Bulging disk, sciatic pain down the right leg, numb foot, can't work - scared

compression causes bulging disc like lifting to much wieght the only way to get fluid back in the disc is to decompress the disc using inversion table or the new method where you lay on a table and the strape your torso from your chest to your hips then it pulls in opposite directions while using an mri to watch the disc.

I agree with some of these. Chiropractor, ice, exercise. Believe it or not, twisting your ankle can cause this also.

After I stopped seeing the chiropractor I learned how to deal with these things on my own. I did internet searches for the proper exercises for my symptoms.

bone crackers can't help disc problems only traction basic physics

I used to cry myself to sleep from pain of Sciatica down right leg. I could only walk about 20 ft and would have to find place to sit because of pain. Google Apple Cider Vinegar, Sciatica! 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in 6 oz. of water with 1 Talblespoon of honey for taste, twice a day! Inside of 2 weeks all of the pain GONE! Still have numbness in feet and weak legs, but the pain is gone! Try it Bro, it works. Good Luck!

This is simplistic and inaccurate:

1) Most/many chiropractors also administer traction as part of their therapy,

2) Many back problems, including those such as the op has, originate from prior structural/alignment problems that have gone unexpressed or unrecognized.

A good chiro will administer a course of therapy - including traction as appropriate - that will address the current injury and any underlying problems. If only the current injury is addressed the problem will recur.

Been there, been healed. Once with a very serious whiplash injury that came close to severing my spinal cord. And with a chronic lower back problem that I stupidly kept re-injuring because the chiro treatment made me feel so much better I would do things I should not have done - like lift two sheets of drywall over my head, take jump 20' jumps on the ski slopes, or ride a motorcycle several hundred miles.

If you can keep from doing stupid stuff like that before you're fully healed you'll do fine.

In any event the OP can find out whether this can be effective after about four weeks or less and for less than what he's probably spending on the vodka and vicodins. When I had my whiplash injury the pain was reduced by about 50 percent about 12 hours after just the first treatment.

dont know if this can help you but since it helped me I will pass it on.

Meditation.

yes, meditation.. I didnt learn this trick anywhere but I have recently started meditating and reading up on it. I read testimony from a cancer patient who said at first it stopped his pain then cured him alltogether.

I broke mine years ago and occasionally have pain when Im out of shape (usually from other injuries) last week I was doing some pretty hardcore off-roading on my moto and my back started to hurt. not good considering where I was and what I had ahead of me to get back to civilization.

I decided to take a break and then remembered the guy that said meditation helped his pain. I had only been practicing meditation for a couple of weeks before. I had successfully cleared my mind at home so I figured it couldnt hurt to try it here.

I meditated for maybe 5 minutes and could not clear my mind (I was in a desperate situation at the time) so I gave up. however that did something anyway and my back was OK and that never happens after my back pain shows up until after a good sleep.

I cant explain it but it worked and gave me even more reason to continue to practice and learn more about it.

give it a try! lots of info on the subject here and elsewhere but it gets kinda heavy. basically all I know is focus all attention on your breath at the nostrils, dont change anything just be aware of breath only and dont think of anything. thats the basics.

I know how bad back pain can be, thats why I post. so I hope this can help you if nothing else and maybe others reading too.


I know what the first thing I will be trying anytime I have pain from now on.

try the spinal injections t mehey wlorked for

me

I rupture a lumbar disc after giving birth to a 10 lb, sunny side up, baby. I was immediately placed on Norco, which made me a complete zombie. I was also offered shots. I rolled the dice and went with the lumbar discectomy. The sciatic nerve pain shooting down my leg was so bad I wanted to die. Surgery brought immediate relief. I know spine surgery doesn't help everyone. My husband had a fusion on c6-c7 in 2009, and he is still in excruciating pain. A recent myelogram ct scan showed a herniation of c5-c6. I understand the pain you are in all to well. Hope you can find what works for you to get rid if the pain. : \

Opinion
If you injured it while moving, then it sounds like a displacement of your disk.

I think you need to put it back.

Imagine dislocating your shoulder and getting pain pills for it but never putting it back into place.

I think you must fix what you've altered and I'm not talking surgery.

I think you need an alignment specialist, a chiropractor.
A chiropractor could fix that sciatic nerve also.

I know a woman who got the sciatic nerve problem during pregnancy. Left leg was unuseable in the middle of the night. She'd limp to the bathroom but walk back to bed and hated dealing with that nerve. A chiropractor fixed that alignment problem.

It seems you are out of alignment and until your skeletal structure is fixed I don't suspect you'll get better. Over time your muscles and spine may modify for the condition, your body could make permanent changes in an attempt to compensate for the damage and if you wait to long to see one, they may not be able to correct what your body has done to compensate..like a fused spine or extra bone growth in certain areas of the spine.

I;m not a doctor, I play one at home but not on the internet.
This is only opinion and always your choice what you will do with you / for you.

I have experienced what you're going thru, OP.
I thought it would never end! There's nothing worlse than "nerve pain" IMO - opiates don't touch it!

I had surgery & got great relief (two discs) but wanted to let you know that Lyrica (oral drug) is inexpensive & worked MIRACLES for me.

I wouldnt recommend it long term (side effects like weight gain, leading to diabetes, etc) but for 2 or 3 months it saved me from contemplating suicide because of the inexpressible pain.

It's agony to not be able to sit or lay down, I know.

Hang in there, get some Lyrica, hold on...it will either pass or require surgery.

I chose my surgeon (luckily I work in surgery & knew who I wanted to operate on me, from personal experience of assisting different neuro docs) and had great results.

Ask around, if you don't know any neurosurgeons personally.

Good luck - big hugs, Hope & Prayers headed your way.

1) chiropractic treatments
2) inversion table
3) diatomaceous earth - putting up link if mods delete goggle it "earthworkshealth" [link to www.earthworkshealth.com]

Chiropractor - YES!! I pinched the sciatic nerve a couple years ago doing spin kicks. He had me up & kicking again(although cautiously at first) in about 10 days. Much better option than drugs &/or surgery. Best of luck, OP.

Honey, that's nothing. I'm a woman and I have like 8 bulging discs in my lower spine, compression going on, bulging discs and bone spurs on each level of my cervical (neck) area. I have electrical impulses going down my legs all the time, pinched nerve in my neck, and have an area in my lower back which is compressing the thecal sac that could cause paralysis and I'm only 55. I have to live with it and most likely have to have surgery down the road. I take only Advil or Arthritis Strength Tylenol. You men are such babies. But I will try to help you here. You need to start exercising especially building your "core" muscles to get that back strengthened. Helped me a lot, oh and use those "Thermacare" heat packs. They work great!! But exercise is the key. Now quit your whining.

Hi OP>>>I know what you are going through......I had a bulging disk that pressed in the subcutaneous nerve on my left leg and it started to go numb. The Throbbing pain was excruciating...was taking 2 perc every four hours just to get through the day. I was finally referred to The Spine Center...The Center for pain management - There's probably a group in your area...Google it..your problem is that the bulging disk is pressing on your sciatic nerve and nothing by mouth will help that as there is no blood flow to your disks. You need to get a steroid injection to that disk to shrink it. I did and as soon as I got it the pain went away and I started to go back to normal after 4 months of agony.
Yes IB and Skelaxin will help but you need to get that disk settled down....Then the stretching, exercise etc will help keep you out of trouble...I've also gotten a great deal of help from the "Get Back 2 Life" Machine....well worth it...cheaper than an inversion table and much better....
Hope this helps.

I had the same thing happen this June. Out of work for 4 weeks. Nearly lost my job. I was going the route of the Dr. but my gf convinced me to try chiropractic. Got lucky and got a good chiro who suggested DECOMPRESSION. It took about two weeks before it started making a difference and, then, I started getting better exponentially. It worked amazing. I'm back on my mountain bike again and recently put in a 24' pool, so the back is almost 100% you might say... just two months later... good luck!

well,thats mighty useless of you.

I'm so tired of you smart asses. The guy is desperate. A bottle of Smirnoff costs like $10. Like $10 is going to fucking matter when you are hundreds in the hole. Leave him alone already, assholes. Those of you telling him to get to work are the worst, and most likely projecting due to your own inexcusable laziness. At least OP has a genuine disability going on and clearly he WANTS to work which is why he is depressed and going crazy. My advice to OP at this time is to ignore all the asshole on this thread. I know people in your shoes too and it's tough. If drinking helps you get through this, who cares? You didn't say you were getting shitfaced, but I would have several drinks too.

Is there anything you can sell or at least pawn to get by for now? Or borrow money from family members? If you were my family member I would certainly help as much as I could. I know the agony of back injuries. I hope you heal soon.

Meds: gabapentin 600 mg nightly, ibuprofen 600 mg tid, muscle relaxant at night prn, opioid sparingly as they stop working over time do to tolerance......exercise recommended , work on back, lower trunk and thighs, ......TENS unit helpful......epidural steroid injection can be helpful and works within 24-48 hours,.. will it last ...TBD, ............medrol dose pack generally less effective than epidural steroid, ............intermittent lumbar support is recommended during the upright part of your day .......inversion cheaper than chiro may be helpful...............this is all before surgery...if you can't walk obviously you beed to talk to a surgeon.

My best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

So all this began with a terrible thigh cramp during the night 3 weeks ago and since then the only relief you have found (besides the brufen and other pills/injections that surely are helping to make your ordeal bearable) is lying down with your feet raised.

My advice?
Avoid all the pain that is avoidable for as many day as possible and when you have to use the bathroom, do so with support.
Eating and drinking has to be fitted in too. If drinking through a straw helps then use one.

You must give your body a long spell of spasm-free rest.

I hope you have someone to nurse/help you.

NUCCA - National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association.

Personal experience with sciatic pain.

I have five herniated disc two of them ruptured. I have spinal stenosis, scoliosis and compressed sciatic nerve. Neurosurgeon said no surgery because he would have to put a metal rod with screws in my back. I am in constant pain. I still cook, do housework. I also sit and hook primitive rugs, which I sell , knit and try to socialize . When I hurt I sit. I try to forget the pain I am in. I am going to get a walker to help me out. You have to do things and try and forget about the pain. It ain't gonna kill you so keep on moving......

Applied kinesiology can fix this.

Osteopaths are the best choice and accupunture, sounds like you started with a twisted pelvis and spiralled from there all the best .

I had the same problem as a result of a fall. Surgery should be the LAST resort. Find a good chiropractor, massage therapist and get physical therapy. Believe me, it can make a huge difference and save you a lot of pain later. I've talked to people over the years who resorted to surgery and they have FAR more pain than I have as a result.

Oh, and I've used moist heat to relax the muscles when I overdo now and it really helps.

I went the medical route and those damn Dr's had me sooooo messed up on meds and muscle relaxers. Lets cut this out lets fuse this..Blah blah..

I had four herniated disks.

Finally in desperation, I went to the chiropractor. They did little voodoo heat tx, then spinal decompression on a large machine.

Oh it was hell, then after the decompression they took me to the weight room to lift weights with my back and viola!


Now I go once a month for adjustments. Oh yeah their voodoo works.

I have a few blown disks in my spine. Neck and back.

I wasn't fortunately enough to have any of them impinging the spinal cord. I say fortunately because only if the herniated disk is pressing against the spinal cord will they operate now days. The risk of complications is too great in their books. The reason is not so much that they care about the quality of life that the patient has, they do care a lot about the high chance of being sued if you end up unable to walk.

Pain treatment should include a round of narcotics. Too many doctors insist on sticking with just one narcotic, this leads to the patient developing tolerance, which means that the patient has to take more of Narcotic X in order to get therapeutic effects.

Through the years I discovered that my level of tolerance to narcotics increases to the point where I need to switch every 6 months. I take one narcotic for 6 months, then switch to a 'new' narcotic.

I have been on Percocet, Vicocin and Darvocet

Percocet: [link to www.ask.com]
Vicodin: [link to www.ask.com]
Darvocet: [link to www.ask.com]

These three are close enough to have the same effects on the management of pain, but different enough to where you are less likely to develop a high tolerance to any/all of you switch often enough.

When you see your doctor ask him/her about a low dose of amitriptyline.

Amitriptyline for chronic pain: [link to www.ask.com] A low dose at bed time has done wonders for me, it allows me to sleep (sleep is very, very important to chronic pain suffers) and it has been enough to offset any potential low end depression I may have from being in pain all the time.

NOW is the time to go to your county seat and apply for aid.

Many counties/states/regions have programs that give you half decent health care for 'free' depending on how much you earn. This programs are usually hidden and require you to jump through hoops and take on an initial sliding scale payment plan.

As you lose your job (you most likely will start missing too many days to keep a job) talk to your boss. Many bosses will terminate an employee and if they know that you are injured and not going to sue them for workman's comp will terminate you and not contest your bid for unemployment checks.

NOW is the time to apply for state and federal level disability. Federal level takes around 2 years to get. You will be denied 2 times and usually end up going before a hearing judge the third. This is why there are so many Social Security Disability Lawyers advertising on TV. It is a neat little system where the sharks are fed (lawyers) and the government can proudly say that they 'weed out' the losers who want to abuse the system.

The down side is that it takes 2 years, the up side is that you will get an initial check that will go all the way back to the date you filed. Thus you need to File today.

If you DO NOT have insurance, DO NOT let a county welfare doctor operate on your back. Of course you cannot contend against his potential lack of skills. Instead become a racist, or adopt a religious view that does not allow a non - whatever the religion you choose, to lay hands on you. Differences like these, if couched nicely will give you a 'just reasons' to ask for a better doctor. There are skilled surgeons who do pro-bono work, however getting to them means you need to have 'personality conflicts' with the initial surgeons that the state will throw at you.

At your doctors office, cry. Seriously, have tears in your eyes. Make the pain visible to them. I don't care if you do have a high tolerance to pain and are a man, if you do not demonstrate that you are in pain, they will not take your seriously. You want your medical record to clearly show that you are in hella pain, and that you require long term pain management.

Once you have gotten in the MIA program (Medical
insurance for indigent people - poor people) get a therapist and start crying to them about how terrible the pain is and how you are:

1. Unable to sleep.
2. Unable to be a product member of society - This should include how you feel worthless and can't imagine never being able to do anything to be productive.
3. Tell them that the pain is more than it really is.

This last is because pain is unimaginable to most people. People who have never had really serious pain can't 'feel' for you, there is no common frame of reference. You say 'I'm in pain' and they think paper cut type pain, not the extreme pain that you most likely are feeling.

You need to exaggerate, come up with creative ways to express how much pain you are in.

EXAMPLE: lets say you get a sharp pain in your back every time you turn even slightly, tell them its like having sharp knitting needles being shoved deep into your spine and then twisted. Use your hands to mimic the movement, pretend to hold a sharp stick, push your hand forward, then twist it back and forth as roughly as you can. This gives a visual to go along with your words.


Half of the problems you are going to have with doctors, medical insurance companies, state welfare agents is they are not going to understand what you mean when you say 'I am in pain'. Most will never have experienced the pain you are going through, thus will not be able to relate.

You are going to have to be really expressive and come up with strong ways to describe the pain, ways that take a person and makes them 'see' it.

DO NOT wait to see your doctor, you are out of pain pills? Call the doctors office and beg for a refill. Call again and again and again, asking for just a few more pills to get you through to the appointment.

A doctor can call in a 10 days supply with no problem.

I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM YOU NEED TO GET TO A CHIROPRACTOR THAT USES AN ACTIVATOR TO REALIGN
THE BULGING DISC
ALSO APPLY ICE TO THE AREA ONCE AN HOUR FOR 10-15 MINS TO
REDUCE INFLAMMATION

Want serious help, go to the laser institute in Scottsdale AZ or Florida online. They will eview your medical file and if they can help you can be set up for surgery quite quickly and it works. If you want more information go to World At War thread and find me and post and I will then communicate with you.
Seriously.