Has anyone used spinal stimulation? In terrible pain.

[MoonRiver]

I have chronic pain, often acute, from sciatica. I do epidural injections, but they only work short term. I have heard spinal stimulation can be helpful to about 50% of those who try it. If it fails I will need surgery. Can't function the way I am.

[notrightatall]

1. Tried MMJ ??

[MoonRiver]

2. I don't live where I can get it.

Also, I have not heard that it treats spinal problems. If you have some information that it does please share. This is a very serious problem for me. NOT a joke.

[notrightatall]

4. No Joke, dead serious.

http://medicalmarijuanaeducationcenter.com/2012/04/05/medical-cannabis-and-back-pain/

[MoonRiver]

5. Thanks, but I can't get it here.

Maybe someday this country will become sane about marijuana, but I'll probably be long dead.

[grahamhgreen]

52. Try to get a high CBD strain or tincture.

[notadmblnd]

27. Acupuncture was my first thought.

But I've recently seen a sort of knee brace that is supposed to relieve sciatica. Sopposedly uses accu-pressure at some point behind the knee to eliminate pain. I don't know if it just "As Seen on TV" junk or if it really works?

Oh, here it is. It's called beactive www.beactivebracesale.com/‎

[shenmue]

6. {{{MoonRiver}}}

[MoonRiver]

11. Thank you shenmue!

[riderinthestorm]

7. Oh MoonRiver, I am so so sorry about this.

I've gotten excruciating pain, like sciatica, in my left leg after a long drive.

Its miserable! And mine's short term. I can't imagine it as a chronic daily condition.



I will tell you we've tried micro-stim on a few horses with bad back issues, with very good success. It's not subcutaneous like you're describing. Its patches of electrodes placed along nerve pathways. The horses are invariably anxious as we're placing the patches but once the electric current starts they demonstrably relax and even my most fidgety horses all almost fall asleep by the end (20 - 30 minutes).

Of course the ultimate result is if they get relief or not. Virtually all of them get some relief. One had very good results. Edited to add a suggestion that you try acupuncture. That's another method that's produced good results for us, personally and with the horses.

Good luck whichever you choose.

[MoonRiver]

12. Very good news! Thanks for sharing with me!

[TheNutcracker]

8. My hubby got that treatment at the chiropractor and LOVED IT!

He's always had terrible pain from hard work. They put these electrodes on his back and shoulder, turn on this little tingle machine....which pulls blood to the area, which promotes healing. He loved it. A friend gave him a machine in a case for home. It was broken and could not be fixed. He really wished it would have worked! So try it a couple of times....anything is better than the meds they will give you! Don't G O T H E R E !

[MoonRiver]

13. I am living on Aleve and that isn't good. Thanks for the info!

[NightWatcher]

9. I suffer from peripheral neuropathy and second the vote for medical cannabis

It helps with the severe nerve pain. You do not have to only smoke it. There are edibles and oil (in tablet form they resemble vitamin d tabs).

[MoonRiver]

14. Don't know how to get it legally.

[NightWatcher]

16. Florida votes on medical cannabis on Nov 4

http://unitedforcare.org/

As of today, there is no legal way for me to do it here, so I take prescriptions (muscle relaxers, opiates, valium...) until it is legal. I don't want to get into trouble this close to legalization for medical use.

[dhol82]

10. If you have lower back pain

I just read an article that indicates 'Theramine' has been shown to be more effective than Ibuprofen for back pain.

It has to be prescribed by your physician and is known as a 'medical food.'

I am going to contact my doc and see if I can get some. I have two herniated discs in my lower back and recently have been in pain most of the time.

[MoonRiver]

15. Thanks. I see my pain doc this week and will mention that.

[Glimmer of Hope]

17. So sorry! I have spine isssues so I know this is awful.

Yoga and heat pads help me. I had cervical neck surgery and still have problems but I have heard lower back surgery outcomes are more successful. Good luck!

[MoonRiver]

18. Thank you!

[ProfessorGAC]

19. Something To Consider

From my wife's experience. I'll pm you with details, but it's called RFA.

[MoonRiver]

20. Thanks. I need all the info I can get.

[MineralMan]

21. You should ask your doctor about that.

There might be doctors on DU, but none of them would attempt to diagnose or recommend any treatment. You will, of course, get lots of amateur advice here. I'd suggest asking your doctor.

[MoonRiver]

22. I have been asking my doctor. I am scheduled for a trial spinal stimulation.

If that works I will get a permanent implant. Just wondered if any here had the same procedure and what were their experiences.

[MineralMan]

24. Oh, OK. You didn't say that, as far as I could tell.

Still, DU is probably not the best place to get medical advice. Looking at the thread, I'm seeing lots of recommendations to use marijuana for your problem, and nothing about eStim. If you're scheduled for a trial, you'll no doubt learn something from that.

[UglyGreed]

23. Here is a good helpful website

I also suggest googling forums about chronic back pain if you have not gone that route yet. I myself was going to do the trial for my lower back but then my neck collapsed and now they say it will not help. Good luck.

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/back-surgery/spinal-cord-stimulation-advantages-and-risks

[Dont call me Shirley]

25. Yes, micro stim works for me. Find a good chiropractor, get recommendations from trusted sources.

6 months or more of chiropractic care. Also the ultra sound treatments work in conjunction with the other two listed. And accupuncture, electrical works better for me, but traditional works well with most.

I have osteo in 3 lower vertebra. I can walk, run. Climb ladder. Sit in car. Do my toenails.

Good luck and speed healing!

[UglyGreed]

26. I also went

Last edited Wed Oct 8, 2014, 06:30 PM - Edit history (2)

a chiro and acupuncture five days a week the first ten years and it was helpful but please be careful with spinal manipulation as sometimes it causes more harm than good.



http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chiropractic-adjustment/basics/definition/prc-20013239

[Dont call me Shirley]

30. That's why a trusted source recommendation is needed!

A few bad, unscrupulous chiropractors don't ruin the whole profession. Just like a few bad doctors don't ruin the whole medical profession.

[UglyGreed]

31. So true

the first Chiropractor I went to caused me great pain when she twisted my neck and the second one actually suffered from back pain and never hurt me in all the time I saw him.

The acupuncture helped get rid of drop foot I suffered from after my first laminectomy which was a disaster. My spasms were so bad that they could not insert the needles because they kept on bending. Slowly week by week they were able relax my muscles and insert the needles and attach electrodes. The lump in my back which was about the size of a tangerine slowly decreased and my foot drop disappeared.

[Dont call me Shirley]

34. That is awesome!

Of course the naysayers all scream quack and anecdotal evidence.

[postulater]

36. And here's a rebuttal to that article, from the link on the sidebar of your linked page.

"The review of the 32 papers discussed by Ernst found numerous errors or inconsistencies from the original case reports and case series. These errors included alteration of the age or sex of the patient, and omission or misrepresentation of the long term response of the patient to the adverse event. Other errors included incorrectly assigning spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) as chiropractic treatment when it had been reported in the original paper as delivered by a non-chiropractic provider (e.g. Physician).

The original case reports often omitted to record the time lapse between treatment and the adverse event, and other significant clinical or risk factors. The country of origin of the original paper was also overlooked, which is significant as chiropractic is not legislated in many countries. In 21 of the cases reported by Ernst to be chiropractic treatment, 11 were from countries where chiropractic is not legislated.

The number of errors or omissions in the 2007 Ernst paper, reduce the validity of the study and the reported conclusions. The omissions of potential risk factors and the timeline between the adverse event and SMT could be significant confounding factors. Greater care is also needed to distinguish between chiropractors and other health practitioners when reviewing the application of SMT and related adverse effects."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3502141/

[UglyGreed]

38. Sorry if I used

flawed study and I'll remove the link but I still stand by my warning. Especially about neck manipulation. As I noted even after being racked by my first chiropractor I went to another chiropractor and had very good results with him until my problems were just being aggravated more than the relief I received. the time frame was 1991 to 2001. I apologize to moonriver for high-jacking your thread.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chiropractic-adjustment/basics/definition/prc-20013239

[postulater]

39. There are many different approaches, some more science-based than others.

Sad that there is not more research being done on health and normal function.

Keeping healthy is always better than recovering health.

[UglyGreed]

49. I'm with there

Oh and nice signature. Still miss Jerry

[riverbendviewgal]

28. I too have sciatica

I found massages and foot massages help. I was told my one leg was shorter than another. I sleep with a pillow between my knees and thighs. I found since I have been doing these things I have improved.

Eating the right things does help too.

[postulater]

40. Did you get the leg length difference figured out?

There's a special standing xray that can measure the difference, compare it with the unlevelling of the sacrum and with the expected compensation pattern of the lumbar spine. Then a fairly accurate lift amount can be recommended.

[elleng]

29. I had sciatica problem years ago;

exercise and posture relieved me. Very sorry you've got such a problem.

I've been seeing an ad on tv recently, a pressure wrap, goes around lower leg, supposed to relieve sciatica pain. Don't recall the name. Will post if/when I see it again.

[Carigal]

32. I have had back surgery

I had what I called Sciatica just thinking that was what my back problem was called. I was in horrible pain but it took a long time for the doctors to finally figure out what was wrong. Going to a Chiropractor literally put me on the floor of the room and I lay there for over a half an hour unable to get up. So Chiropractors are not always the cure for all back problems. I had an MRI, Cat Scans, dye tests. Shots that did no good at all. Finally, my main Doctor had me take an X-Ray from the side and leaning over. It was at that point that they could see that the vertebrae was slipping. I ended up having spinal fusion surgery about 14 years ago and then again a few years ago as the problem ended up also moving further down my back. Hopefully that surgery will take care of the problem once and for all. I am doing well now but can not really walk long distances without pain. I believe that the problem happened when I had a fall but do not know for certain.

[LeftInTX]

33. Have you trialed with an external home e-stim/tens unit??

I bought mine for $85 from my physical therapists office. The fancier ones go for $1-2,000 and covered by insurance. These are external units with sticky electrodes that peal on and off.

The $85 dollar unit was primarily a TENS unit. The $1,000 unit that I had was a combination TENS/e-stim.

[madamvlb]

35. Had a trial one put in to see if it would work.....

Took it out about 10 days later. It did not help me at all. I have a really bad back and the pain is horrible. I now have become allergic to the steroid injections I loved so much, ended up in the ER last time...WOW, was that scary, never again. Anyway, I'm retired from the Army and know lots of soldiers who did benefit from the spinal cord stimulator. It just didn't work for me. Is your doc offering a trial run?

[MoonRiver]

46. Yes, they will only implant it after the trial.

Sorry it didn't work for you, but it's hopeful that so many soldiers benefited from it.

[panader0]

37. See a chiroprator

I have been a bricklayer for 40 years and have several episodes with my back. I've had sciatic pain that was quite severe.
I've had times when it took me 5 minutes to get off the couch. I've gone to my chiropractor in such pain that it took me quite a while to get from my truck to the door, bent over. If 15-20 minutes I walked out feeling fine. When your lower backbone is out it puts tremendous pressure on your nerves. There are some here who think chiropractic is woo. From my own experience, it has been a huge source of relief on several occasions. It can't hurt, and it is relatively inexpensive. My doc charges $40 per visit. If you are a first timer, there may be a need for x-rays. My GF had never been to one, and hurt her back about 3 or 4 months ago. She went and felt fine right away. Severe cases may take more than one visit. Best of luck.

[Drahthaardogs]

41. Get the Fusion. Best decision I ever made.

L4/L5 done minimally invasive by a beast of a surgeon. It is like getting your life back.

[AngryAmish]

42. I read that as anal stimulation....

Geez.

[bettyellen]

43. oops

[frazzled]

44. Physical therapy exercises

from a trained therapist (probably covered under your insurance).

Physical therapy exercises incorporating strengthening, stretching, and aerobic conditioning are a central component of almost any sciatica treatment plan.

When patients engage in a regular program of gentle strengthening, stretching and aerobic exercises, they can recover more quickly from sciatica pain and are less likely to have future episodes of pain.

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/physical-therapy-and-exercise-sciatica

[pacalo]

45. My husband has a spinal stimulator implanted in his back.

His chronic back pain is so intense, nothing seems to help him adequately. He had three back surgeries without success before getting his stimulator, which helps somewhat (sometimes it malfunctions, which calls for an adjustment at the doctor's office). In addition to that, he's on very strong pain medication that he can take only every 12 hours.

The epidural injections that my husband has had didn't work well on him, so if you've had success with those, perhaps you would do well with spinal stimulation as well.

Btw, have you tried Icy Hot Tens Therapy, which is available over-the-counter at drug stores? It's worth a try!

http://www.target.com/p/icy-hot-smart-relief-tens-therapy-back-pain-starter-kit/-/A-15024787

Good luck, moonriver.

[MoonRiver]

47. Thanks pacalo. I will look for the Icy Hot Tens Therapy.

[pacalo]

48. You're welcome -- I hope it does the trick for you!

[librechik]

50. I adore my TENS unit. It works very well on my sciatica

in combination with some Aleve. i highly recommend it--you might want to start out with a physical therapist who can show you how to use it. You can buy the TENS unit online or even at Walgreen's nowadays.

Not sure if that's what you mean by spinal stimulation, though.

[Thinkingabout]

51. I have a tens purchased from chiropractor for $50 but tge same one is about $30 on Amazon.

I also went to chiropractor for a year because of lumbar compaction. Found I could twist similar to chiropractic treatment and get relief. I have used tens machine and acupuncture with great success and also Perform. The TENS machine works on pulled muscles, etc with success.

[NaturalHigh]

53. I've never tried it.

I have had multiple back surgeries and still get shots every three months, but I've never tried spinal stimulation. My pain management doctor isn't too optimistic about its effectiveness (at least for me).

It's a cliché to say "I feel your pain," but I've truly been there and done that. I wish you luck.

[Uben]

54. My moms got it!

She suffered from sciatica in her right leg. Had the stimulator put in and it really does help. Tricks the brain into not feeling the pain. About 8 months later, she started having the same pains in her left leg. When they inserted the electrodes over the spinal chord, they covered the area for the left too, and all she had to do was go get it programmed. Took 5 mins

It's expensive. I think hers was $19K.