who's got it? anyone ever had a steroid injection or surgery?

i've had back/leg pain since august and have been diagnosed with sciatica. my doctor just checked out my mri and i have to set up an appointment to get an injection.

here's my will i look like an asshole question: this barbershop i deliver mail to keeps recommending some doctor to me but i really don't want to go through the hassle of going to another doctor because my doc already got a referral for me and i pretty much trust him. i wonder if i should just lie to these mooks and just tell them i saw their doctor and he sucked?

I had lower back pain for a couple of years. I'm pretty sure mine was related to my feet. I started wearing arch supports and both my foot and back pain have been under control for several years.

Mine is off and on but never real serious. Doing lots of planks and and stretching really helped. Too lazy to keep up with right now and the chubby baby isn't helping.

Do not let them cut you. Your back won't be much better and maybe worse. Most orthopedist want to slice regardless if it's best for you.

I've had two Anterior Cervical Diskectomy w/ Fusion surgeries, but those were in my neck (hence the "cervical"). One was in 2004, one in 2007. In my case, I pretty much had to have the surgeries because I was at the point of causing permanent nerve damage in my arms and hands. But for the lower back, I've heard there are usually A LOT more complications and a lower chance of actually stopping the problems.

If the barbershop is full of old men, then I might listen to them.

I had surgery for a herniated disc back when I was 22. I was the youngest patient my neurosurgen had ever performed this surgery on. He didn't want to do it because of my age, so he sent me to physical therapy which didn't do shit. I had numbness in my leg if I walked. The only time I was OK was when I was sitting because the discs were so low (L3 L4). He explained my problem to me saying that the cushen between my vertibrae was broken and when I walked the gel inside would be squished out and put pressure on my spinal cord causing the pain and numbness. It got to the point where it took me an hour to put on socks so I told him I needed the surgery. Afterwards he said that I had one of the worst cases he had ever seen. I've been pretty fine ever since. I am generally stiff, and need to stretch all the time.

I pulled my back out in January when I bent over to hug the kids. (Totally random) and I was laid up for aday and then went to a doctor after a week and he sent me for an MRI. From the MRI he recommended the injection to reduce swelling, but at this point it had been 2 weeks and I started feeling better so I didn't do it and I am back to the way I felt before.

There's a part of me that thinks you should lie to them but then again with something like a back (which is more or less permanent--sorry dude) it might be good to actually get a second opinion.

Also, if you do decide to bullshit the mooks, "he's not covered under my insurance" is a better lie than "i saw him and he sucks"

yeah
I have had steroid injections, multiple rounds of prednisone....

I have a disc out in my neck and lower back with sciatica. It's the neck that gets me and I sometimes have trouble with my right arm. I know it's entirely stress related so for now I try to deal with it with accupuncture and yoga.

But this will be a problem my whole life. My doc won't do surgery on people under 30.

my wife has chronic back pain. she's on pain killers but we're also getting into physical therapy as well.

i had back pains a few years ago, but since skateboarding more regularly again, it's gone away.

Tell them you went, and he tried to put it in your ear.

I've had some serious bouts on and off. Walking, stretching, and abdominal exercises are crucial for me. Also, one very smart ER Doctor told me that alot of my problems were actually pain radiating up to my back from the pformis muscle in my ass, rather than sciatica pain radiating down. I learned some stretches for that muscle and it has helped alot as well.

watch out for the dudes who think that back pain is all in your mind. they are zealots. and once you go looking for advice on backpain you will find them in droves. they have a book they want you to read.

and oh, by the way, strengthen your core dude.

My sister-in-law suffers from back pain, but she's also *ahem* a "little" overweight and refuses to do any exercises saying that they're too hard. I believe that she has a slipped or herniated disc and injections have only provided her with temporary relief.

I had some back pain a few years ago and I found that, like Thrillhouse said, strengthening your core is the best way to help that.

Sciatica especially can be helped with careful stretching, yoga, qi gong, tai ch'i, and core strengthening.

Also, accupuncture really works... just have a reasonable expectation, it will take multiple, and perhaps ongoing treatments. Combined with shiatsu was useful to me.

Operations are done too much and too often ineffective. Oxycodone is always a choice too.

seriously. Acupuncture is awesome. I go weekly and seriously it's like "What's up this week? let's do those points"

I am lucky that my MD is also a licensed needler so it's 100% covered by insurance. I have had cupping done too and that worked.

Carrying around a big mail bag is probably the first issue at hand.

I'd tell them, "my doc already got a referral for me and i pretty much trust him." (Your words). Easy.

Back pain? Here's a link from Bicycling mag: http://www.bicycling.com/qa_details/0,6 ... -1,00.html

Another: http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610 ... -1,00.html

And: http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610 ... -1,00.html

Did you ever send the discs (no pun intended) you promised?

you know it's totally a metrosexual sling bag made of old roadsigns from former East Germany with a seatbelt buckle for a clasp clasp, too.

core exercises/stretches EVERY day. lose some weight.

i've got a herniated L4 and I've tried just about everything save surgery (chiro/accupuncture) and the above is really what works best.

What does this mean?

I find stretching often releases almost all of my stiffness and pain. The problem is I need to stretch 3 times a day or my hammies tighten up again.

Yes - but I have two friends who have had back surgery (one spinal fusion after a car wreck and one specifically for sciatica) and they are both 1000% better.

sit ups, reverse sit ups, any weight training/exercises to strenghten those muscles.




so stretch three times a day then. it only takes a 30 second toe touch to loosen the hammies. i try to do it every time i stand up from the desk.

Strengthening your core helps but if you have disc problems I'd be very careful about the types of core strengthening exercises you do. I've had herniated discs for over 20 years and wouldn't dare try doing situps.

I also tried lots of things short of surgery with nothing really having any long term benefits. The only thing that helps is keeping my core strong and my weight down. Carrying around an extra ten lbs can be a real strain on your back.