So I’ve had lower back pain for almost 20 years. The level of intensity changes from day to day, but it’s pretty much always there. I’ve done physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, stretching, I do the whole “squat with your legs, not your back” bit, more anti-inflammatories, and pretty much gave up on ever getting any lasting relief. I started going to a chiropractor a little while ago to at least help relieve the pain, and it’s awesome, but it doesn’t solve my problem. I’m not even sure what my problem is.
I decided to give western medicine another try after an awful month back pain-wise. I found myself repeatedly on the couch with an ice pack and a heating pad last month. I try not to take Aleve unless I get really bad, but even that doesn’t seem to work anymore. That’s when I heard about kratom from happy hippo meridian, which some said had potential for pain management. I’ve also learned that there are shrooms online that may help with pain relief.
I go in to my doctor this afternoon. Go over my symptoms. And at the suggestion of my chiropractor, ask for an MRI, because I’m so tired of dealing with this pain and just want to know what is the matter.
Here was her answer: Prednisone. Yup. Well, that and a list of about 30 other medications that I could try. Sounds like a pretty good idea–I’d like to replace my back pain with dizziness, frequent urination and hallucinations. You know, just because I don’t feel the back pain while on Prednisone doesn’t mean it’s gone. It’s still there–I will have just numbed myself to its effects.
There was no “Hmmm…well, maybe we should look into why your back is hurting.” There was no going along with my MRI request. “Those are expensive,” she said “and they never approve them unless we’re pretty sure you have a tumor or something.” Yeah, thanks doc. I guess our $1500 a month doesn’t go very far around here. She did, however, agree to an x-ray. Although she said x-rays often don’t reveal what’s wrong so they’re pretty much pointless. Thanks again, doc. Ever so helpful. I texted Superman and told him I was getting an x-ray and that our doctor was an idiot. Harsh words, I know. Not kind, I know. I would never say that in front of my kids. I actually have an aversion to name-calling and potty mouth in general, so people who know me well should know this obviously pressed a big red button on me.
I shouldn’t be surprised. After our experience getting Superman diagnosed with Celiac, I pretty much expected some resistance. I guess I’m too much of an optimist, though, because I really thought she would care. I really, really hoped that she would want to help me find a solution instead of a bandage. I don’t want a bandage. I want freakin’ closure.
It’s actually kind of amusing. It’s amusingly sad that my doctor visit could be such a stereotypical western medicine experience. I know there are good doctors out there who practice western medicine and care about their patients. They do exist. But we’ve been through quite a few docs, and so far we haven’t hit that pot o’ gold. So, it’s back to a Chiang Mai traditional chinese medicine doctor for me. Acupuncture? Maybe. But at like $100 a pop, not likely. My question is: is it food-related? Environment-related? Life-related? I have no clue. It’s unfortunate that eastern medicine and homeopathy are not more widely accepted and covered by insurance. All I know is that western medicine has been great for us when our son needed stitches, or we have emergencies. But if we have a chronic problem, we’re better off finding Kratom for sale.
So, there you have it. That’s why western medicine almost gives me potty mouth. Not quite, but almost.
Kelly says
How old and what type of mattress do you have?
radlandon says
Our mattress is about 5 years old…we bought a Tempur-pedic before this one, and had it a few weeks, but it made my back worse. The one we have now is a Sealy Posturepedic and is very firm. I don’t really know what I need. lol Sometimes my back feels better after sleeping on a softer mattress, but apparently the Tempur-pedic was too soft….
Jessica says
I would guess that you have degenerative disc disease. It is the break down of your discs and is a naturally occurring thing for people – but doesn’t happen till later in life – unless you are one of the lucky ones like me (and probably you). You will need an MRI to confirm, but it is very common and sounds like what you describe.
I would love to say there is a lot of good news that goes along with this, but there isn’t. Degenerative Disc Disease also goes by Arthritis in the spine. It is a generic label they put on people with persistent back issues that are caused by deteriorating discs. I have been through all the recommendations – and have found that only physical therapy focussing solely on core strength that uses the small muscle groups has any real reduction of the pain. For me this condition is hereditary and was sped up by having my children. Turns out every time I had a baby I basically lost a disc in my lower back. This is a condition that usually comes with chronic pain.
That being said – you seem like a fairly active and fit person. If you do some research into core strength exercises that do not strain the lower back (ex: traditional sit-ups bad, using resistance bands good) you can probably get much more control over this. I still deal with this daily, but I have had a much harder time dealing with the emotional “life sentence” that comes with having chronic pain. Chronic pain is super challenging because it is not caused because something is necessarily “wrong” and should be stopped – which is the purpose of acute pain. The nerve receptors are hyper sensitive and firing in overdrive and super hard to shut off. That is why they try and “cover up” the pain – but I don’t do that either. 🙂
If you have any questions please feel free to ask. I have spent a lot of time researching this and trying to wrap my head around what it all means.
Amy says
I have DDD, and although I have gone to chiropractors for years, the one thing that helped was Decompression Therapy. I’m sure it’s controversial, and maybe risky, and expensive, but by stretching the spine, it creates a tiny bit of space between the discs and takes pressure off the nerves. With three compressed discs, bone spurs and arthritis, I went from 24-7 pain to only needing an adjustment every few months with hardly any pain. I am really lucky to have a holistic chiropractor that I trust, so it was an easy choice for me, even though it wasn’t covered by insurance. Keep doing research on all your options, and push for an MRI. I hope you find some relief- pain is exhausting! (and I have cursed enough about western medicine for the both of us- it took alternative medicine to diagnose three of my boys’ gluten & casein allergies and my adrenal fatigue.) good luck!
Cheryl says
I’m with you sister. I’ve been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis of the knees AND Pseudogout (accumulation of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in the joints – for me the knees). Although I’m told I have good margins in the knee joints, I have constant chronic pain. I’m on anti-inflammatories twice daily and last fall finally gave in to the Rx knee braces ($1600 if I didn’t have insurance) that I have to wear every day to be able to stand for more than 15 minutes at a time. Chronic pain is draining to my stamina, motivation, and spirit. I’m hoping that losing weight will help and I am trying to do that, including staying wheat free to help inflammation. Power to you and I hope you find what works for you, Western Medicine or not. Oh, and as for the MRI, I just had two this year to investigate a lump in my breast (nothing there of consequence, thank goodness), and the insurance paid for them both. I’d call your insurance company directly and if they say it would be covered, find a Dr. who would do the write up for the insurance to justify it. Good Luck!
Mommaofmany says
I had painful arthritis in my hands, knees, hips and ankles. It disappeared after I started drinking kombucha tea. If I “slack” and don’t drink my tea at least a few times a week, it begins to return, even though I am wheat-free. You can make kombucha very inexpensively, so it’s worth a try! It took a couple of weeks for me to eel a difference when I first started.
Linz says
While diet can improve your health immensely, it can’t solve everything. Back pain is not always caused by an injury, strain, or even a spinal problems. Lower back pain can be caused by kidney, liver, gallbladder, and probably anther 10 issues I can list. Also, getting an MRI is not that difficult when you have been dealing with pain for years. So your doctor is full of S**T . You really had a horrible doctor and believe me it’s hard to find a good doctor but you need to keep trying. I suggest getting some serious blood work done on your next yearly check up. I also find that the younger American doctors are more willing to think outside the box.
Amy Edelen says
I cannot deal with my regular doctor or HMO anymore… I have far exceeded my ability to remain calm in the face of being denied prescriptions or that I need to take 5 different digestive and immune system destroying antibiotics before being allowed to take the one my doctor knows works and being told by some random dude who answers the phone that my general practitioner knows better than my specialists. At age 26 after telling me I did not have kidney damage which totally freaked me out, the award-winning rheumatologist said I had mild fibromyalgia and there was nothing I could do to make it better and no matter how much sleep I got I would never feel rested. I even asked, nutrition or exercise? Response, no. WRONG! Found a naturopath and cruised through 10 years of wellness. Healthy food, Chiropractor, Traditional Chinese Medicine/Acupuncture, Yoga, and massages rule! The evil me wants to design a simulator so healthy people can get a clue of what people with issues are dealing with. lol I am looking for a D.O. for a general practitioner instead of an M.D. If I find a good one, I’ll let you know. 🙂
Kate says
I feel you. My hubby’s a chiropractor now & we now know that there are as many different chiropractic techniques as there are different M.D.’s (pediatricians, ob, family practice, etc.). With this said, my dad had similar problems with his low back, which they did an MRI on with no problem, & my husband was actually able to give him relief. There’s a technique called SOT (Sacral Occipital Technique) that helped by the different way they approached the pelvis, along with doing distraction of his low back on a Cox table. My dad ended up having a bulging disc, but there was something else that my hubby found on the xrays that even the radiologist missed, which was causing some of the pain. Keep at it. You can always find a different doc to order tests for you. Get some answers. I thought I was dying for quite a few years before we FINALLY found a doc that figured out I had a parasite & I was allergic to gluten (even in corn) & dairy. More than 4 years of searching for answers. Crazy!
Jennifer E says
It really seems to me the pharmaceutical / medical world is overcome with greed. I have chosen to practice many home remedies and holistic approaches to my health and have never felt better. While this may not work for everyone, it certainly has changed my life for the better.