Question
QUESTION: My boyfriend has been having shooting pains down his left butt and thigh for the past several months, to the point where now he finds it hard to walk, move about freely, and even sit or stand properly. He hasn't been to a doctor because he was recently dropped from his parents' insurance, so we're not entirely sure what is causing this pain, or how to help it in a less costly manner. I have been trying to convince him to go to a free-clinic, but that's another story entirely.
I was hoping that you could give me an idea of what he MAY have, and if there could be any alternative or over-the-counter ways to at least lessen the pain so that he could hope to function normally or at least better than he has been lately.

The symptoms that he has seem to be close to Sciatica, or a pinched nerve probably in his lower back, because of the pain that goes down his left leg starting at his butt. He can't sit straight or stand entirely straight without pain in his leg more often than not, though it seems that when the pain is really bad he can alleviate it slightly by leaning on something and bending his leg upward slightly with the knee bent.
The pain had originally been in his lower back about four months ago, and I had given him massages more often than not to alleviate that pain, and it had seemed to help. That pain was gone in a short amount of time, but less than a week after it was gone it had moved down to his left leg. He tells me that the pain doesn't feel like it can be massaged out, like it isn't in the muscle, but rather inside the nerves or bone or something deep in his leg that massage couldn't reach.

I hope that's enough information to go by. Does this sound like a pinched nerve? If so, is there anything I can do to help him while I'm trying to convince him to go to a low-income health clinic (we're both starving art college students, we can't afford high priced medical services. but again, besides the point).
Would massages help? I've been reading a bit about massage, hot and cold, perhaps some herbal medicines that I could find without a doctor's prescription that could help with the pain? Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated, and as quickly as possible as well, since this has been an ongoing problem for him that has recently taken a turn for the worse.

Thank you so much for your time.

ANSWER: Kari,

It does sound like sciatica.

No drugs can help with that; it usually (I'd say 'always,' but I don't like to speak in absolutes) requires retraining control of muscles that are too tight.

Please see my brief article on sciatica at somatics.com/page4b.htm.

Self-help works for this; sessions with a clinical somatic educator work faster.

First, see the article.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I've read your article, and I've been trying to convince him to do the stretches (that's not what this follow-up question is about though). I really appreciate your help, and I've googled other stretches that may help.
I realize that pain medications won't help, but would massage or hot/cold packs? If only for temporary relief? I realize that they wouldn't cure his condition, but would massages help? And if so, where would I want to focus that massage, or are there any techniques that might be good for helping to temporarily relieve the pain?
Would hot/cold compresses help any? Even temporarily is better than nothing, if it does.

Thanks again!

Answer
Massage may help, temporarily -- or it may trigger more spasms.  Hot/cold packs may temporarily help a little.

But, please, don't refer to the movements as stretches; there's no stretch involved in doing them and calling them stretches may lead a person to apply stretch.  Don't.  They're called, 'somatic exercises'.

Somatic exercises are controlled movement patterns always done within the easy range of movement and should never feel like a stretch.

They work quickly, so if done, no other techniques for temporary relief should be necessary.

Please see my article, "When Stretching Doesn't Work -- Beyond Stretching" at somatics.com/page4b.htm.

Show this article to your boyfriend.  How are you going to convince him to try somatic exercises unless he knows and understands something about them?

See, also, the self-help programs, The Cat Stretch (yes, I know -- but there's neither stretching nor a cat involved), and Free Yourself from Back Pain (somatics.com/page7.htm).  Practitioners:  somatics.com/practitioners.htm

with regard,
Lawrence Gold