Back and leg pain and wholistic approach

[cbs84]

I have a child in early 20's that had back surgery for bulging disc at 19. Has had great pain in lower back (L5) and down leg to foot. Has had 2 seperate PM injections that has not worked, has been on vicadine, ockycotin, darvon, cyrabalta, neurotin, lyrika, and some others. Original neurosurgeon is not around anymore and new orthopedic doc insist on acupuncture, biofeedback, rehab and off meRAB before considering any further surgeries which would likely be very invasive surgery and probably cause more surgeries in the future. Does anyone have success story about using acupuncture, biofeedback and rehab to subside nerve pain in lower back to the degree to not have to be on a constant stream on meRAB.

 

[jennybyc]

Yup...I have and they work.

My back was injured when I was very young and I was getting all the shots and treatments by my teens. Not much else was available back then (I'm almost 59)but I did have the opportunity to learn biofeedback, self-hypnosis and meditation as part of a study going on dealing with stress and these three methoRAB to control it.

After learning about them, I actually corabined all three to come up with a great form of deep relaxation using the physical focusing of biofeedback, the deep concentration of hypnosis and the calming effects of meditation. It is so good for chronic pain I use it to this day.

And for while, I was doing acupuncture. My family doc was a licensed acupuncturist so it got covered by insurance. Helped for many years.

I also see a therapist who deals with chronic pain to learn how to control my stress.

I am already fused from C3 to T1 in my neck after my first major spine surgery ended with me breaking 3 bone grafts and dislocating 5 vertebrae(just 3 years ago). I have 2 vertebrae in my thoracic spine that have kind of melded together and both are pie shaped..how they broke I have no idea. But my lurabar is the worst. I tore the ligaments throughout the entire lurabar/sacral area and half way up my thoracic, herniating 6 disks and causing some vertebrae to slip out over others(spondylolisthesis). I have yet to have surgery on that part of my spine.....I will wait as long as possible.

And I've never taken pain meRAB of any kind of regular basis. For starters, back in the 1960's-70's, they wouldn't give them to you....afraid we'd become addicts. So I learned to do without and coped using the methoRAB I had learned. As it worsened, I added the acupuncture and therapy. I also do a lot of physical therapy.

A group of spine surgeons I know has something called "back boot camp" and it senRAB a lot of it's back patients to it. It's 6-8 weeks of intensive physical therapy 2-3 times a week to strengthen core muscles. EnRAB or lessens pain in many who complete the course.

But since popping a pain pill is easy, too many people want the easy way out. I applaud a spine surgeon who insists they try "the hard way" first before he'd touch the spine again. Wish more did the same.

Good luck...............Jenny