Which is best for back pain?

Question

I have 2 herniated discs in my lower back. I also have sciatica. Which pain med works best? I am currently taking Ultram and Darvocet. (Not at the same time). Has anyone had any luck reducing their pain with Vicoden or Percocet?

Answer 1

With back pain, often no drug is going to totally relieve it and the more you take them, the less effective that they are, and also it is easy to become addicted to the pain meds. In many cases a chiropractor can be more helpful than any drug, as he can help to get the bones back into their proper positions and decrease the pressure they are exerting on the nerves, which is what is causing the pain. Just taking pain meds is not going to correct the problem, it will just mask it some and often set you up to do more damages to the area. The vicodin is often prescribed for back pain, but it is very prone to causing addiction and should not be used long term. Also a lot of the pain meds can cause damage to your kidneys and liver.

Answer 2

I have had herniated disks at three levels in the lumbar spine, have had two lots of surgery and have used drugs ranging from morphine through to codeine and anti-inflammatories. Drug use is not the way to go long term and the pitfalls far outweigh the benefits you get. I believe Vicoden is like morphine (we dont have Vicoden in Australia), so it will definately relieve pain, but I would suggest you seriously talk to your doctor about alternatives to permanently fix the problem, which could include surgery, but another option is an epidural, where they inject into the 'dural' which can potentially reduce the size of the disk bulge therefore relieving your symptoms, and minimising the need to painkillers. If you want to know any more feel free to ask. As for the Chiropractor, I would be very wary of this option with herniated disks, there is the potential for them to manipulate you the wrong way and exacerbate the problem even further or cause permanent nerve damage, try a physio instead, they can give you exercises to strenthen the core muscles around your spine.
Good luck with it all.

Answer 3

A Chiropractor that uses an activator or wedges not manual minipulation and Massage Therapist is what people who cant take the medication generally use.

Much pain is from muscles below is an example of what may help (based on headaches).
Begin with a couple swigs of molasses or a couple of bananas daily - magnesium (which regulates many things in the body) and potassium (a needed building block for muscles).
Drink at least 1/2 gallons of water per day. Running a body low on water is like running a car low on oil is the analogy the head of neurology at UCDavis told my husband about 10 years ago.

Now to the cause - muscles - your back, neck shoulders and head have tender spots. They are knots in the fibers of the muscles called trigger points. It makes the muscles tight which makes them press on nerves and other things causing the pain.

The cure - start with a professional massage, you will also want to go back over any place you can get to 6-12 times per session up to 6 times per day rubbing (or lightly scratching on your head) every where that is tender until the knots go away. The place where the skull connects to the spine press up under the edge of the skull (to get to those muscles).

For more information read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies. It teaches what to do and where the pain comes from.

Answer 4

I have the same thing.
My back is best treated by stretching and exercising.
Use heat or ice on pain.

Medications aren't good for a long term problem. so, don't make taking meds a routine part of life.

I do occasionally take darvocet. And if really bad I take vicoden.
But I know I can't make this a daily thing or the drug will lose their potency

Answer 5

Many things can cause low back injuries--muscle strain or spasm, sprains of ligaments (which attach bone to bone), joint problems or a "slipped disk." The most common cause is using your back muscles in activities you're not used to, like lifting heavy furniture or doing yard work.

A slipped disk (also called a herniated disk) happens when a disk between the bones of the spine bulges and presses on nerves. This is often caused by twisting while lifting. But many people won't know what caused their slipped disk.

Answer 6

Each of the medications that you listed will affect different people in different ways. There is no way that anyone can guarantee you that the medication that worked for them, will also work for you. If the meds that you are taking are not providing relief, I would suggest considering visiting a chiropractor, who uses therapeutic exercise in their office. Or considering other options including: injections, anti-inflammatory medication, accupuncture. I would exhaust all of these potential pain relievers prior to considering having a surgical intervention.

Answer 7

1)Read an interesting book. 2)Watch a movie. 3)Go out with friends. 4)Go out shopping. 5)Talk on the fone about anything BUT pain. 6)Play Board games. 7)Play video games(better) 8)Baby sit for some1's kids(they keep u busy) 9)Flirt with guys/girls. 10)Dress up in ur room for nothing and walk around like ur on the runway.

Answer 8

I would suggest you find a good acupuncturist.
Pain meds have a place but it is hard to stay on them for too long since you build up a tolerance.
You could try MSM, fish oil, bromelain for lower inflammation. These are suggestions to complement what you are doing now. Also make sure that you get enough magnesium, since it helps your muscles relax, while calcium causes muscles to contract.

Try looking here for some insight:
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/index.html

Answer 9

Have you ever used Back Pain Relief 4 Life strategy? Move on this site : http://BackPainInstantRelief.com . This can surely teach people!

Answer 10

pain