boil, I would put it on and lie down then come back when it had boiled. I had an MRI scan and was on the waiting list for an operation when the pain started to recede. I was advised not to have the operation because it could make things worse, so I didn't, and while I still get the odd twinge, it generally doesn't cause me any problems.
Relevance of this to cycling? I found that the one activity I could to through all this misery was cycling. I was pain free and could cycle all day - I did a 100 mile ride in this period. The scan showed that my sciatica was caused by a bulging disc and my consultant reckoned that the bent forward position of cycling just gave a mm of extra room for the nerve and relieved the pain. But I know 2 other people who have had sciatica and they couldn't cycle so my experience isn't universal.
Thoughts on what you've said:
If (big IF) your sciatica is similar to mine, the higher bars and more upright riding position might mean your lower back is slightly less spread out than before, leading to slightly less space for the sciatic nerve than before (but I think this is a bit of a long shot).
Research piriformis syndrome and see if it strikes a chord. Piriformis is a small muscle deep inside the butt through which the sciatic nerve passes (in some people). If it's inflamed it could certainly cause your symptoms. I don't know if sitting on the back of the saddle could affect piriformis (I think it's quite deep) but it seems worth investigating. If it is piriformis, there's a stretch that almost works miracles - I could try and describe it but you should be able to find it online.
Is the pain in both legs? That would be unusual and I think would fit with piriformis syndrome.
The NHS will treat you well eventually, but they know that sciatica often self-resolves in 6 - 12 months, so they don't rush. If going private is an option, the pain may be so bad that you consider it, but that might lead to an ultimately unnecessary operation with its own risks.
The only thing that I found the least bit effective in treating the pain was a TENS machine. They can be bought quite cheaply. A 15 minute session gave me 2 hours relief which was fantastic.
Incidentally my bike is a tourer with dropped bars and a Brooks saddle. I like the saddle unusually high, which gives a good stretch through the back when riding on the hoods - my normal position. And in my case, I can't get the saddle as far back as I would like.
Good luck, hope you find the answer, it's a miserable thing to have.
Relevance of this to cycling? I found that the one activity I could to through all this misery was cycling. I was pain free and could cycle all day - I did a 100 mile ride in this period. The scan showed that my sciatica was caused by a bulging disc and my consultant reckoned that the bent forward position of cycling just gave a mm of extra room for the nerve and relieved the pain. But I know 2 other people who have had sciatica and they couldn't cycle so my experience isn't universal.
Thoughts on what you've said:
If (big IF) your sciatica is similar to mine, the higher bars and more upright riding position might mean your lower back is slightly less spread out than before, leading to slightly less space for the sciatic nerve than before (but I think this is a bit of a long shot).
Research piriformis syndrome and see if it strikes a chord. Piriformis is a small muscle deep inside the butt through which the sciatic nerve passes (in some people). If it's inflamed it could certainly cause your symptoms. I don't know if sitting on the back of the saddle could affect piriformis (I think it's quite deep) but it seems worth investigating. If it is piriformis, there's a stretch that almost works miracles - I could try and describe it but you should be able to find it online.
Is the pain in both legs? That would be unusual and I think would fit with piriformis syndrome.
The NHS will treat you well eventually, but they know that sciatica often self-resolves in 6 - 12 months, so they don't rush. If going private is an option, the pain may be so bad that you consider it, but that might lead to an ultimately unnecessary operation with its own risks.
The only thing that I found the least bit effective in treating the pain was a TENS machine. They can be bought quite cheaply. A 15 minute session gave me 2 hours relief which was fantastic.
Incidentally my bike is a tourer with dropped bars and a Brooks saddle. I like the saddle unusually high, which gives a good stretch through the back when riding on the hoods - my normal position. And in my case, I can't get the saddle as far back as I would like.
Good luck, hope you find the answer, it's a miserable thing to have.