# Oh boy, back pain.. maybe some can relate or have advice..



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

So for 2ish years now, along with other health things, I’ve developed 2 ruptured (herniated discs) in my L4 and L5 (?) vertebrae. How? I have no idea. They frequently ask me if I was in a high speed car accident and I wasn’t. I’m pretty sure aliens abducted me and I asked too many questions so they kicked me out at height. 😆😝🛸 just kidding of course.

The spinal fluid leakage from the herniation seeps into the area just outside your spine called the dural sac, causing inflammation that presses against a nerve bundle and that in turn causes *constant* Sciatica. If you’ve never had that, be thankful.
Apparently these things will heal on their own in like 4 years. I’ve refused to have a micro-discectomy because after looking into it, it only has about a 50% success rate and it can cause further problems. Like spinal fusion. Obviously I don’t want that lol.

Ahh I suppose it was my night to air my dirty laundry but I just had my bajillianth steroidal epidural injection and it’s feeling a little rough. I’m just super limited physically and I’m not used to that. Can’t even ride the dang mower and can barely drive.
I know I can tough it out a couple more years but sometimes I just dream of hitting the trails and getting back to life the way I was working on it to be before this. How am I going to build my cabin if I can’t lift a log? Lol

I’ll be alright, I try not to focus on the negatives, but I guess the sedative hasn’t worn off completely and it was my night to vent haha.

I hope you’re all doing well handling your own challenges in life. We’ve all got ’em. We can all transcend ‘em.


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## Konrad (May 2, 2020)

Thanks' for sharing. Very tough. I worked with people with disabilities along time ago. The most amazing case was I saw was a blind and deaf guy. Another kid, If he dropped his head he would suffocate. 24/7 care. It's rough, I am sorry, I nearly ended up in a wheel chair (paraplegic) when I was 18.

Very sorry for your hard luck mate. Chin up aye it could be worse. It could have been permanent. Soldier on mate. Words are cheap I know but try for your own sake.


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## Karloshi (Apr 6, 2021)

As shit as things may get, be positive. Even bad things can set you on the path to something good.


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Thanks guys for responding. I’m good, After I typed this I spent a little time in silence remembering my my spirit and strength. No good comes from dwelling on the things we aren’t happy about with life, and no good comes from worrying about how things “should have turned out”. More importantly though, everything you guys offered was good advice for all of us every once in a while. Myself definitely included.


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## Valery (Jan 2, 2020)

Try such a rug, it will not cure, but it will decently ease the condition.


https://clck.ru/XDPP7


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## Sean Khan (Mar 27, 2020)

Waterbed? Probably not... might make things worse... just a thought that entered my head. Never know.

Oh and look up Carnivore diet and Ketogenic Diet. You are supposed to heal faster with either. Try for 3 months to see if it makes any difference. I mean if it has the power to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome, it can't hurt to try for this condition as well.

*Do ask a doctor before trying. I am not a doctor.*

My own problems went away when I increased garlic intake and baked (air fried) four tomatoes a day. Plus one air fried onion a day. Plus including more random steamed veggies. This is the opposite of Carnivore diet but that's what worked for me.

I have a knee injury. When it acts up, I eat a million eggs and beef (Carnivore diet) for a week or so. It usually goes away in 3 days. Without the eggs, it just lingers.

Best wishes.


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Wish you speedy recovery


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## devils son in law (Sep 2, 2014)

Thanks for sharing that with us and best of luck to you, my friend!


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## Hoss (Jun 3, 2014)

I don't have the exact problem as you do but I do have degenerative disc in L1 L2 and L3 .

The doctor wants me to have a nerve block done, but I'm not sure if I will unless it gets worse.

I hope you get well soon! 

Sent from my MAX_10 using Tapatalk


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

So sorry this happened to you. You should call on the “Great Physician”. 
He’ll fix you right up.


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## raventree78 (Apr 20, 2016)

I feel ya bro. I am in the process of figuring out what is what with my neck and back. Have had issues for a while, but now am experiencing a lot of numbness and poor nerve conduction. Actually have surgery next Wednesday on my left arm for nerve issues which have caused atrophy of the muscles in left arm, makes it interesting to shoot slingshots sometimes. Oh well could be a lot worse for me. Keep on keeping on.  My motto is "Some days I thrive and some days I survive"


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Thanks for the kind words fellas. Things are okay this morning. I just needed to readjust emotionally. Usually I would never make a stink out of it like that. I blame the sedation 🤪. Had a heck of a good nights sleep though! Lol. Ok back at it today. Nothing a little coffee can’t help with.


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## High Desert Flipper (Aug 29, 2020)

Hang in there, sucks to hear this news but hoping you have better days ahead.


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## Hoss (Jun 3, 2014)

Ibojoe said:


> So sorry this happened to you. You should call on the “Great Physician”.
> He’ll fix you right up.


Amen!
I did just that and that's why I'm not getting the nerve block, if He hadn't intervened I would have had to had surgery away before now. 

Sent from my MAX_10 using Tapatalk


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

They like to put meshes in you whenever they can also. But man all I ever hear is problems with those things. In the surgery they actually remove a bit of bone on the spine to access the disk so for mine since I have two, it would be two pieces of bone. Now I’m not against surgery when it’s needed but I also don’t really care for pieces of my body missing if I can help it! I start physical therapy here next week and that can be a real help for rebuilding muscle imbalances in the core. Also, women nurses seem to have a thing for me and what can I say, I have a bit of a thing for women nurses, so I’m going to hope that’s part of the path to something good @Karloshi spoke of… 😆😉🤷‍♂️


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## prototypicalDave (Jun 1, 2021)

Sorry to hear that you're dealing with this. I had a lumbar fusion when I was 17. L4-L5-pelvis. My x-rays look like someone embedded a morning star in my lower back. That was 32 years ago. I have been able to forget about it for most of my life, but I always was limited in what I could do somewhat. Now it's starting to complain whenever I do something as simple as bend over to pull clothes out of a hamper. It's also limited how long I can walk around on hard surfaces. I get about 30 min on concrete and I have to sit down for a while. Thankfully this doesn't happen when walking on the ground as much. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up needing a mobility scooter in the next 10 years or so. 
I don't recommend it if you can at all avoid it. At 17 it took a full year to recover. I can't imagine how long it would take me now.


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## Jcharmin92 (Aug 28, 2021)

Liposomal tumeric for inflammation. An accupressure mat with neck rest may help. Chirp wheel helped my back quite a bit. Also eat a more veggie based diet with more fruits to help with inflammation and to give your body better fuel to build your new cells with. Diet is key it helps all kinds of people. But the best of luck to you. My dad suffered from disk issues and had to get injections. So I feel for you take it easy and stay hydrated!


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## MikeyLikesIt (Oct 19, 2018)

Sorry for what you're going through. I dealt with sciatica for about 2 years, and still get an occasional steroid shot every other year when things flare up. The hardest part for me was staying positive. Being in pain and having limited mobility really sucks. Lean on those people near you and find something you enjoy for those days you can't do what you normally would. And really pursue that therapy, diet changes, etc. It's crazy how much change we can affect through little movements, exercises and the food we eat. I'd probably have gotten better sooner if I hadn't spent so much time moping and dwelling on what I lost. Hope you make a quick recovery! God bless.


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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

i have spent years with chiropractors-construction,car and motorcycle wrecks,etc,so my lower spine was tweaked badly,between the bone crackers and change of diet lots of water and an passive/aggressive excercise routine i have been able to lose the chiros,and live mostly pain free,except when the weather changes.Best of luck my friend,be good to yourself.time and the body itself will heal.


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## SteveJ (Jun 24, 2020)

Hope you get feelihg better soon, so much is day at a time, and Im usually impatient, but Ive come to accept the fact that something , knees ,shoulder, back etc , one or the other ,or more,, is going to hurt most days. Once you kinda give in to that , it feels like a relief, not so hoping to get all well. And take every painfree day as a gift. Sorry dont mean to sound morbid. Just what helps me keep on keepin


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

SteveJ said:


> Hope you get feelihg better soon, so much is day at a time, and Im usually impatient, but Ive come to accept the fact that something , knees ,shoulder, back etc , one or the other ,or more,, is going to hurt most days. Once you kinda give in to that , it feels like a relief, not so hoping to get all well. And take every painfree day as a gift. Sorry dont mean to sound morbid. Just what helps me keep on keepin


Nope, not morbid at all. There’s something to be said about surrendering to what is. I think it allows us to heal. And you’re not kidding about that one day at a time, brother. I’m feeling a good deal better. Just had an evening of feeling sorry for myself. Everyone’s words really helped though and there was a lot of good advice in there.


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## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Hi, I had a terrible accident in 96', head on collision with a person who was yelling at her kids instead of paying attention. This resulted in my having a massive head injury, and trigeminal neuralgia in my face. Worst pain ever!!!! You can't ignore that kind of pain, most commit suicide. So I had an open prescription for oxycodone until about 2011 when I decide to go cold turkey, I was eating about 20 tabs a day, and drinking to kill the pain. I found an hypnosis program for pain, and works now for me. I also had neurosurgery for the facial nerves. Then in 2013 am 18 wheeler slammed into my FJ crusier and totaled it, and messed up my back. Since I will not take pain killers anymore, I have tried with some success, acupuncture, yoga, stretching, and a positive attitude. But I asked my doctor about anything else I could try, and he suggested a drug called GABAPENTIN. It was made for epilepsy I think, but it didn't work for that, but it does raise you tolerance for pain. It works so far for me, and that says a lot!! I won't tell you about when I was hit by lightning, or when my wife hit me with her car, or when I flipped a 950 lbs tractor on me, it goes on and on. You can do this!!


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## Sean Khan (Mar 27, 2020)

Cass said:


> I won't tell you about when I was hit by lightning, or when my wife hit me with her car, or when I flipped a 950 lbs tractor on me, it goes on and on.


You.. are a very interesting person.


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## Reed Lukens (Aug 16, 2020)

Sean Khan said:


> Waterbed? Probably not... might make things worse... just a thought that entered my head. Never know.
> 
> Oh and look up Carnivore diet and Ketogenic Diet. You are supposed to heal faster with either. Try for 3 months to see if it makes any difference. I mean if it has the power to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome, it can't hurt to try for this condition as well.
> 
> ...


I second that on the carnivore diet, we've been on it for almost 2 years now. The back pain has been so minimal these days from eating right, that I struggle with what the political system is telling people to eat... 
Just eat meat, fish, poultry and drink water, your body doesn't need anything else.


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

@Cass - Whoo man, sounds like you’ve had your fair share of experiences. I do take gabapentin and it definitely helps with the nerve pain. Fortunately so far I’ve been able to stay away from any heavier pain drugs, which I’m really thankful for.

@Reed Lukens - I’m definitely not one to turn down a good steak, I’ll say that much! Haha. Also I have heard that things like cartilage, Omega 3’s and bone broth can be very good for restoring the spine.

*I think I’m pinning some repeating ideas down here… Drink more water, eat more meat, shoot more slingshots! 🤙👊👍*


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Having experienced intense lower back pain (lumbago) a few times in my life, I learned from my physiotherapist that lumbar pains are frequently linked to tense upper back muscles (stress related). Lying flat on your back with your legs bent for the feet to touch the ground, and raising the pelvis slightly, as well as side to side movements with the legs will help to relax tensed back muscles, thus reducing whatever tension caused the lumbar muscles to get inflamed and feeling very painful. A periodic back massage by a physiotherapist aimed at decreasing spinal disk compression can also work wonders. An orthopedist will usually specify what exactly the physiotherapist needs to do.

That said, herniated disks are another story, but various techniques to alleviate the problem are usually implemented by the specialists prior to operations on the spine itself: indeed, there are some risks that need to be considered carefully. I did read about a technique developed in the UK (Birmingham hospital) that involves metal implants (titanium rods) to prevent disc compression, but this is quite some time agbviously, it's better to avoid lifting heavy weights and avoiding certain types of sports where spine rotational movements might be a problem - think golf and archery, among other. 

I don't think that shooting slingshots should really be a problem, unless of course your band set is calibrated to shoot baseball-sized ammo.


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Looks like the forum editor is doing strange things today, hmm.


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Pebble Shooter said:


> Having experienced intense lower back pain (lumbago) a few times in my life, I learned from my physiotherapist that lumbar pains are frequently linked to tense upper back muscles (stress related). Lying flat on your back with your legs bent for the feet to touch the ground, and raising the pelvis slightly, as well as side to side movements with the legs will help to relax tensed back muscles, thus reducing whatever tension caused the lumbar muscles to get inflamed and feeling very painful. A periodic back massage by a physiotherapist aimed at decreasing spinal disk compression can also work wonders. An orthopedist will usually specify what exactly the physiotherapist needs to do.
> 
> That said, herniated disks are another story, but various techniques to alleviate the problem are usually implemented by the specialists prior to operations on the spine itself: indeed, there are some risks that need to be considered carefully. I did read about a technique developed in the UK (Birmingham hospital) that involves metal implants (titanium rods) to prevent disc compression, but this is quite some time agbviously, it's better to avoid lifting heavy weights and avoiding certain types of sports where spine rotational movements might be a problem - think golf and archery, among other.
> 
> I don't think that shooting slingshots should really be a problem, unless of course your band set is calibrated to shoot baseball-sized ammo.


I’ll be starting physical therapy here soon too which is something I’d never have thought I’d say I’d be looking forward too, but here we are. Bring on that traction table!!

(Also the stress part makes sense. Too much sense. I’ve also read about muscle imbalance.)

I’m glad to have been able to get it out there though. I’ll admit it kind of made me feel better about the entire situation as a whole. The forest will still be there, and I’ll be ready for it. 😉

And when I get her all set up, you’re all invited. BYOB.. we’ll need the cans.


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## Cass (Nov 16, 2020)

Hi, forgot, I do have a great hot tub! That helps alot!!


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Cass said:


> Hi, forgot, I do have a great hot tub! That helps alot!!


Well, bring that along with the beverages 😂 We can shoot from the hot tub lmao


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## ukj (Jan 10, 2021)

When people say stay hydrated not sure most know what that means. Tom
Brady drinks 1/32 of his body weight on docs advise a day, for me thats almost 3 liters. So I insure a liter and a half before noon and same after. Its easy to get in the habit of drinking a lot of water every day!
Just have a water bottle with you at all times and use it. Take a pee have a big drink. Have a glass at the kitchen and bathroom, fill it up drink .Like many my lower back suffers ,three
Bulged disks and nerve damage in legs, stretch yoga style , veg and fruit, hot bath then ice get me thru.
Ibuprofren is my go to anti inflam though only as last resort. 
power walks even when not
Motivated often help!
Hanging and head down suspension also sometimes give relief.
Many back rollar movements to
Be seen on utube.
Hope you feel better.
ukj


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## ukj (Jan 10, 2021)

Sure wish I owned a hot tub with
Strong jets but remember best to end cold to calm swelling, be it shower or ice packs, frozen peas in plastic package can provide pin
Point cold ,but use a gel pack
most.
ukj


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

ukj said:


> When people say stay hydrated not sure most know what that means. Tom
> Brady drinks 1/32 of his body weight on docs advise a day, for me thats almost 3 liters. So I insure a liter and a half before noon and same after. Its easy to get in the habit of drinking a lot of water every day!
> Just have a water bottle with you at all times and use it. Take a pee have a big drink. Have a glass at the kitchen and bathroom, fill it up drink .Like many my lower back suffers ,three
> Bulged disks and nerve damage in legs, stretch yoga style , veg and fruit, hot bath then ice get me thru.
> ...


Thank you Ukj. Yeah I’m going to try to increase my water intake substantially. I live in high desert country and for some reason none of us drink enough water out here to begin with but I understand how important getting enough really is. Every cell in your body needs it. I always find it’s best just to sip on it pretty much all day or I get sick. Also, through my survival/wilderness living fascination I’ve learned that taking in too much water in one go can actually lead to your body absorbing less and it running straight through you, so to speak. I’ve reached that age where lifestyle changes are needed and it’s easier just to embrace it and move on. Those that fight it sure do seem to suffer more.


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## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

truth there,adapt,accept,change is the only constant,water is life,but in regulated amounts,myself i love water so its not a problem,except when i drink to much and then have to drive a long distance,LOL


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## ukj (Jan 10, 2021)

Cause this hydration idea is being discussed stumbled on this idea. So
Simple, set a hourly alarm on
Watch or smartphone, ding ding have a drink of what you and the planet are so
full of, need to live!
Doing even now my morning hot
bath and will follow with gential
stretched then ice pack, lower back
Let me know last night time for maintance. I do this often but had many other things needing attention but my physical well being out wieghs.
cheers and thank GOD most
of us here have access to clean cool life sustaining H2O!
Replaced bands on long draw 8 mm
Cause hate slingshots down. Then if course must test, half shots on 6
Mm spinner at 10 m, interesting cause
tired from less than ideal sleep, maybe calmer if figuer.
ukj


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