Pain in the a***

[Old timer]

For the last couple of weeks I`ve had what people tell me might be Sciatica. I was doing a project on a bike that saw me sitting around in my shed on the cold timber floor through the cold snowy weather so I thought that maybe that was what was causing it.
The pain is in the centre of the cheek of my behind, sometimes it`s down my leg and into my calf and other times it`s in my upper thigh. When it`s bad then even lying in bed is painful.

Now I`ve only been back on a bike for around 3 months, I`m not pushing myself too much at all.
I kept off of my bike yesterday and it`s been a lot better today till I went for a 5 mile spin and it came back again. The only thing I can put it against is it started around the time that I fitted a brooks saddle. My bike is more or less set up right. Before I had the brooks saddle I had a fairly comfy sponge filled saddle and didn`t have the problem (although this might not be linked)

Do you think it is related to cycling? or maybe the cold and the cycling (which I do every day if it`s not raining or the roads are not icey.) is agrovating it?

Dave

 

[Happiness Stan]

Could be muscular of skeletal. If it came on gradually then it is probably muscular. The sciatic nerve has to go through a lot of muscle and if these muscles are 'disturbed' through cold or possibly through a saddle then it is going to compress the nerve.

Have you tried lying down on your back on the floor, getting a tennis ball and placing it under your backside where the problem is. Jiggle about and roll the ball around under your arse and this may free up the muscles. Or if you can get someone to give you a massage this may help also.

Acupuncture is particularly effective if it becomes more chronic/acute.

Good luck

 

[richardt]

old timer,

check out the posts on her [in the health section] and also on the internet about piriformis syndrome. it is a muscle in your a**e which can cause pain in its own right, and it can also mimic the symptoms of sciatica because the sciatic nerve passes past or sometimes through the muscle.

I had a slipped disc, followed by the above. Over a period of 7 months the nhs sorted my disc problems and then in the past few weeks a physio has sorted my piriformis out [the correct stretches etc], but i did go to the physio armed with a certain amount of internet knowledge [self diagnosis!].

if it is that then you have my sympathy, it gave me some real grief, particularly at night.

Rich.

 

[Old timer]

old timer,

check out the posts on her [in the health section] and also on the internet about piriformis syndrome. it is a muscle in your a**e which can cause pain in its own right, and it can also mimic the symptoms of sciatica because the sciatic nerve passes past or sometimes through the muscle.

I had a slipped disc, followed by the above. Over a period of 7 months the nhs sorted my disc problems and then in the past few weeks a physio has sorted my piriformis out [the correct stretches etc], but i did go to the physio armed with a certain amount of internet knowledge [self diagnosis!].

if it is that then you have my sympathy, it gave me some real grief, particularly at night.

Rich.

I have had a back problem for most of my adult life (family thing + type of work) I used to go for treatment every week when I was working full time and it kept me on my feet. I`m now semi retired and don`t have the heavy work and stresses that I used to have and can keep my back problem more or less in check(provided I`m careful and warm my back muscles up in the shower in the morning.) My last disk is just about non existent from what I`ve seen of xrays. I suppose it could even be something to do with that. Heat does seem to help.
Thinking about it, just before this started I had an urgent job to do, (I work on main entrance hydraulic doors) and I had to lift the door from it`s bottom bearing(it was a double glazed door and it was heavy) maybe I`ve disturbed the nerves in that part of my lower back??

Suppose a visit to the docs is in order, I can`t really afford private treatment anymore. I`m a bit hesitant to go to the docs because to be honest with one thing and another over the last few years I`ve made more visits to the docs than I have in 30 years and a lot have been joint based problems that have cleared up. I`m almost 65 and have worked hard since I was 15 so maybe the body is starting to give up a bit. I`ve only just started to get back on a bike(it`s an E bike) and I just live to ride now and the thought of having to give up is very depressing.

 

[ASC1951]

For your problem I would look at a physio before a GP. True, a physio costs, but mine is £30 for the first session and £25 there after and I have never needed more than two goes. There are also schemes like Westfield if you want minimalist health insurance.

My physio sorted out my sciatica - 'posture and age', she said - with an exercise where I lie flat on my back, raise knees together then gently rock my knees from floor on one side to floor on the other. 20 times, rinse and repeat. Do it a couple of times a day.

Your poblem could be different, of course, even though your symptoms are the same as mine.

 

[Old timer]

Might have found the problem

Believe this or believe it not but I think I might have found the problem. I recently fitted a Brooks saddle to my bike, I noticed that it had stretched quite a lot very early on and it was digging into my private bits, also the rear was sticking into my bum( they are quite hard around the rear edge). I put another saddle on today and road 10 miles into town with no ill affects Time will tell but it might have been the saddle, hopefully.