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My daughter who is mid 40s has a bulging disc in her lower back—
It is causing persistent leg pain and back pain waxing and waining for 10 or more years—
Likely from being T-boned by another car who ran stop sign and having her Trailblazer rolled—she and husband wound up upside down in their vehicle—
She has been seeing a dr who is sports medicine/chiropractor for years
Recently been to see a neurologist who operated successfully on a friend of hers for different disc problem—
He has very good reputation in area
Neurologist RX Gabapentin 3x a day for pain management and did some imagery tests
Said that hopefully her disc problem could be managed by injections to relieve inflammation, pain meds, exercises and thus postpone surgery
She is testing coordination for 2-12 school and works at desk much of time now vs teaching and being on her feet but she does move around during the day. She has busy schedule, has 10 yr old son with activities, and finds time for things like yoga hard to come by
She had her second pain shot today and while the Gabapentin seemed to work well initially I think her body has acclimated and she doesn’t get as much relief after a couple of weeks…I know GABA takes time to work properly but her dr said it might not be that beneficial—for some people it works very well—others not so much
She is trying acupuncture now (which her ins does not cover) and is waiting to see if that helps
They have bought a new more supportive mattress—used a foam before which seemed too soft—and she likely had allergies to it she didn’t recognize until it was replaced…
She said the image showed her disc was not deteriorating and the “bulging” seemed to be pretty symmetrical
But the neurologist said that he only did two surgeries on patients with condition like hers
I realize she could get a second opinion but her teachers’ insurance is not that widely accepted—and she would prefer to avoid surgery if possible…
She had a really severe pain episode around Christmas that required couple of ER visits and Oxy and I think it is the fear of another one like that hovering over her that is causing lot of anxiety
I have a TENS unit that doesn’t require wires so pretty unobtrusive that could be worn/used at work
And I have suggested she try it but she didn’t take me up on it
Herniated lumbar disks do not cause back pain. They do account for pain, parasthesia and weakness down the leg...That can cause a change in mechanics (your dog knows your step ) and that can put a strain on the low back...I call that Dizzy Dean Syndrome-- Dizzy was a great baseball pitcher, but got hit in the foot with a line drive, breaking his toe. That pain caused him to change his delivery, which put a strain on his arm, and his arm went dead, shortening his career. But I digress--
Exercise to strengthen the glute on the affected side and to stretch the psoas muscle may help. Pain pills, TENS, icy hot, accupuncture etc are cover-ups that may or may not help....The pinched nerve may prevent the glute &/or thigh muscles from regaining proper tone-- surgery by an experienced surgeon is her only hope in that case.
Injections of steroids probably won't help much for an old injury, although if it's a recent aggravation of the old one, it may help to reduce new swelling more quickly. Those are usually given with some lidocaine, but like after going to the dentist, that wears off pretty quckly (hours).
If you want to try PT, find a therapist who is certified in that method, and who can work with you 1-on-1 for 30-40 mins. Lots of PT clinics will have PTs working on several patients at the same time. In the business, they are called "mills" and provide subpar care.
If you want to try PT, find a therapist who is certified in that method, and who can work with you 1-on-1 for 30-40 mins. Lots of PT clinics will have PTs working on several patients at the same time. In the business, they are called "mills" and provide subpar care.
Great advice. And best to work with just 1 PT who will know you and remember every bit of your progress. The big box PT chain ("mills") I used had 2-3 PTs on floor + Aides so you'd end up with a different one each time. Even with notes, the differences between them were noticeable because they didn't remember your progress...overaggressive treatment can result.
If you want to try PT, find a therapist who is certified in that method, and who can work with you 1-on-1 for 30-40 mins. Lots of PT clinics will have PTs working on several patients at the same time. In the business, they are called "mills" and provide subpar care.
This method cured my spouse of long-term sciatica...and the Doc (chiropractor) he finally saw taught him how to do the exercises at home so he didn't have to keep coming back..
Finally getting pain relief was amazing after his primary care Doc couldn't help at all except to prescribe pain relief meds... .
I recommend this book: "Healing Back Pain" by Dr. John Sarno. Your daughter might find it helpful.
On the other hand, your daughter needs to find time to exercise, stretching, squats (for glutes), something, anything but daily even for 15 min. Every day. She'll feel much better mentally also, you'll see. But she has to do it!
Exercise, stretching (I do Pilates and Yoga at home), aerobic and strength training all these helped/help me to have a decent life. Living with chronic back pain can be very stressful.
She might want to try some form of breathing exercises, even meditation...for coping with this condition.
I just listened to a podcast where Dr. Mercola interviews Tony Robbins about regenerative medicine. Robbins discusses different emerging therapies, such as stem cells, PLP or PRP (can't remember the initials), and some others. He himself had stem cells and another procedure done, I think for his shoulder. He said the pain was gone within 4 days. The name of the episode is "Best of Series - The Exciting Emergence of Regenerative Medicine" by Dr. Joseph Mercola. It's on Google Podcasts.
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