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OK, I am going to keep this short and simple if I can. Lots of back issues, can hardly walk some days. About 3 years ago had X Rays: it showed mostly mild Arthritis. fast forward: really getting bad so had an MRI last week. Results showed same condition plus bulging disks and some nerve growing together. Shots have been suggested. I would have one and 2 weeks later another. Have any of you had experience with the shots? someone has suggested I see a Chiopractor (spelling) but I am thinking I should try the shots first.
Forget the chiropractor. I am assuming these are steroid shots. They work for some but not others. Its worth a try. I had them for peripheral neuropathy that was causing me pain in my feet and the MRI showed that I have some bone spurs in my spine. The shots did not help me unfortunately, but I know someone who they did help.
Chiropractor made mine worse, went to real doctor and had shots that only helped for a few days, then the doctor recommended RFA (radio frequency ablation) which worked very well and I have had no problems now for over 2 years with any pain.
Nita, guess you mean steroid injections, right? Maybe you are talking epidural. I have done neither and this arthritic back of 60+ yrs advances with age. But have to be honest since on my homeopathic gel for over 7 months now, things move better for me. and I'm older.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 08-26-2019 at 11:54 AM..
Don't immediately rule out any possibilities, including chiropractic. Everyone's situation is unique and chiropractic can be helpful for some.
Cortisone injections are most likely the shots referred to. Hopefully that will be enough to give you some relief. I have a long history with cortisone injections in my knee, back and shoulder. Sometimes they help, but for me more often than not they don't. The most successful for me were the ones for my shoulders, not so much for the back and the knee.
I've had RFA for my lower back (did not help). I've also had chiropractic (some help), acupuncture/dry needling (little help), and tons of PT (some help). Also Electronic stimulations (TENS) which didn't really help and I'm about to try H-Wave electrotherapy. I still joke with some of my doctors that I'd even go to a witch doctor if there was a chance that it could help.
Bottom line - don't rule out any treatments off hand, as that one treatment could be the one that works for you.
Don't immediately rule out any possibilities, including chiropractic. Everyone's situation is unique and chiropractic can be helpful for some.
Cortisone injections are most likely the shots referred to. Hopefully that will be enough to give you some relief. I have a long history with cortisone injections in my knee, back and shoulder. Sometimes they help, but for me more often than not they don't. The most successful for me were the ones for my shoulders, not so much for the back and the knee.
I've had RFA for my lower back (did not help). I've also had chiropractic (some help), acupuncture/dry needling (little help), and tons of PT (some help). Also Electronic stimulations (TENS) which didn't really help and I'm about to try H-Wave electrotherapy. I still joke with some of my doctors that I'd even go to a witch doctor if there was a chance that it could help.
Bottom line - don't rule out any treatments off hand, as that one treatment could be the one that works for you.
Interesting you would mention acupuncture. I have a friend who has been advised, after the back surgery didnt work that well to try acupuncture. Believe it or not it was the VA hospital that has suggested that to him. Our daughter had the shots and it didn't help her. She did opt for surgery, but at my age I really hesitate to go under the knife. Cortisone worked well for my when I had my knew problems. I do not know if that is what they have in mind: I just know it takes an hour of prep before the shot and I have to have 2 of them two weeks apart. Thanks everyone for all the advise. I am just hoping whatever I decide it will help for at least a little while. I do have an ointment I use a couple times a day that helps for a little while anyway.
I have looked for the which doctor but I think her office moved.
A friend developed nasty OA in hip and has been spending $1,000's in recent months on acupuncture and she says hardly any pain but she has a hard time walking. Maybe when she feels "it's right", she'll go with the gel.
Do yo have sciatica?-- ie- pain, paresthesia &/or weakness in any of the places the sciatic nerve goes (hip to toes)?....If not, then the bulging discs seen on MRI aren't part of the problem.
Pain in the back (presumably we're talking about your lower back) is not mediated by the sciatic nerve. Most back pain comes from arthritis in the spine, or more usually, from an imbalance in muscle tone of the psoas &/or paraspinous muscles comparing L to the R side.
Proper treatment consists of PT (exercise/massage) to loosen up the tight ones and tighten up the loose ones, to state it simplistically.
Intra-spinal injections of cortisone +/- lidocaine can help in the acute case of herniated disc, but has less effect after the fact.
Bottom line - don't rule out any treatments off hand, as that one treatment could be the one that works for you.
Agree with this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita
Interesting you would mention acupuncture. I have a friend who has been advised, after the back surgery didnt work that well to try acupuncture. Believe it or not it was the VA hospital that has suggested that to him.
My spine surgeon was the one who suggested acupuncture to me and I had about 5-6 treatments. They actually helped with the pain a little bit, but only for a day or two.
Honestly, the only thing that resolved my disc herniation and my pain from the associated nerve root compression was surgery. I wish I'd done it sooner. I opted for surgery after 8 months of doing PT, getting 2 Epidural Spinal injections, seeing a chiropractor and doing acupuncture for a couple of months in the hopes of avoiding surgery. I do think the PT helped enlighten me to the fact that I was weaker on my affected side than I realized and start me down the path of focusing more on strengthening my core (although I've always worked out and thought I was strong). I really think the PT and my history of exercising (which I continue to do) was a big factor in my recovery and positive outcome.
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