Sciatica. Or just shoot me now and be done with it! (hysterectomy, painful)
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It's been a long time since I posted this, so I thought I would follow up with what happened.
I finally got an MRI and apparently I have severe arthritis and severe compression, but none of it bad enough to merit surgery.
I ended up quitting the chiropractor and going to physical therapy. I did that for 4 visits. They had some machine there that vibrates against your back (or wherever you need it) or maybe it sends electricity through your body, I'm not sure which. But after the first visit, I actually felt OK again.
After the 4th visit, the pain started to come back, so I called it quits on physical therapy. The pain then went away and hasn't been back since.
I have no idea if it was just time for the pain to leave or whether the PT actually did any good.
I'm happy to be "normal" again (whatever that is for me) but I have to say, I do miss that Percocet. I went through about 100 tablets while all this was going on and honestly, if I hadn't had it, I don't think I could have functioned. At all.
I ended up only taking one pill a day during the last couple of weeks in November, but it was a mood lifter too, so I miss that too. Ah, well. I was not meant to have the life of a druggie. What can I say?
Thank you, everyone, for responding. I found a lot of your suggestions helpful and I really appreciate the time you spent trying to help me out. You all have a wonderful day!
severe arthritis, as you put it, is an indication that the connective tissue in your body is breaking down. something like 30 percent of our dry body weight is connective tissue. joints, organ liners, heart valves, etc, etc
might look into supps that are for connective tissue -- chicken bone broth, glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, type 2 collagen supps
Has anyone here tried BeActive+? My mother had crippling sciatica and would like to have her try this but want to see if anyone else tried it before I spend the money.
severe arthritis, as you put it, is an indication that the connective tissue in your body is breaking down. something like 30 percent of our dry body weight is connective tissue. joints, organ liners, heart valves, etc, etc
might look into supps that are for connective tissue -- chicken bone broth, glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, type 2 collagen supps
glad you are doing so well now!
Thank you.
They wanted me to get shots. I originally had the first set - 6 of them - then I called it a day. The shots lasted about 5 hours and were pretty painful. I don't know, maybe I should have gone back. But I don't think I could have afforded it, the shots didn't seem to work, and the pain clinic is an hour away, one way.
But seriously, I really was doing better on the Percocet. Took it for the sciatica in my leg and it helped as much or more on my back.
I've been dealing with my own version of sciatica off and on for a few years. I have a collection of fluid--a souvenir from surgery--that fluctuates in size. When it gets bigger, it puts pressure on the nerve and I get the butt-thigh-leg pain.
Apparently the solution for the fluid collection is more surgery, but it's too close to my spine, so I can't even do that (as excited as I am about the prospect of MORE surgery).
Sigh.
It's been a long time since I posted this, so I thought I would follow up with what happened.
I finally got an MRI and apparently I have severe arthritis and severe compression, but none of it bad enough to merit surgery.
I ended up quitting the chiropractor and going to physical therapy. I did that for 4 visits. They had some machine there that vibrates against your back (or wherever you need it) or maybe it sends electricity through your body, I'm not sure which. But after the first visit, I actually felt OK again.
After the 4th visit, the pain started to come back, so I called it quits on physical therapy. The pain then went away and hasn't been back since.
I have no idea if it was just time for the pain to leave or whether the PT actually did any good.
I'm happy to be "normal" again (whatever that is for me) but I have to say, I do miss that Percocet. I went through about 100 tablets while all this was going on and honestly, if I hadn't had it, I don't think I could have functioned. At all.
I ended up only taking one pill a day during the last couple of weeks in November, but it was a mood lifter too, so I miss that too. Ah, well. I was not meant to have the life of a druggie. What can I say?
Thank you, everyone, for responding. I found a lot of your suggestions helpful and I really appreciate the time you spent trying to help me out. You all have a wonderful day!
See if your GP will give you a referral to pain management. Maybe they will be able to prescribe for you. Those are the only doctors giving narcotics where I live. It's very hard to get into one. They want records sent from your doctor, then they will decide if they will accept someone as a patient after that. It's a royal pain in the butt.
See if your GP will give you a referral to pain management. Maybe they will be able to prescribe for you. Those are the only doctors giving narcotics where I live. It's very hard to get into one. They want records sent from your doctor, then they will decide if they will accept someone as a patient after that. It's a royal pain in the butt.
Going to get the shots WAS pain management referral. Unfortunately, it's just not the doctors. I'm on Medicare and they decide whether they will pay for pain meds or not. I know I couldn't afford them on my own. I'm amazed they approved three refills of Percocet. I don't think they would have approved a fourth refill. And you better believe, I was stingier than all get out with those pills, too. If I could stay home in bed, one a day was all I'd take. Of course, staying in bed all day didn't do the back any good. *sigh*
There's a man called Dr Sarno who claims that a lot of these lower back problems are psychosomatic and that people can have herniated discs without any symptoms whatsoever. The claim is that people who lead really stressful lives bottle up a lot of unconscious negative emotions are the ones more likely to suffer from not only sciatica but all sorts of nervous system and autoimmune diseases. The premise is that the body deprives certain areas of oxygen which in turn causes the manifestation of pain so that the person is distracted from their emotions and focuses on their symptoms.
I have a history with anxiety so I certainly fit the profile and I've had every psychosomatic symptom in the book including sciatica. If it's actually caused by bulging discs an inversion table such as a teeter along with proper lifting and sitting habits are the best preventive along with the McKenzie exercises. I actually have an MRI next week.
At least once I have the results I know which actions I can take to treat the symptoms rather than trying to do this blindly. I'm not going to do what Dr Sarno recommends and just pretend I have no problem and start lifting however I want and sitting however I want which is his recommendation.
Still I've had some signs that suggest that Sarno is indeed correct. I've had the symptoms totally disappear during times I've been with friends or out drinking in a joyful state. I've had physical therapists tell me that the brain will eventually become hypersensitive to areas which you've had repeated bouts of pain also. Kind of like how if you do the same habit over and over you'll become better and better at it... The brain creates a stronger connection between those targeted synapses. It's a similar phenomenon to the how people who get an amputated limb can still feel phantom pain in that limb.
It's rough. I always get a pain in my right butt that shoots down my right leg. Sometimes my big toe gets numb. During a sciatica outbreak, I can barely crawl on the floor after sitting too long, very painful. Standing, walking and moving around helps some.
It's rough. I always get a pain in my right butt that shoots down my right leg. Sometimes my big toe gets numb. During a sciatica outbreak, I can barely crawl on the floor after sitting too long, very painful. Standing, walking and moving around helps some.
I had it for a while years ago bro and it went away for good.
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