Please help! Sciatica / SI joint problems

by Lynsey
(Scotland)

Hi Sarah,
I came across your wonderful website only recently, having suffered with back problems over half my life.
I was attacked by a group of girls when I was 14 and punched and kicked to the ground severely.
I am 31 now and back pain has been with me ever since.
I suffered with sciatica over the years but it always came and went.
I've been to several osteopaths too over the years.
The best I think my back was between ages 26-28 when I was engaged to be married and I lost a bit of weight (always been a healthy weight for my height however and still am) and went to the gym frequently. I was doing a lot of quite heavy weight lifting too and my back felt the best it ever was over these years.
Since moving back to Scotland from England 3 years ago my exercise routine was sporadic.
In June this year I moved house.
On Friday 21st of June I tried lifting a large heavy box out of the boot of my ford KA and immediately felt the pull in my lower back. (I think I twisted whilst lifting also- plus the box was so large and I was lifting from standing, leaning position).
I laid it on the car bonnet until my dad came to rescue me.
That evening the pain had spread down from the lower right of my back, down my right leg and into my right foot.
The pain by night time was agony - it felt like daggers piercing through the sole of my foot and I could not put any weight on it.
I went to bed with heat packs on my foot.
The next morning it was still sore to walk on it but by the evening it had worn off and felt pretty much recovered.
The following Wednesday 26th June was my birthday and my husband treated me to a spa day. It included a 20min massage where I had to lie on my front. I asked her to do it gently but I didn't tell her I had back problems.
Only a few hours later my back was a tingly uncomfortable sore again.
The next day after a long day at work then being on my feet all evening, my sciatica and foot pain in right leg/foot had returned.
And it remained constantly until I went to a new osteopath in Edinburgh on Saturday 6th July.
The osteopath 'clicked' my spine in several places and the following few days the pain increased until gradually it started to ease off and the following Saturday the 13th July (exactly 1 week later) the pain & sciatica had completely gone.
I felt amazed and ecstatic.
Then I did the most regrettable thing - I went to my mothers osteopath in Dundee (because she had made me an appointment and I didn't like to cancel it).
He told me one leg was longer than the other and with me lying down, he proceeded to pull it forcefully - without warning or consultation.
It was agony. I was shocked. He was a stern foreign man, trained in London he said, and I found him to be quite intimidating.
The next day the pain had returned.
Since Sunday 14th July 2013 I have now had the tingly, sometimes numb feeling leg and pain in my right foot.
I went back to the osteopath centre in Edinburgh but have since been seen by 2 different osteos.
My 2nd osteo recommended Pilates which I went for two 1:1 sessions before my holiday on 16th September.
I was away for 2 weeks and the issues remained the same - worse sometimes after sitting on hard wooden seats.
Since returning from holiday, I went for 1 osteopath appointment on Friday 4th October and have not been since as it costs me a fortune (was going once a week up until my holiday) and I don't feel anything is helping.
My doctor has been most unhelpful also. She said there is a free physio drop in, but I had already told her I was referred to physiotherapy at the hospital when I was 18, and after my 3rd appointment I was left bed ridden for a week, paralysed. So I have not been over enthusiastic about any form of physio since that trauma.
Since finding your website I immediately bought 2 of your books, and they have shed more light on my issues than any osteos, physios or doctors have been able to.
The last 2 osteos said it is the SI joint that is where my problems are coming from but this is as much as I know.
I just don't know where to turn or what to do.
Any insight, help or advice you can offer is very greatly appreciated.
Warm regards,
Lynsey