I have a herniated disc between my L5 and S1 vertebrae, and sciatica…my Dr. wants to give me a series of epidural injections for pain relief. Anyone know if this works, or have any experience with it?
I’m looking for alternatives to surgery…it looks like epidurals, or a lifetime supply of Lortabs…none of it is fun in my book…
I never had back pian, except for during "that time of the month", I’m not a small girl, I’m 5’11 and weigh almost 200 pounds, my BF and I went swimming, and decided it would be fun to do some cannonball dives into the pool…sounds fun right, The pool was only 5 feet deep, and I had a running start, jumped, and smacked my butt on the bottom of the pool hard!!!
I was in extreme pain at the time of impact, then it faded, but came back with a vengance the very next day…I went to urgent care, the did an x-ray, found nothing, and tried to tell me it was just a muscle spasm…the pain grew & continues to grow more severe on a daily basis, I kept going to Drs, the kept telling me there was nothing really wrong with me & sent to me tio physical therapy…that did not work…One day, at work, I nearly collapsed because the pain got so bad…I went to the ER, and they gave me a pelvic exam! (DUH). Nothing wrong there!!! It took a year for me to save up for an MRI, and voila! There it was!
I manage a women’s clothing store, and my work is very physically demanding, wich has only made the injury worse!!! I am in constant pain & I’m getting soooo sick of having to take pain meds, when half the time, they don’t help anyway….

Most pain is felt in the joints or the point where a muscle attaches to the bone. With the back for example, although the upper back is by no means excluded, it is the lower joints that seem to be much more susceptible to pain because this is the centre of our core.

The joints are the one place where an imbalance can manifest because they can be put out of alignment with a tilt or twist. What happens to the nerve, ligament, a muscle or disc as a result of that joint moving, is the back pain or sciatica you normally feel.

If the muscles that set up the imbalances (usually the deeper structural muscles) are worked on correctly, the pressure that causes the twist, tilt or tightness is released, along with the pain.

When a back develops problems it is not normally something that has just happened but rather the result of a build up of tension and muscle problems over time. It tends to involve the whole body eventually and therefore requires a holistic approach and treating the whole body to get a lasting cure. This is especially true when dealing with conditions like back pain and sciatica.

Due to the repetitive nature of bodywork and the fact that the basic anatomy of the body never changes, a therapist is constantly learning how every different type of body feels, whether it be strong, healthy, weak, stressed, young or old. Believe it or not you can even get a clue to what a person eats and their personality from the feel of their tissue.

Any therapist who doesn’t get their hands onto the muscles and body regularly, which is most of them including, doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, Pilates or yoga instructors and personal trainers etc, is severely handicapped right from the start when it comes to successfully treating back pain or sciatica. There is no way, without the vital information you get from the feel of the body, they could confidently develop a treatment plan that best approaches a particular person’s back pain or sciatica. Even diagnosing it accurately without feeling the muscles would be extremely difficult.

Working with my hands on the body has taught me things I have never seen in the text books, just as it has taught me that some things I have seen in books are not correct. As most text books are written by academics with science backgrounds that doesn’t surprise me, but it is also bad news for the poor sciatica or back pain sufferer who is looking for a cure, or the therapist who’s looking to learn the right way to deliver that cure.

Part of my training included learning the points in the body that stimulate and revitalise weak flaccid muscles so that they start to function properly again. Plus the way to work to release built up tension or stress by helping the muscles to completely let go, in contrast to relaxing them which is only a temporary change.

To find out more about what causes back pain and sciatica access the wealth of free information on Steve Lockhart’s back pain website. You can start with a free video demonstration of how you can get instant Back Pain or Sciatica Relief to in the comfort of your own home at anytime.

The diagnosis of lumbar back pain is difficult and uncertain due to the various conditions which can present with this problem. Effective back pain management depends on identifying what kind of back pain problem is present, and many people have suggested that there are many back pain subtypes which need to be identified before treatment can be well targeted. The variations in diagnoses for low back pain and related symptoms include: postural pain; trigger point pains; nerve root compression; neuropathic pain; facet joint pain; disc related pain and lumbar stenosis.

The spinal facet joints, intervertebral discs, muscles and ligaments are all potential sources of mechanical back pain, a pain derived from the damaged or injured tissues and transmitted by the nervous system. When the nervous system is damaged or injured it can start generating pain itself, leading to the production of what is termed neuropathic pain. Typical diagnoses of this kind of pain are post-shingles pain, phantom pain, nerve root damage pain and diabetic neuropathy pain. Patients suffer badly with this kind of unpleasant pain and it is difficult to treat.

A recent study performed by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, UK, has investigated this difficulty. They recognised that the assessment by taking a score of pain intensity does not reflect the reality of the complex nature of pain processes by which pain is generated. They set out to design an assessment which would take these complexities into account, allowing the clearer identification of the diagnosis and thereby a potentially more accurate treatment. They developed a standardised tool to use in the assessment of chronic pain with the aim of delineating differing pain subtypes.

130 people with peripheral neuropathic pain and 57 people with mechanical low back pain were surveyed and given a standardised assessment. An interview with 16 questions was then applied followed by a specific series of twenty-three physical tests. A list of words applicable to pain descriptions was provided and patients were asked to indicate which ones most accurately described their pain. In chronic pain patients often have an alteration in the ability to feel touch, vibratory and pin prick stimuli so the ability to discriminate these sensibilities is tested.

In neuropathic pain patients it was possible to identify six sub-groups and in non neuropathic patients two further subgroups were noted. Researchers were also able to distinguish the 6 questions and 10 physical tests which were best suited to making the most accurate discrimination between the pain subtypes. Testing this tool on one hundred and thirty seven further patients allowed the researchers to see it worked effectively and that patient acceptability was good. A particular group of neuropathic pain subtypes could be elucidated by a relatively low number of signs and symptoms which were not related to the presenting causative conditions.

The recording of the symptoms was less sensitive in distinguishing the neuropathic nature of the pains than the physical examination. The pain quality was less important than often noted and the pinprick testing more helpful. The researchers tried to link the pain subtypes with specific underlying biological mechanisms, with spontaneous pain of a burning nature linked to spontaneous discharges in heat sensitive pain nerves and pain from brushing related to increased sensitivity of cells in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

The physical examination was more sensitive in delineating neuropathic diagnoses of pains than the recording of the types and nature of symptoms.  The qualities of the pain were less helpful and the testing of pinprick more helpful. The researchers attempted to connect the underlying neural mechanisms with the pain subtypes. The heat sensitive pain nerves were linked to burning pains of a spontaneous type and heightened sensitivity of the spinal cord dorsal horn cells was linked to increased pain from brushing over the skin.

Almost every person suffers from mild lower back pain from time to time. The lower back is a very sensitive area and if you have habits that encourage the pain in your back to appear and if you ignore the problem in the beginning, then you can have serious problems. If you are one of those people, who is suffering from chronic lower back pain, then do not worry you can get help. I have a few simple tips to give you a head start.

Chronic lower back pain tips

Take a short rest

If your back is hurting really bad, then take some time off and rest for a while, to give your back muscles some well needed rest. This of course does not mean you should stay on the bed for weeks and weeks. In fact resting your back too much can be extremely counter-productive. After a short break, get on to your feet and start moving around a little.

Heat/Cold therapy

Heat therapy is a great way to decrease muscle spasms, relieve pain, relax muscles and increase range of motion. So basically you use a hot compress, a dry or hot heating pad, or hydrotherapy (hot bath), to apply heat to your lower back area. Cold therapy on the other hand reduces muscle pain, spasms and inflammation. A cold therapy can be used right after a strain or sprain. You can apply cold to your back by ice cubes, iced towels/compresses, cold packs or you can just take a cold bath.

Massage

A very common and effective way to relieve muscle spasms, tension, aches, stiffness, pain and inflammation is of course massage. It can also improve your range of motion, flexibility and circulation. You can either give yourself a mini-massage or go to a professional, who does a proper massage to your back.

Exercise program

Exercise is a very important part in treating chronic lower back pain. In fact it is the most effective and it does not matter if you have acute pain or chronic pain, exercise always helps. It is really important to know exactly what exercises you need to do, otherwise you can harm your back even more. So make sure you follow a proper exercise program. Most exercises for you chronic lower back pain are very simple and you can easily do them at home. There is no need for any special equipment or anything.

It is essential to get started now and not postpone your treatment further in to the future. The longer you wait the harder it becomes and the longer it takes. Get started today, not tomorrow and in a month from now, your lower back pain will be reduced greatly.

By: Jaan Tamm

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

You can easily and quickly eliminate your chronic lower back pain by doing the correct exercises. There is a really fantastic no nonsense video exercise program, that will help you out greatly, if you follow the program correctly. Get more info at www.home-remedies-and-alternative-treatments.info/cure_back_and_sciatica.html.

Chronic back pain can be so dedilitating that those who suffer from it can have difficultly moving much at all without assistance. Often medication isn’t nearly enough to cope with back pain and spinal problems because it does nothing to treat the root cause Even surgery only has a partial
success rate. Physical therapy for back pain is often the most successful prescription. So What Is Involved…

Physical therapy for back pain usually comprises of gentle exercises that are meant to reduce pain and realign the joints of the spine via a series of gentle exercises. An innovative physical therapy plan can do a lot to rehabilitate the back and quicken the recovery process. For example,
lower back pain therapy sometimes involves the use of an exercise ball. Using an exercise ball can make the core muscles much stronger.

Physical therapy for back pain does more than arrest the discomfort and speed up the patient’s recovery. Back problems are sometimes the result of underuse of the spine and the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the area that surround it. A healthy back is one that is used to lots of movement and physical activity. Therefore physical therapy for back pain is also about teaching the patient how to strengthen the spine, muscles, tendons and ligaments to further reduce the likelihood of future problems occurring.

The Therapist…

A good physical therapist is a skilled medical professional who is more than capable of creating an effective program specifically targeted with the particular pain level and problem of the patient in mind. The therapist also assists the patient to implement the physical therapy for back pain, since the pain is such that they would not be able to perform the exercises without some assistance. Obviously not all physical therapists have the same ammount of skill and experience, so if you want the best you may have to compare and contrast several before making a choice.

Definitely Worthwhile…

Unlike surgery or medication, physical therapy for back pain is actually effective in ninety percent of cases, even when the patient is suffering from long term discomfort. Obviously physical therapy for back pain works more successfully for some people than others.

If you suffer from back pain the only way to establish the time required for your recovery is via examination and diagnosis. Furthermore, much depends on how determined you are to make a recovery and how hard you are prepared to work.

Patients who undergo a program of physical therapy for back pain have usually made a complete recovery within an average of five months after beginning the treatment. Therefore if you are suffering from back pain that is serious enough to interfere with your ability to lead a normal life, it is well worthwhile requesting your health care provider to refer you to an experienced physical therapist.

By: Rob A Watson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

You can read more articles on the subject of Back Pain…Here www.back-pain-review.com and find out more on the
subject of Physical Therapy for Back Pain here www.back-pain-review.com/articles/