19 replies to this topic

[GottaSki]

I've been gluten-free for three and half years and grain free for over a year. While I still have many problems from long undiagnosed Celiac Disease - lower back pain/sciatica is completely gone. I'd been seeing a chiropractor followed by a sports chiropractor most of my adult life each time my lower back pain was severe. He believed this pain was caused by a malformed lowest vertebrae. I have not had this pain in quite a while - over two years - I do believe it was the removal of gluten that was the resolution of this particular pain.

I can confirm that anyone with this type of pain needs to keep the back as strong as possible through a good exercise program. I was told at 18 it was absolutely necessary for me to have surgery to repair my back. I refused, headed for the library to find other remedies - found a few books with stretches and exercise good for lower back pain - strengthened my back and never went back to the orthopedist that was certain my only solution was surgery. Turned out to be a very good decision.

[33Diane]

This is an interesting topic. I just got diagnosed with sciatica and am also waiting for results to see if I have celiac. It will be interesting if there is a connection.

[ByeByeBarley]

Before I went gluten free, I had all kinds of back and leg problems and I'm pretty sure sciatica was at least part of what my chiropractor diagnosed it as. While he provided temporary relief, my problems just got worse and worse to the point that just getting up from a chair or walking was agonizing. Eventually, he said that he thought there must be something else to my problems besides alignment.

Not long after that I went gluten free and very quickly those (and many other) problems started getting better. My back problems are basically gone now. I feel pretty certain now that my back problems were related to gluten and even at the time noticed that my back pain and other symptoms would all get worse at the same time.

[nvsmom]

I've had a LOT of sciatic pain over the last 10 years with bulging discs. Eventually one of my discs burst and pinched off and killed the sciatic nerve that was causing me the most problems. It caused some paralysis down my leg right to my big tow... on the bright side, it doesn't hurt anymore in that spot. LOL

I do wonder sometimes if the sciatica was aggravated by the inflammation caused by untreated celiac disease. I still get a sore and stiff back now, 6 months into the gluten-free diet, but I'm guessing there's been too much damage done for just a diet change to fix me at this point.

[BZBee]

Interesting topic! I too have a sciatica but I got mine moving something the wrong way. The orthodopedic I saw at the time said I was in the typical category (female over 30). As far as celiac I know all my aches and pains flare up when I'm glutened, but I just figured it was the immune system hitting the weakest areas.