Have you tried a chiropractor ?
I did, about two weeks ago when this particular round started. First time I'd ever been. I'm afraid of more damage. Not sure how realistic that fear is.
Have you tried a chiropractor ?
I did, about two weeks ago when this particular round started. First time I'd ever been. I'm afraid of more damage. Not sure how realistic that fear is.
I'd be more afraid of surgery, myself
Find a good one, preferably a Palmer graduate. Make sure he/she takes x-rays. Depending on the degeneration, they may be able to either reverse or ameliorate the damage.
My wife just started going because both arms were going numb. I haven't been to a chiropractor in years, but as soon as we get her stuff paid for, I should see what he can do with my lower back.
Yes.
I tore L4/L5 a few years back from picking up a lawn tractor. Twice. I'm not that bright.
Oddly enough, the one thing that I can think of that was extra heavy in the past month was my lawn tractor. I've been tipping it back for about six years. Can't figure out how it go so heavy...
Have you tried a chiropractor ?
I did, about two weeks ago when this particular round started. First time I'd ever been. I'm afraid of more damage. Not sure how realistic that fear is.
I'd be more afraid of surgery, myself
Find a good one, preferably a Palmer graduate. Make sure he/she takes x-rays. Depending on the degeneration, they may be able to either reverse or ameliorate the damage.
My wife just started going because both arms were going numb. I haven't been to a chiropractor in years, but as soon as we get her stuff paid for, I should see what he can do with my lower back.
My father and grandfather are MD's, so I was indoctrinated at an early age about chiropractors. I've talked to enough people over the years who've had good results, so I'm overcoming my reticence, but I'm worried about doing more damage. I am probably more concerned with the surgery, as I haven't talked to anyone who said that going under the knife for this sort of thing changed their life. Sounds like several weeks off rehab and then getting back to almost normal.
She said I had classic symptoms for a herniated disc or bone spur pressing on my sciatic nerve.
That is excruciating pain. Worst I have ever had.
My L4 and L5 disks were so shot from frequent heavy lifting that some of the material had actually ejected from one of them. 80% of one removed, close to 100% of the other.
The neurosurgeon, after examining my MRI, said that my case was one of the worst he had ever seen. I lost much of the use of my left leg, and he further said that to delay treatment might mean losing use of it permanently. Even today, it's only about 90% as strong as my right leg.
I didn't have a choice, it was surgery or be in a wheelchair. I am very pleased with the outcome, I only need aspirin on occasion for pain.
The bad part comes afterward. They tell you that you will feel great in a day or so, but to do nothing for a few days. Listen to them. I repeat, listen to them. I repeat, listen to them. I repeat, listen to them. I repeat, listen to them.
Sage advice. It took me about a week before I could begin to do things other than just get to the bathroom. I remember going into the garage to get something and lifting up a 10 speed bicycle. Wasn't thinking.
YEEEEOWCH!
The worst part, however, had to be the ride home from the hospital. Every little bump or sway of the car and I thought I was going to pass out.
Couldn't work for six months. Disability lawyers were all over me, trying to get me declared permanently disabled. I told every one of them to go jump in the river. I was only 25, and I did not want to spend the rest of my life waiting for a govt. check every two weeks.
Went to the Dr. yesterday to see about my back pain. She said I had classic symptoms for a herniated disc or bone spur pressing on my sciatic nerve. I need to schedule an x-ray/MRI, but if it shows either of those two, She's saying the only treatments are:
1. Surgery.
2. An epidural of some sort.
Anyone have any experience with these or any other treatments?
Before you sign on for surgery (which is irreversable), get a real diagnosis. "Herniated disc or bone spur pressing on my sciatic nerve" is another way of saying she has no idea what's wrong.Chiropractic can do wonders for a herniated disc (along with taking powdered gelatin -- no foolin'), and can't do anything to help bone spurs.
On my end, I have three herniated discs from a car accident (rear seat passenger) when I was 14. That was several decades ago. My grandparents absolutely refused to allow my parents to even consider surgery. I did the chiropractor thing twice a week for a few months. The conventional doctors said I wouldn't walk again, and certainly could never play sports. The result: In high school I played soccer, basketball, tennis, and was a high jumper on the track team. In college I wasn't good enough to make the tennis team, but I stayed with the soccer for all four years, basketball for one year, and the high jumping for three. And I played a bit of lacrosse.
If I overdo it and pick up something too heavy I occasionally have a problem. Usually, one or two visits to the chiropractor will take care of it, then I don't see him for three to six months -- until I get careless again.
When I was in graduate school my then significant other (who later became my wife, but this was before she accepted my proposals) had a persistent back problem. She finally checked into the university hospital and the neurosurgeon ran one of those tests where they inject the spine with radioactive dye and then do a scan. The procedure knocked her out for a week, but the tests showed NOTHING. The doctor's conclusion? He said since they couldn't see anything wrong, the only option was exploratory surgery. Oh ... and he wanted her to sign a blanket release agreeing that if they found anything, they didn't have to wake her up and ask permission, they could just do whatever they wanted to do. Yeah, right.
I talked her into coming home with me for a weekend visit to my parents. My chiropractor at the time had also been my grandfather's chiropractor for years, so he was sort of a family friend. He agreed to see my gal on a Saturday. He treated her once, and she had no more back pain.
Beware of surgeons. They are trained to cut. Back surgery is irreversable, and it comes with NO guarantees (other than being irreversable). IMHO it is definitely only to be considered as a last ditch procedure, after ALL other options have been explored and tried.