question on symptoms

[mbaker]

Hi all,
I bought Dean's book as well as books from McKenzie. My orthopedic surgeon also gave me a pamphlet with the same exercises.

Short background:
I've had sciatic pain localized to the right buttock and into the hamstring for 10 mos. Occured right after I sat on the edge of a desk during a meeting for about an hour. Pain was immediate. Month afterwards it was so bad I couldn't sit to drive. I had an MRI and it showed that my L5-S1 was herniated to the left (although my pain is on the right). I had an EMG done and NCV test. Both showed no impingement to the nerves but reflexes on left foot were slightly reduced compared to right. I have no back pain, just buttock esp when sitting.

I started doing the McKenzie exercises 3 weeks ago and I had an issue I wanted to see if someone could help me with.

In the first week, I did the sphinx version of the cobra where you rest on your forearms. The book from the surgeon said to stay like that for 5s, then relax, then 5s, then relax, for 10 reps. Do it every 2 hours. Within a day, my low back starting aching and within 2 days the pain started moving up my buttock toward my back. I was elated.

In the second week, I continued the exercise but increased to 10s each rep for 10 reps again every 2 hours. Back continued to ache, pain continued to centralize. My back started to spasm a bit during the day which I assumed was a good sign.

In the third week, I decided to try doing the push-up variety. I did this slowly and evenly holding for 1-2s and doing 10 reps. However, within 1 day of starting this, the pain left my back and rapidly moved back down my right leg past my hamstring and into my calf and foot. This was worse than before. I stopped doing that exercise and tried this modified version where I shift to the left (since my pain is on my right). Pain got worse, not better. So after 3 days of this, I stopped and went back to just the sphinx position for 5s each rep. The pain moved back up to my buttock and has stayed there. It's no longer centralizing into my back as before.

Oddly, I've noticed that as I do the sphinx now, the soreness/cramping in my low back while I do the exercise is only on the right side of my back now. And worse, I notice that the more pressure I put on the low back while doing the exercise, the more pain I feel along the sciatic nerve in my buttock. If I relax, the pain goes down, If I bend backwards, it goes up. I tried shifting again to the left, to no avail. The only position that seems to work with no pain in the buttock is standing and leaning backwards.

So for now, I stopped the exercises and just maintain good posture as I can and don't bend over. Basically I'm resting the nerve. But I'm discouraged that I was making excellent progress only to have it unravel for some reason. Has anyone on the forum ever seen this type of thing before?

thanks,
--mb

[Steven]

Some people do find that certain exercises don't work for them in the beginning. (I just answered a similar question in the back pain forum.) The consensus of the group, and Dean seems to agree, is that the best course of action is to skip those exercises and come back to them later.

There are several exercises in the advanced section which can be substituted for the ones you skip. Just experiment a little and you'll do fine.

[Gaspode]

Hi I am very new to the site and cant seem to post for whatever reason. I am experiencing a similar problem, I was wondering if you have progressed since february?

Pete

Hi all,
I bought Dean's book as well as books from McKenzie. My orthopedic surgeon also gave me a pamphlet with the same exercises.

Short background:
I've had sciatic pain localized to the right buttock and into the hamstring for 10 mos. Occured right after I sat on the edge of a desk during a meeting for about an hour. Pain was immediate. Month afterwards it was so bad I couldn't sit to drive. I had an MRI and it showed that my L5-S1 was herniated to the left (although my pain is on the right). I had an EMG done and NCV test. Both showed no impingement to the nerves but reflexes on left foot were slightly reduced compared to right. I have no back pain, just buttock esp when sitting.

I started doing the McKenzie exercises 3 weeks ago and I had an issue I wanted to see if someone could help me with.

In the first week, I did the sphinx version of the cobra where you rest on your forearms. The book from the surgeon said to stay like that for 5s, then relax, then 5s, then relax, for 10 reps. Do it every 2 hours. Within a day, my low back starting aching and within 2 days the pain started moving up my buttock toward my back. I was elated.

In the second week, I continued the exercise but increased to 10s each rep for 10 reps again every 2 hours. Back continued to ache, pain continued to centralize. My back started to spasm a bit during the day which I assumed was a good sign.

In the third week, I decided to try doing the push-up variety. I did this slowly and evenly holding for 1-2s and doing 10 reps. However, within 1 day of starting this, the pain left my back and rapidly moved back down my right leg past my hamstring and into my calf and foot. This was worse than before. I stopped doing that exercise and tried this modified version where I shift to the left (since my pain is on my right). Pain got worse, not better. So after 3 days of this, I stopped and went back to just the sphinx position for 5s each rep. The pain moved back up to my buttock and has stayed there. It's no longer centralizing into my back as before.

Oddly, I've noticed that as I do the sphinx now, the soreness/cramping in my low back while I do the exercise is only on the right side of my back now. And worse, I notice that the more pressure I put on the low back while doing the exercise, the more pain I feel along the sciatic nerve in my buttock. If I relax, the pain goes down, If I bend backwards, it goes up. I tried shifting again to the left, to no avail. The only position that seems to work with no pain in the buttock is standing and leaning backwards.

So for now, I stopped the exercises and just maintain good posture as I can and don't bend over. Basically I'm resting the nerve. But I'm discouraged that I was making excellent progress only to have it unravel for some reason. Has anyone on the forum ever seen this type of thing before?

thanks,
--mb