question about back pain

[rdemain]

I have cronic lower back pain, herniated disk slong with a siatica problem.  So i live with back pain daily, i take loratab For this problem.  Yesterday i woke up with the back pain so intense and leg pain, an ache throught out both my legs, they were so weak i could hardly stand.  The pain is pretty bad in my feet and ankles aswell.  I have never had this issue before, its so intense the loratab barely touches it..  I am not sure what to do.  This morning when i woke it wasnt bad at all, but about 45 min later it has returned.  What is it And what do i do about it..  

[mkh9]

Hi and I''m so sorry you have so much pain. I agree with the last poster, in that for a herniated disc you should try to get the inflammation down and don't do the surgery route. If it was something else I might suggest otherwise. I read the book Conquer Back and Neck Pain: Walk it off by Dr. Mark Brown and he says that the majority of people with a disc herniation will get better on their own within 4 months. "This is because the bodys defense system will dissolve the protruding part of the disc away. If you don't have cauda equina syndrome which is you lose your abiity to move your bowels and urinate and have significant loss of strenght in both legs,  you don't have it and should recover on your own. He also does not recommend the inversion table. I would talk to your orthopedic surgeon again about when you can start walking or if you want to get a epidural  steroid (to get the inflammation down) or better pain killers to be able to sleep.The same goes for sciatica it will resolve on its own. If you can't tolerate the pain you could get a steroid injection. But, try NSAIDs if you can tolerate them (with food) and see if they help.
I hope this helps.
mkh9

[lilly434]

Hi,

I was in your position not too long ago, about 2 months ago except I didn't have sciatica.  I'm doing much better now but it has been a long hard road and it still isn't great but it's better.

You have a herniated disc which means the jelly between your vertebrae has been squeezed out and it's touching the nerves and that's shooting the pain down your leg.  I'm assuming you had an MRI and that's how you know you have a herniated disc?  Also, you didn't mention how you herniated your disc?  

Do not, I repeat, do not rush to surgery.  It is the easy way out but one you will regret.  Just read the posts on this forum, most anyone who has had surgery is still suffering from pain, most with worst pain than they started with.  Statistically 90% of herniated discs heal on their own in 6 months but you have to help yourself.

Here is what I did to help myself out and I hope it will help you at least a little.  Purchase an inversion table, I got mine from Costco, it's a small price to pay for pain relief even if it's just for a few hours but, the relief will last longer and longer.  If you hate it you can always return it.  I started with 5 min twice a day then started doing less as the pain started going away. While you're waiting for your inversion table to come this site www.drbookspan.com.  I learned a heck of a lot from this site. Do yourself a favor and read it 100 times.  I couldn't do much else so I read that entire site till I got it through my head.  Neutral spine, live it, breathe it.  Stop bending forward as of this very second.  I haven't bent forward in 2 months.

Next I found myself a physical therapist who knew what the heck they were doing.  They are hard to come by, I had to got to three before I found one worthwhile.  I searched for a sports medicine physical therapist.  If you aren't working your tail off to the extent that you can then get out of their quick!  You need to strengthen your back and there is no other way around it.  

Let me know if you need any more information or just plain encouragement as I know sometimes it just feels hopeless.  I have had many pity parties for myself.  I have learned an a lot and admit I am a bit obsessed with fixing my back but hopefully I can help someone else too.

My doc told me two things, first in the beginning he said, "it should be your life goal to never come under my knife".  I took that seriously and thus my search started on how to fix my issue. This last week when I went for a follow up he said, "if I operate and cut off the herniation your back will hurt for the rest of your life".  Like I said, read this site, others didn't get this advice.

Hang in there you will be okay.

Lilly