General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I have had [View all]csziggy
(34,136 posts)I went to physical therapy and the stretches and exercises helped a lot. In addition, I either sleep with a wedge pillow or an adjustable bed so my head is raised slightly and my back is not completely flat.
Many of the exercises the physical therapist gave me are in The Back Pain Book:
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-back-pain-book-a-self-help-guide-for-the-daily-relief-of-back-and-neck-pain_mike-hage/3275918/#isbn=1561450421&idiq=555522
(Amazon has the newer edition, but they are much more expensive. Thirftbooks is a great resource for low cost used books.)
My family practice doctor recommended this when my back first freaked out over twenty years ago. I had my back fused last March when an MRI showed that the L5 vertebrae was in pieces. While the surgery stabilized things, it did not cure the nerve problems. The stretches and exercises did. I just have to do them almost every day or the problem recurs.
I describe it as a problem rather than pain. I have a cold tingly feeling down the right leg. If I ignore it, my back can go into spasms. I'm lucky that it does not demonstrate as pain, but the cold can be intensely uncomfortable.