Suffering through Sciatica

I have been suffering through Sciatica for the past 15 months and would try just about anything to get this pain to stop.  I have purchased an inversion table and started hanging upside down.  I can't say it has taken the pain away.  It has seemed to improve my relationship with my pets.  When hanging upside down my cat continually rubs his head up against my head and my dog tries to lick me in the face.  You're supposed to be completely relaxed when you hang upside down.  I feel more like I'm swatting at mosquitos.  I've tried rolling around on a tennis ball and a lacrosse ball.  Again they didn't make the pain go away but my dog would constantly try to get the balls.  Finally, I decided to buy a rowing machine.  I figured less weight on my body, less strain on my spine, less pain in my leg.  Seemed like a good idea to me.  I purchased my rowing machine, had it delivered and my dog proceeded to help me tear open the box.  My Mom was stopping by my house that night and I told her "come downstairs to check out my rower."  She walked into the room and said, "Where is it?"  My Mother is 68.  No dementia or anything.  I'm looking right at the rower and we're standing right in front of it.  I point and say, "That's the rower, right there."  She looks at me and in all seriousness says, "I thought it would look like a boat".  This was the same day I told her she needed to get a DVR so she could pause live TV.  She said, "I don't need a DVR," pointing at the DVD player she got for Christmas in 1994, "I can watch DVDs right there.  There's nothing wrong with my pause button."