Epidural for back pain?

[sawinredneck]

My back has just gotten worse over the last few months. I now have constant pain and tingling into my toes on my right foot an leg. Been doing the stretching and exercising but I am still so locked up the bi-weekly visits to the Chiropractor and with TWO of them they are unable to move my lower back.
No one will touch it surgery wise, and I hear it's not anything that they should attempt, because I can still walk. So in exploring options I hear about this. I need to talk to my doctor about it, as well as need to do some research on the net. But I wondered if anyone here knew anything good or bad about this procedure?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Acupuncture?

 

[NeTree]

For starters, stay the frig away from the chiropractor. They're all quacks.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Injection.....

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ral&hl=en&sa=X&um=1&ei=vGjhSaXnMJewtAPhzt2oDg

 

[sawinredneck]

I don't think acupuncture will work for this Butch, I have a herniated disc at L4, I did this around 16-17 years old.

I don't believe that Eric, I have had good luck with them. I can go for a while, then not have to go for a year until I do something stupid. When I do something stupid it takes a while to get back there again.

I thought of the injection as well Stephan, but I have been told that is not an option for me.

 

[Old Monkey]

I know its hard but try to shed some pounds, that by itself will make your back hurt less. Where are you sleeping? I sleep on the floor most nights, my ribs hurt as a result but my back feels better. We just bought a new firm king sized bed, that I am going to try out tonight.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

My ex used to have patches... They worked for 72 hours I believe. She liked them better than the injections for sure.

 

[sawinredneck]

Yes Darin!! I HAVE to loose some weight! Like I said I am starting the excercise routine up. Sit up and crunches mainly to stretch the back and work on the gut!
We have an extra firm king mattress and it helps a lot! But there are still nights I end up on the floor.

 

[sotc]

Massage! Much better than chiros IMO
Darin, it's after 11 and you have a wife and a new bed!.......

 

[Stumper]

Ditto on the massage. Saying that ALL chiropractors are quacks is a bit harsh IMO-sometimes thaey can dramatically help........but standard practice seems to be to set you up for a neverending series of visits where you get to hear your back make popping sounds and thus must presume that your musculoskeletal alignment has been helped. Massage has proven a lot more beneficial to me as well as being much more pleasant. (Deep tissue massage HURTS but by the end of the session I'm usually feeling wondrously relaxed and pain free)

 

[Tree Reb]

I sort of have to agree with Netree, I've never had any sucess with one, that doesn't mean there aren't good ones somewhere.

I've tried a lot of things over the years, most just cost a lot and don't fix anything. In 1995 I had 6 weeks of this, Vax D treatment. http://www.southcountyspinecare.com/

Very expensive, makes you feel good but I don't really know if it worked or it was just rest and exercises that did it, but I didn't have any trouble again for about 8 years, bent down to pick some spinach after a real hard day and bang.
Found a musculoskeletal doctor by accident, try and find one. I can assure you they know what they're doing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musculoskeletal

Exercises are really good, have a look for some. Good luck.

 

[BlackSmith]

99% of chiropractors make the others look bad. If it wasn't for mine I would have been in a wheelchair years ago. The best excercise for me has been cutting firewood believe it or not. I also had custom insoles (orthonics) made. I won't pull on a pair of shoes without them.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I don't think acupuncture will work for this Butch, I have a herniated disc at L4, I did this around 16-17 years old.

You won't know if you don't try. Perhaps if the pain becomes great enough you'll give it a shot. They're not expensive at all.

 

[fallguy]

Darin I know this is going sound crazy but one of the guys at work 18 years ago had a herniated disc. The doctor scheduled to do surgery was going on vacation for 2 weeks so he would do it when he got back. Well this guy was in a lot of pain and asked the doc what he could do? The doctor told him to lay on his stomach over a 55 gallon barrel. This guy could not hardly walk so he was stuck at home. He did what the Doctor said. When he got out of bed he crawled to the living room and up on the barrel and turned the TV. He stayed like that all day the only time he wasn't over the barrel was to use toilet. The disc slipped back into place and he walked into the doctors office with no pain. They did another X-ray everything was fine. The doctor asked him what he had done. He said what you told me to do for about 12 hours a day. The doctor said no one else had ever stuck with it that long. It worked for him. It may be worth a try for 3 or 4 hours in the evening to reverse the pressure on the disc. Good luck!!!

 

[Newfie]

Sounds like home-made traction to me. As for chiropractors,....if it looks like a duck.....

 

[stehansen]

Sounds rough.

 

[vharrison]

Yes Darin!! I HAVE to loose some weight! Like I said I am starting the excercise routine up. Sit up and crunches mainly to stretch the back and work on the gut!
We have an extra firm king mattress and it helps a lot! But there are still nights I end up on the floor.

Cardio is the way to go for loosing weight, and I can tell you it is not fun.

 

[sawinredneck]

I will do more research on the acupuncture Butch.
I think my wife might not like a 55 gallon drum in the living room, but it may work?
What kind of cardio Gigi? I can get on the bike and ride and ride and ride, I can even pull Bubba behind me in the trailer, but I don't seem to loose any weight!!

 

[MasterBlaster]

You gotta do a 'lil mouth work, too.

Research? Frig that, just do it.

 

[NeTree]

It's all about calories IN vs calories OUT, Andy.

If you're consuming more than you're burning, you're not going to lose weight, no matter what you do.

Trust me on this.

 

[SkwerI]

Hey Erik, deserts don't apply when counting calories.

 

[Newfie]

Kooky talk!

So what you are saying is that my 3 hour nap did very little to burn off the all-you-can-eat Easter buffet? 5 hours later and I'm still full.

 

[NeTree]

Or the 8 or 9 beers before the nap, even.

 

[Dave Shepard]

I've found that there is no simple formula for weight loss. My metabolism is so messed up right now it is mind boggling. All I can say is that for me, not eating regular meals has been a real problem. I'm not going to detail my entire medical history, but I almost never eat breakfast anymore because of certain conditions, and that has put my body into starvation mode. Nothing I did made me loose weight. Now, I eat small portions at about two hour intervals throughout the day. I've lost 15 pounds since I saw the nutritionist, and I feel a lot better.

Have you talked to a doctor, AND a nutritionist about your health? The Dr.'s I talked to were quick to put me on meds for things I felt could be treated with D&E (diet and exercise). The nutritionist was more open minded about it, and had more time to look into what I really needed to get a handle on.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Obviously it doesn't apply to every back disorder, but a regular routine of stretching seems to be a good way to aid a painful back. It sure has worked for me, mostly via stretching it out while riding my bike.

They say that yoga is good for that, but I've never practiced it.