Hi Ellie,
I've never had surgery for back pain but have suffered for years with varying degrees of pain in my lower back and sciatica.
Last year after getting increasingly more uncomfortable and less mobile, and developing nerve pain that seemed to be around and coming from my hip as well i saw a chiropractor and physio......I already knew I have degenerative disc disease, and the chiropractors X-rays also showed a spondylisthesis in my lower spine. The chiropractor helped no end. On his recommendation I went to a physio - who told me that the pain in my hip was actually nothing to do with my (admittedly not major) spine problems.....but was radiating pain from a trapped nerve in my pireformis muscle. I had sessions of dry needling and heat therapy from him to release the muscle. I also had one session with the Biokineticist who worked with him, and who did give me some really good excercises to strengthen my back and legs
But the one excercise that the physio told me to do frequently to release the tension in my pirformis was...
Sit and put outside edge of my right foot on left knee. Bend forward from the hips.
Then swap legs. That simple!
You can also do this lying on your back, with knees raised, then put outside of one foot on other knee and use your arms to wrap around the supporting knee and pull it towards your chest)
You might well know all of this - I apologise if I'm telling you something obvious to someone with back problems! But honestly I've been (apart from minor discomfort on occasional nights) sciatica free for 5 months. After honestly not having a night when I wasn't uncomfortable or in pain for years, and assuming it all came from my spine.
I've read and tried all sorts of stretches and excercises over the years and it obviously makes a difference and some help more than others. But just doing that once or twice a day or when I feel that “itch†deep inside my thigh starting, has been a complete game changer for me.
Maybe it'll help!
