sharon6

The short answer: get thee to a chiropractor!

1. It's great you're addressing your weight, because if you have osteoarthritis or something, it will only get worse the more stress you have on your back. (Obesity is a source of stress, but it's not the only one. Tara Lipinski had it as early as age 18 due to all the jumping she did as a figure skater.) The chiro can give you regular adjustments and electrode therapy that in my experience with sciatica really help.

2. They can also x-ray you and see if you have a specific injury or problem, like disc degeneration. Sciatica is never normal, it's always a symptom of something or other. Something is pinching on one of those big nerves in your back and you should try to find out what it is. While a regular doctor can help (and can give you painkillers and muscle relaxers) they will sometimes just assume that it's all the fault of your obesity and tell you to lose weight, that will solve the problem. Maybe so, but maybe not. Maybe you have a back problem that your weight is making worse, but that you can separately address. I find chiropractors are more open to looking at alternatives like accupuncture and nutrition.

3. Do low-impact exercises every day. Yoga is great, so is Pilates but I find yoga much easier to do. Keeping moving is important unless you're in the grips of a severe episode. If you have access to a pool, you should swim. Biking is also easier on the back than walking (in my experience). You could even buy a recumbent bike (that lets you sit back). They have these for the road and for the home.

4. Keep a pain journal that includes such things as activity level and menstrual cycle and eventually you might see patterns. There are the obvious things like osteoarthritis, herniated disks, etc. but if your back pain is substantially worse around your period it could be a sign of endometriosis. Sometimes endo even causes lesions to grow on or near the sciatic nerve itself and this would be very difficult to see unless the dr was specifically looking for it.

5. Try the Perricone diet, which is based on anti-inflammatory theory. Basically it's strictly low glycemic diet (like nutrisystem, south beach, etc.) with additional emphasis on specific "super foods" like salmon and probiotic dairy (yogurt, etc.). I have just gone on this to address various issues including my weight but I can't tell you any results yet. The low glycemic diet DOES do a good job of keeping my energy level even throughout the day.

6. While at home, make a regular practice of hot baths, heating pads, etc. It may be worth joining a gym just to have access to a pool and hot tub. The warm water is very helpful and the bouyancy takes some of the stress of your joints.

7. Finally, make sure you can get therapeutic sleep to help your weight loss and exercise efforts. Have a good mattress (the ideal firmness depends on your sleeping position) and that your bedroom is decorated for restful sleep, not watching TV, working on the computer, etc.