Sciatica and pain Dam Back .. Help

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I herniated a disc in lower back 1995. Had surgery trimmed the disc that lasted a couple of years. Then the disc totally blew out pain so bad it would take your breath away. Dealt with that for 8 years. Couldn't do much of anything. Did all of the therapy,pain killers,pool therapy at the ymca for a year 3 times a week,hot cold packs tens unit, massages. Went and seen a specialist and had a back fusion done on 2 vertabre. Have a couple lag bolts and a small shackle looking peice in there now. The pain was so bad I was ready to drive in front of a truck. The surgery sucks along with the recovery but I would do it all again. The doctor told me the surgery would take about 40-50 percent of the pain away but it took about 70-80 percent away. I can do so much now that I couldn't do for 10 years before. Drank alot of vodka in those 10 years now I don't drink much at all. My .02 cents.
 
Two neck injuries while active duty 10+ years ago and all I got was 800 mg of vitamin M (Motrin). Now I have degenerative disk diesease in my neck. C-4, 5, 6 & 7 are shot. Nothing left. Bone spurs and pinched nerves causing pain and tingling all up and down my left side and both limbs. Physical therapy didn't work. Heat and cold made it worse. Sched for spinal fusion in two weeks. Currently on Fioricet (while I'm at work) Norco while at home and Robaxin for when it gets really bad. VA says theirs no record of my injuries, I say BS but gotta dig up the proof before they'll even consider upping my disability rating. Good luck, hope you get fixed up or at least feel better :)
 
like others in this thread, I've had a bad back for most of my life- I've never found anything that helped, so I've also learned to live with it (lots of hand-on-the-knee when trying to pick something up off the ground lol). The 'heavy duty' painkillers barely take the edge off.
When I was younger, I used to do 400-500 sit-ups a day, and during that period I never had back pain (as my abdominal muscles were doing most of the work holding me up). But as I got older (and lazier) I quit doing that, and now it's back to having back pain almost all the time.
 
I was on Robaxin 750mg, upto 12 times a day. I feel good while Im taking it but the day I stop, is the day the pain comes back.
I did get a steroid pill pack today(6 pills the first day, 5 pills the second day, ect) Methylprednisolone... I will see how this goes.
I will also take the posture and other recommendations posted here into account.
 
I 1999 I fell 2 story's ( ladder broke) . I have 4 crushed disks ,in the lower back . I have never found anything that helps when it acts up . Hot tub and relax the only thing that helps . Doctors originally put me on oxy. Used them a couple times but didn't like the feeling of not being in control . I feel for you . I have had times that all I have been able to do is lye in bed for a week and a half unable to move .
 
MiradaMegaCab said:
I was on Robaxin 750mg, upto 12 times a day. I feel good while Im taking it but the day I stop, is the day the pain comes back.
I did get a steroid pill pack today(6 pills the first day, 5 pills the second day, ect) Methylprednisolone... I will see how this goes.
I will also take the posture and other recommendations posted here into account.
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I have taken these dose packs a couple times a year, steroids for mussel development to get your back stronger and it does do the job, but nothing is better then self help like a indoor swimming pool and developing the best posture as possible... work out your legs and arms in the pool and walk slow and hold that head up :glasses7: I took a dose pack and a cortisone (how ever you spell it) shot in the shoulder last year as soon as spring hit and it got me moving but they only last a few weeks so do what you can to strengthen your back and keep your left and right side moving equally is my advise, I hope this is behind you soon and when it is keep in mind to move smart and do not sit for long periods at a time, just stand up clap your hands and set back down if you have to be sitting :happy1:
 
Im not sure if im getting better as of late. The past 3-4 days ive having more back pain then leg pain. Sciatica is tolerable during the day. I realized that taking my pain meds 3 times a day doing excersises wasnt helping.Pain yes but ive been doing them without meds first thing AM. Going to pain level back off a bit then proceed. I was thinking i was over doing it because off lil to no pain. Im up walking alot with minimal sciatica, More in the hip and lower back now. I think alot has to do with time and all the thoughts and prayers i have gotten here. THANK YOU EVERYONE...........Heres hoping.........I will keep in touch.
 
I agree, Time to heal and sounds like you could be on your way becouse the leg pain is backing off a bit, Prayers always help and one sent for you again on this Sunday
 
my dad is having surgery Wednesday to hopefully relieve this pain-- he has a cyst at the tailbone area-- he is 79 years old, retired-- but has never complained about pain until this. Lawrence
 
memike said:
I have taken these dose packs a couple times a year, steroids for mussel development to get your back stronger and it does do the job, but nothing is better then self help like a indoor swimming pool and developing the best posture as possible... work out your legs and arms in the pool and walk slow and hold that head up :glasses7: I took a dose pack and a cortisone (how ever you spell it) shot in the shoulder last year as soon as spring hit and it got me moving but they only last a few weeks so do what you can to strengthen your back and keep your left and right side moving equally is my advise, I hope this is behind you soon and when it is keep in mind to move smart and do not sit for long periods at a time, just stand up clap your hands and set back down if you have to be sitting :happy1:
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memike is correct on the posture and sitting issues.

:cheers:Thank you memike!
 
I know what your going through bud. I have multi level degenerative disc disease and blew 2 discs in my back at work in 05. Have had 2 surgeries and tried every type of chriopractic, accupuncture, cold laser, phys therapy, inversion table, you name it treatment I could find and nothing helped much short of the surgeries, which got me moving again with less pain but I have to be real careful what I lift (nothing over 50 lbs.) and can't bend much and still have some real bad days, like today. Just got up from laying on the heating pad. Take 3-4 Vicodin a day just so I can get around and do anything. Had to give up a lot of things I like, including rebuilding transmissions, and any type of sports. Now at age 49 I just talk about it. Luckily I had a disability insurance plan through work that pays the bills and I know a couple guys that help me work on my Cuda when i have something to do.

I wish you the best bud.
 
RedFish said:
If you like to kick back in a recliner in front of the TV... There's you problem. Throw the recliner to the curb.
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There's a reason old people love their stiff-back wooden rockers; it keeps everything in-line not unlike a splint on a broken bone! Throw a bit of lumbar pillows and a sittin' pad on that beast, and they're actually quite comfortable!! Also, don't forget to get the ottoman as well.

My mom has had back problems since she was a small child, as her family was involved in a nasty car wreck in the early 60's (hit by drunk driver), and it messed up her back... Being a direct descendant of vikings (hell hath no fury like that of a Scandinavian woman scorned), she doesn't let a thing get to her, so she'd never let anyone notice her back pain... Hell, THE DAY after her double-mastectomy, she was down in the laundry room FOLDING BEDSHEETS!!! >:\

It wasn't until she had her little stint with breast cancer that she started having very noticeable back problems. She told her doctor that after just an hour on the couch, she could rarely ever even lift herself out of it! He wrote the coolest prescription I've ever seen: A stiff-back wooden glider-rocker! She hasn't complained of back problems since. :)


- CK

[edit] Hers is almost identical (but microfiber and a nicer wood finish) to this one: Glider-Rocker [/edit]
 
Well, its like 3 months now. I have made little progress and i am really getting down and very sick of pain. Going to physio and still taking meds. Not so much during the day but definately at nite. Getting 4 to 5 hour sleep at nite and that is split up.I cant take much more of this and really dont know what to do. Getting very discouraged. BTW all the excersises taught/showed to me at first/ All Fuc#in wrong..........:banghead: what a waste of 4 plus weeks. Typing this on my knees because i still cant sit for more than a few minutes. Ever try and sit on the can being constupated because of meds trying to do what you need to and all you want to do is get up.........Sorry but this is really suckin
 
Here's my story and advice in no particular order - and this may not be for everyone.
Here's my story: 1994 L4-L5 disc buldging, PT helped, but in 1997 it became herniated. Nothiing helped, I saw a Neuro surgeon and got surgery. It helped a lot but not 100%. Then in 2005 it re-herniated and I was having that LIGHTENING pain down my leg (Sciatic nerve pain) again and my foot would go numb. I couldn't stand or walk for more than 5 minutes. It was BAD. MRI, couple different neurosurgeons opinions and got my second surgery - cleaning up the herniated disc and cutting scar tissue out from the 98 surgery.

Make sure you have a good MRI done on your back and get a couple different opinions. Try PT and even ask about injections in your back, they help some people, but not me. DO NOT GET HOOKED ON PAIN KILLERS. I refused any pain meds and would only do steroid dose pack, aspirin, and ibuprofen. I am not a tough guy and my back was F'ed up, but I have seen many people get hooked on that stuff and it doesn't end pretty - not to mention it does not fix your discs! Don't go to an Orthopedic surgeon, ONLY see a Neurosurgeon.

Get the surgery if you see 2 or 3 docs and they recommend it. Don't read all the horror stories, everyone is different, and I have friends who swear "I'll never let them cut on me" and they end up addicted to pills and on Methadone. There is a better chance of surgery helping than making you worse - MUCH better chance.
PM me if I can be of any help. I hope you feel better whichever course you go. Back pain SUCKS BAD.
 
Three weeks ago I had surgery on my neck for Degenerative Disk Diesease. Spacers were installed and C4 through 7 were fused. Now the same symptoms I felt 9 months ago when this all started are manifesting in my left leg and hip. Numbness, tingling shooting pain etc. Neurosurgeon said I'd probably be back in a few months to see him again....more MRI's and consults ahead. Good luck to all of you with back problems, it sucks but surgery is/was (for me anyway) the only way to fix it.
 
An osteopath saved me from a neurosurgeon's knife. I have the l4-l5 problem but worse, I have a problem in my C's.

My osteopath doesn't like inversion tables..especially if you have HBP. My BIL loves his.

Will pm you.

Grassy
 
I'm going through a treatment right now for bulging L-2 L-3 and L-4 with L-5 herniated. Its called SpineMed and its a table that does spinal decompression. So far it has really helped take the pain out of my left leg, which was caused by the disc pushing on that nerve. The treatment is 20 visits, 5 days a week for a month. Around $3k and not covered by insurance, but I'm at least able to put on my own shoes and socks and go to work. :)

Sucks getting old............... :(

It might be worth looking into if you want to save surgery for a last resort.
 
Been there. I have had the sciatica pain down my leg. I have a couple of discs (herniated) that when they get fluid around them(to protect themselves) render the worst pain imaginable. I literally cant walk when this happens. I was told years ago that a discoptomy was needed where they remove part of the offending discs. I opted (chicked) out and the only other non drug solution was to lay on my back for days and let the fluid drain off. Stay away fro ciropractors for this. It agrivates the problem. I feel for you man. My wife had to help me up a flight of stairs once. I was in tears.
 
I am 60 yrs old and have had back problems for 21 years. Mine started with sciatic nerve pain down my leg and I have had several episodes where my back went out and the pain was so severe I could not walk or get out of bed. I went to a chiropractor in the beginning at the advice of someone and at first the treatment helped. But on one visit to the chiropractor he adjusted my back too hard and caused me to have a herniated disc that put me out of work for 2 months with the worst sciatic pain I have ever had. The nerve was so inflamed that you could see a red line down the side of my thigh to my ankle. I almost had surgery but right before surgery was scheduled I began to get better.

I will never see a chiropractor again and advise all to never see one. I have had many doctors who had different ideas on what to do for the chronic back pain and some of the physical therapy helped while other did not. I was a letter carrier for 36 yrs and I think the lifting and sitting in a truck all day twisting my back caused or aggravated my problem. I went to work many days struggling with pain to get the job done that caused a lot of stress. About a year ago I went on sick leave in March with severe sciatic nerve and back pain with the intention of retiring in June. While on leave a MRI was done to determine what was wrong with my back and one doctor said that I needed to arch my back more and my discs looked pretty good. I went for a second opinion and that doctor said I needed back surgery immediately.

The procedure he wanted to perform was to cut out the bone on the back of two vertebrae and cut out the two discs and then do a fusion with two rods and some screws to stabilize the backbone. I was in such pain that I was ready to go through with it but read on the internet that kind of surgery had like a 60-70% chance of relieving pain. That did not sound like good odds to me so I went to a neurosurgeon who said there was no way he would do such radical surgery. The neurosurgeon sent me to the best physical therapist I have ever seen. He showed me how to keep my back arched when I bent forward and it took awhile for me to develop that habit. I learned to always have good lumbar support while sitting and to stretch after sitting a long time. I got an inversion table at the therapist's recommendation. The table has a device on it that gives good lumbar support and I use it every day. The first time I got on the table and went upside down my back popped like popcorn and I could feel relief from back pain. I lost a lot of my gut by eating less and doing exercises. All of these things combined with retiring from my letter carrier job has helped me feel the best that I have in years. I still have to watch what I do and have occasional back pain but for the most part I have little to no pain. I know my back will never be 100% but I think I can control it for the most part. I hope you find relief from that awful pain and my prayers are with you.
 
I use my hot tub daily and it really makes my back feel great. Whenever my herniated disk starts acting up again, I do the superman stretch (lying on the floor on my stomach and raising hands and feet together in three sets of five each and then alternating left hand right foot and then right hand left foot) exercises for a week.

I suffered back pain for two years before I learned about the superman exercises. Then after only one month of exercising for ten minutes a day, I woke up one day pain-free.

Hang in there. We're praying for you!
 
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