sciatica and ruptured disc

[scoarchio]

Hi everyone!

basically i've have been diagnosed as having a bulging or prolasped L5 disc which is impinging on the sciatic nerve causing acute pain down my left leg basically restricting me from doing anything physical and at only 20 that sucks.
:cry:
so what i am basically asking does anybody have any recommendations regarding surgery/chiroi have been going to a physio on and off for a year. Also could you advise me on what products would be the best to help with type of problem eg Warrior Wellness or Be Breathed. any advice you could give me would be greatly recieved

Gareth Hynes

[JasonE]

Do what the doctors tell you.

*However* get second opinions on recommendations to avoid physical activity, and look for a proactive chiropractor familiar with both conventional and alternative approaches to treatment. A good massage therapist can help ease the muscle tension and overall joint pain that you will be experiencing as your body attempts to accomodate your condition.

If you want to try something, take everything you have on it to the docs / therapists / chiros before jumping into it. Bones vs nerves means the bones always win, so be cautious and make intelligent decisions. You have years to turn this around and you are young, so there are more treatment options. Slow and steady will get you back in action more certainly than quick and careless ever will.

Good luck!

[kai]

I second Jason's opinion on getting another medical opinion. I believe that preventing any form of activity won't resolve the problem on the long term.

Surgery may work, but that should be the last thing you should try, and even then, if the source of the problem is not fixed, the symptoms will come back, as can attest one of my close relatives who has had two back surgeries, and is not being proactive in finding the root problem.

I have some impingement that is not affecting the sciatic nerve, I've worked out of most of my back problem through movement but then my doctor did not forbid me exercising so I'm not the model to follow. I'm starting rght now WW and I'll see how it affects my back condition.

Being very cautious, I consult my physio therapist when I want to do something new that I'm not sure will affect my back.

Just my two cents added.

[bob_stra]

Gareth

I'm somewhat hesitant to answer this question. However, perhaps the following can be of use? Print em out and discuss with you health care provider

http://tinyurl.com/yuktr

(info on current treatments, rates of success, alternatives etc)

http://tinyurl.com/2jh23

(chiropractic stuff - research papers, reasoning etc)

[somlor]

At the risk of sounding looney, I would highly recommend reading Healing Back Pain: The Mind Body Connection (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0446392308/103-4626135-7187049?v=glance), by John Sarno before doing anything else. I had chronic back pain stemming from a Yoga injury for over two years, at times so acute I was bedridden. Within one week of reading this book I have been been pain free for 10 years minus maybe a handful of small, very normal aches. And I met a woman whose husband had chronic, debilitating pain for over 20 years. Read the book. Same story.

Everyone's back has "abnormalities". I believe that most doctors will find something to diagnose you with if you complain of pain symptoms. Because that's what they are looking for. In fact, come to think of it, I'd like to test that theory sometime ... go to a local doctor hunched over complaining of severe lower pain and have him take X-rays. I bet I'd get diagnosed with something serious.

[Joe_Burks]

I have had an ongoing battle with sciatica for quite a while.

Go to this link http://danjohn.org/gu11.pdf and read the article "Press Ups for Back Pain"

DMSO also helped me.

Joe

[Jay76]

I would get the book:

Low Back Disorders
by Stuart, McGill

One of the best books on back health in the business.