What is a way to cure chronic back pain besides physio/osteo etc.?

Question

I am still relatively young, but have suffered chronic back pain for almost 3 years. I have tried just about every osteopath, physiotherapist and massage therapist in the country. What is an alternative way to cure my long term back pain?

Answer 1

Chronic is just that, life long, no CURE! Many things can help with the pain, but NO CURE!

Answer 2

Without really knowing what is the cause of your chronic back pain, it is hard to give you a definitive answer. I can relate my story and see if it helps you, though.

I had a ruptured L4/L5 disk. The back pain and sciatic nerve pain was excrutiating. They did a partial laminectomy and that lasted a few years.

It re-ruptured. They did another partial laminectomy. I said no more surgery, but relented. They did another partial laminectomy. A few years later, the pain was excruiting again.

I went through everything they could throw at me, including what you've been through and then some. A new procedure (at that time) came up. They implanted a spinal cord stimulator. It only afforded me 10-15% pain relief. The battery pack died after 4-1/2 years (it was supposed to last 10 years but they had to turn it up so high because of my pain level that it only lasted half as long). They implanted another battery pack with the promise that that one would last 10 years. It died after 4 years 2 months.

I said, "No more surgeries!"

In addition to the chronic back/sciatic pain, I also have fibromyalgia, arachnoiditis (caused by the first myelogram dye), Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction, Neuropothy in both feet, Restless Legs Syndrome, Osteoporosis, and Degenerative Disk Disease.

I live day-to-day with enough medication to kill most people, yet I function well enough so that most people don't know how much pain I am in.

I have lived this way for over 24 years. And, yes, there were days when I thought of ending it, in case you have thought of that, too. [smile]

Back to your question, though. You may NEVER *CURE* your long term back pain, my friend. BUT, you may learn to manage the pain. Seek out a good chronic pain specialist. Let her or him help you manage your pain. Make sure that she or he is not afraid to write you prescriptions for the medications you need to manage your pain!

I hope I have helped you in some small way understand the road you have ahead of you.