Are you as fed up as me with back pain or sciatica pain and confused about the often conflicting opinions on how to "fix" the problem? Then read on to find out how I discovered a simple solution that not only works but also costs very little.
According to published reports, 80% of the population will suffer some kind of "back problem" in their lives. Here's the shocking news: 50% of them will undergo unnecessary, costly and often dangerous surgery or other medical intervention! Here's my story and the reason I created this web site to show fellow sufferers how to relieve back pain.
I woke up one morning about ten years ago with severe pain in my legs. My wife had recently given birth to twins and my regular routine at the gym and my sleep pattern was seriously disrupted. Persuaded that it was a muscular issue due to not excersising and picking up babies, I headed to the gym to work out the kinks. Far from improving the situation, things got worse and I could not complete my workout. My back hurt and I had shooting pain down my legs.
More than a little frightened, I headed to my Doctor's office. After a brief examination he said "it looks like you have stenosis". He explained that stenosis was a narrowing of the spinal canal causing pressure on the nerves resulting in the pain in my legs. He sent me for a MRI which confirmed his diagnosis and also showed a herniated disk and other "degeneration". Scary stuff for a formerly active, golf loving guy! He told me it was an "inevitable part of the ageing process" but fortunately he steered me away from surgery.
He sent me for physical therapy where I was taught exercises to strengthen my core and given a list of things that I should and should not do to avoid further "damage" to my back. I also underwent "pain management" with epidural steroid injections. Things slowly improved to the point where I could function normally in my day to day routine, but I never went back to many of my former activities out of fear that I would "damage" my back. I would have the occasional flare up, but a visit to the chiropractor, some icing and a resumption of my exercises would usually relieve the back pain. [More]
Earlier this year, I was going through a major life change and began to neglect myself; not exercising, worrying, not sleeping well and developing bad eating habits (there is nothing like ice cream to soothe emotional pain). Again, I woke up one morning with the shooting leg pains and found that I could not walk across the room without holding on to something. Although many symptoms were similar to the experiance ten years prior, there were some new ones like tingling in my legs when I stood for long periods of time. I couldn't walk far without having to sit down.
I went to the Chiropractor who put me on a three day a week routine of exercises in his office followed by an adjustment. He explained that "my adjustments weren't holding" because the muscles were weak. (So why was he doing the adjustments?). Again, scared that I had "damaged" my back I headed for the doctor's office. Another MRI showed pretty much the same condition as ten years ago. There was talk of more spinal injections to relieve the back pain and a referral to a "back specialist". Turns out that the "specialist" was a surgeon and you know what they like to do!
Coincidentally, I had dinner with a couple of friends who had undergone back surgery several years ago. One was already scheduled for a second surgery and the other was seriously contemplating it! I was hobbling around in pain and they were tag-teaming in an effort to persuade me to try surgery. When I pointed out that it didn't seem to have worked too well for them they vigorously defended their position claiming that they had enjoyed several years pain free before the symptoms returned. They also defended the surgeons, pointing out that it was really "their own fault because they had stopped doing their exercises and taking care of themselves".
Bingo! The light went on. Modern medicine only treats symptoms and not causes! And, the "treatment" usually consists of writing a prescription or surgically removing something from your body. Oh, the Doctor will sometimes (usually quite gently) suggest that if you "modified your lifestyle" you might feel better.They do not spend much time on this subject because the "system" allows them only about ten minutes per appointment – long enough to diagnose a symptom and put a band-aid on it or refer you to a "specialist" who knows exactly which band-aid to put where (hence the higher co-pay). Now, I do not want to suggest that you stop treating symptoms if you already have serious issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other diseases but I do strongly suggest that while treating the symptoms, you also address the underlying causes of your back pain.
It was at this point that I decided to take matters into my own hands. I did not go to the specialist, stopped going to the chiropractor and began researching how to relieve back pain on the internet. My search turned up plenty of sites offering "minimally invasive surgery", chiropractors promising relief and a few exercises videos. I have done a lot of research and reading on the subject of back problems and uncovered several nuggets: Dr. John Sarno in his excellent book "Healing Back Pain" talks about the psychological and stress related aspects while others discuss the importance of good nutrition. And of course, we have all heard about the benefits of exercise. Most of the sites and books that I read addressed only one aspect of the problem. However, my research led me to believe that our bodies have an infinite capacity to heal themselves under the right conditions. Indeed, early medicine and much of todays "alternative" medicine is aimed at assisting that process.
I finally came across a book that put all the pieces together for me: "The 7-day Back Pain Cure" by Jesse Cannone. Even though the title was a little ambitious, after reading this book, I realized that with both of my debilitating back incidents, I was at the center of "the perfect storm". I was under severe stress causing me to lose sleep, eat poorly, stop exercising and generally neglect myself. My body finally rebelled at a weak spot – my back. I have been following Jesse's suggestions for several weeks now and the results are nothing short of phenomenal. I am pain free and active again.
I urge you read this book immediately and then come back to my Web site where I will give you practical tips on how to relieve back pain "painlessly". Jesse has graciously offer a few copies of his book for a small shipping and handling charge. Learn the secrets to finally getting lasting relief from your back, neck or sciatica pain. Get relief in as little as days…even if you’ve suffered years or decades and have tried it all!
Low Back Pain: medicinenet
