For a little while now I have been having a problem with my Sciatic Nerve. It usually only ever occurred in cold weather, but this year it's been open season. Now this nerve runs from your spine to your feet, and the pain that I have had feels like an electric shock running from my bum to my ankle. Lately the intensity of the pain has increased, to such an extent that it's interrupting my sleeping.

Mrs Haddock is insisting that I go to the doctors this week, so I thought I would do some research on the web. Whether this is a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but my self prognosis has come up with the following.......my Sciatic nerve problems are caused by Sacroiliitis. I base this loosely on the fact that my hip has been hurting for a while and that arthritis also runs in my family

Sacroiliitis is an inflammation of your Sacroiliac joint. That's the joint where your hip meets the spine. Inflammation caused by trauma or just plain arthritis can give you sciatica-like symptoms. Sometimes an injection of an anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory medication can take away the pain.

So I'll see the Doc this week and suggest that I need to see a specialist. I don't want pain killers (not yet anyway), but it would be good if some type of physio therapy would alleviate the problem.