My wife was hit by a car in April 2019 and I've mentioned on here before about how her sense of taste and smell was greatly diminished due to a concussion. 3 months later she started having intense back pain. The doctors were hesitant to associate this problem with the accident, so it was not included in the settlement.
Anyhow, she's found that activated B-12 works well for nerve pain and has reduced her use of steroids subsequently. I thought perhaps glucosamine would regain cartilage growth. I used it when I developed a pain in my knee and I'd feel it going up our stairs after jogging at night. Glucosamine worked well for me, at least. The problem is getting my wife to take anything at all, especially if they come in large-sized pills. She's already taking other stuff, so it would have to be good because she doesn't want to take many supplements. If people have recommendations, especially based on experience, advice would be greatly appreciated.
I've been into alternative medicine for 15+ years already, but I've learned a lot by coming to this forum. GEOTUS talks about medical breakthroughs coming and we've seen the suppression of stuff like HCQ and Ivermectin. I'd never heard of Fenbendazole before coming to this forum. Please help if you can. She goes to physical therapy nearly every Saturday. I have a stretch ball, but I'm surprised they don't have her use one at home. I use it when I have lower back pain, and bought it 12 years ago at a chiropractor's insistence. My wife was doing well over the summer, but now with the weather cooling down, she has difficulty boarding a bus with its steep steps when she goes home. What about even stuff like eating more red meat? Thanks in advance.
I can help a bit. I have lost my L4/L5 and L5/S1 discs, through age-related degeneration. I have been to several orthopedic surgeons, as well as a spinal pain specialist, and they all tell me something different. Half of them are idiots. Forget about supplements. It's true that an injured disc can recover, but not loss due to degenerative disc disease.
If the DDD is relatively new, there is quite a bit of hope through stem cell injections. They are expensive, however, and not covered by insurance. The problem is relieving the pressure between the vertebrae so that any healing can take place.
The only way I can continue to function is an exercise I discovered and taught myself. It's a variation of traction, that you can do yourself in a carpeted doorway. Lie down on your back, halfway through the doorway. Hike your shirt up such that your bare back is on the carpet. Place each hand on the doorframe, and push away from your feet. It will take a bit of practice, because your subconscious reaction is to tighten your spinal erector muscles. Relax those muscles, and you will feel the pull in your lower spine. Keep pushing for as long as you are able. You are doing it right if it hurts a little. If it hurts too much, stop pushing. It's most productive to do this right before going to bed at night, so that the discs can benefit from the lack of pressure overnight.
One tip while doing this exercise: try to imagine pressing your lower back against the floor, at the same time while pulling the vertebrae apart. This opens up the passages in the posterior spine where nerves get pinched.
If your wife also experiences sciatica, then she also needs to do specific stretches, one known as "threading the needle." While on her back, raise the leg which has sciatica at 90 degrees above the waist. Push as far towards the head as is possible. Then, point the toes downwards, again and again. Repeat. This will prove beneficial over time. Keep at it.
There is only one supplement I would recommend, and that's B12 for nerve health, as you have already discovered. If there are symptoms like neuropathy, the B12 will help.
If you have more questions, I can help. There are surgical options, but none of them are good ones. If you can manage without, you are better off. I dose twice daily with 400mg of ibuprofen (ALWAYS take with food!!), and if the back pain is bad, I also use diclofenac gel.
Best wishes.