Any suggestions on how to deal with a herniated disk other then continual use of heavy duty meds? HELP!?

Question

Am currently on 4 different types of meds; anti inflamitory (2), & pain killers (percocet & tylonel 3).

Answer 1

See a chiropractor! I know it's more work and time than popping a pill, but it seems obvious that you don't want to keep taking them. Talk to your friends to see if they know of a quality chiropractor in your area, someone who gets results, not just the one with the prettiest ad in the yellow pages (though they might happen to be the same one, but they also might even just have one line in the yellow pages if they are that good). A good chiropractor will be able to adjust your herniated disc, as well as give you therapy for pain control, and home exercises to strengthen your muscles to help facilitate the healing process.

Try to avoid having surgery, because like cutting a board, once it's done, it can't be undone, so if you have any lingering effects after the surgery, you'll likely have them for life. Besides that, the best numbers on the success rate for spinal fusion surgery to fix discs is around 50-60% (of patients who are either better or no worse than before the surgery-so you might end up in the same spot and somehow that's considered success!). The disc replacement surgery has been on the market for around 3 years, so if that is a proposed option, good luck finding out what that synthetic disc is going to be like in 20 or even 10 years.

Remember, your disc didn't herniate at one time, it was a gradual wearing and tearing process, so a chiropractor won't be able to fix it in one visit. It depends on the severity of the injury. If it is just a grade 1 herniation, it may not take too long, but if it is a complete rupture of your disc, you may not ever get it completely fixed, regardless of what you do, though chiropractic will definately give you an increased quality of life, and you may be able to decrease the medication dosage yourself depending on how well it makes you feel. Best of luck

Answer 2

Check here a very effective Sciatica Natural Treatment ( http://cure-sciatica.info )
Normally, I would not answer a question like this as my expertise is generally in medication but I had severe sciatica while I was pregnant with my 3rd child (after having had twins) and I had sciatica so bad that I was finding it difficult to walk. I tried massage therapy and physical therapy and could not take medication
I went to the chiropractor and the pain was instantly relieved. My hips and lower back were out of alignment because I had carried twins the year before. On occasion a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) can also work but they usually only work on one joint at a time - the chiropractor will do your whole back which works faster. Anyone who does not believe in chiropractors will tell you they are quacks - don't listen.
I don't necessarily believe that chiropractors can cure things like diabetes but they can definitely relieve some types of back pain especially if a pinched nerve is involved which is usually the cause of sciatica.

Answer 3

You may not want to hear this, but if you have a herniated disk, you probably need surgery to have it repaired. Your doctor hasn't already recommended surgery? If you're tired of living on pain meds, go ahead and get the disk repaired. You'll be glad you did.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Try a TENS unit or acupuncture or both. It sounds like these medicines are not helping. Try a pain doctor, usually an anesthesiologist. See if you have a pain doctor or clinic in your area.