One of the women on our PKD board has had chronic severe pain in her leg for many months. After many tests the docs told her she would just have to live with it because her huge cystic kidney is sitting on the the sciatic nerve and there is nothing they can do. But, if it becomes unbearable to come back and they'll try some things. HEY, don't they get it -- it has been unbearable for months!!!
So, rather than admit defeat, she decides to try to fix it herself. If the weight of the kidney is the problem, than moving the weight might help, right? Despite being over weight due to her cystic kidneys which weigh about 22 pounds, she tried numerous positions to shift the kidney. Nothing helped. Finally, in desperation she tried standing on her head -- instant relief!!! But, by then she was too tired (and too heavy) to be doing head stands. She lost her balance, fell on her arm and broke her wrist.
She said it wasn't too bad as she has learned to cope with pain. But, trying to explain to the ER staff what happened and how she broke her wrist was very funny.
The silver lining -- for the first time in many months her leg does not hurt. Apparently the kidney has at least temporarily shifted off of the nerve!! Do you think head stands will become prescribed treatment for PKD sciatic pain?
I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Author
