I skipped surgery. The pain was so horrible and my quality of life so poor for quite a few months I was getting desperate. A friend of mine is a doctor - not a neurosurgeon or orthopedic - and he told me he had a similar issue with his disc. But said that the literature shows people who get the surgery have an average of 3.7 more surgeries on their backs over their lifetime. I decided to tough it out and now I am in an ok position.
I would love some details on this! Not sure quite what you are describing but anything that helps would be awesome, thank you!
I too investigated surgery. Fusion, disc replacement, etc. Got opinions from multiple orthopedic surgeons all over the SE, even Texas Back which is supposed to be the best. I got so disgusted with the lack of professionalism, arrogance, and different recommendations...not to mention the extended recuperation and risks you became aware of as well, that I gave up. At some point in the future, I'm preparing myself for the possible need for a laminotomy (the doctor with the most experience on the latest procedure with ultrasonic microsurgery seems to be Dr. Cantor in south Florida -- check YouTube), but the therapy below has helped immensely, and kept me from having to make a surgical choice...for now.
Wear a type of pants made out of material that will provide some friction against the carpet. Jeans are good, or something with pockets sewn on the outside of the pants. Lay on the floor with your body halfway through the doorway, and hike your shirt up so the lumbar part of your back is bare against the carpet. (Think of your body as two separate pieces: your hips and legs which will remain relatively stationary, and your torso which will be pushed away from them.) Place each hand on the doorframe, and push away from your feet. This will take a little practice to overcome the subconscious reaction to tighten your spinal erector muscles. Keep pushing (readjusting your position as needed), first concentrating on feeling your lower spine settle against the floor. (Sometimes flexing your abdominal muscles will help push your lower back downwards.) If you're doing it right, it "may" hurt a little bit, but stop...or back off on the pressure...if it hurts a lot. That's the beauty of this exercise -- you're in complete control. You may even feel a "pop" or two as the vertebrae separate. That's a good thing if it happens -- don't be frightened if it does. Once you can relax those spinal erectors, you'll feel the pulling and traction against those lumbar vertebrae.
When standing, normally, your spine is in an S-curve. But when you lose the cushioning from the discs, this S-curve in the lumbar region contributes to additional pressure on the back side of the vertebrae, where they press/pinch the nerves exiting through the passages between the bones. By allowing your lumbar spine to settle against the floor when you do the traction, you're opening up those passages slightly, at the same time you're pulling the bones apart.
When you're done with each session, don't sit up straight like you're doing a sit-up. Roll slightly to one side on an elbow, and grab that doorframe you're facing with both hands, and come to a sitting position sideways. Then use the doorframe, and placing one of your hands on a knee to come to a standing position. You'll figure out what's the best way for you to do this. Go easy on your spine after the traction. Twisting and sideways motions are actually better than placing force directly upon the lumbar section (as in doing a sit-up).
Work into this exercise such that you are doing it 3-5 minutes nightly, before bed. It may take a couple weeks before you begin noticing benefit, but keep at it. Years ago when I first discovered this, I actually set up a pillow on the floor and did this for 30-45 minutes per session, but I couldn't maintain enthusiasm for that length of time. Since I imagine you still have good arm strength, you'll be able to easily keep up the pressure for a few minutes.
In the future, if you feel like you want to step up the traction a notch, I have also set up a concrete block in a carpeted closet (so it's out of the way), with a cord tied to it and a piece of Velcro tied to the end. I've measured the length of the cord so it's in exactly the right place when I'm laying in the doorway. I attach the Velcro around an ankle to secure the leg, and do the traction as I've described above. Anchoring the leg like this is especially helpful if there's one side of your SI joint that's giving you trouble, as you can isolate. If you've ever watched any chiropractic videos, they frequently will measure the length of each leg and find that one is longer/shorter. If you apply equal pressure to the traction without isolating like this, you may miss out on some possible additional benefit. You don't need to do this isolating traction often. Be your own guide. It's possible to generate quite a bit of force -- don't go overboard. Steady, even pressure.
If you're also experiencing some sciatica pain/numbness going down your leg(s), after you've done the traction is a good time to do another form of therapy called "threading the nerve." Lift the leg giving you trouble vertically, and try to straighten out your knee as much as you can. Then point your toes towards your head, maybe even grabbing your toes on that foot with your hand to help. Then release the pressure, and do it again. Repeat ten times or so. I was amazed how much this one stretch can do to help minimize sciatica!
I skipped surgery. The pain was so horrible and my quality of life so poor for quite a few months I was getting desperate. A friend of mine is a doctor - not a neurosurgeon or orthopedic - and he told me he had a similar issue with his disc. But said that the literature shows people who get the surgery have an average of 3.7 more surgeries on their backs over their lifetime. I decided to tough it out and now I am in an ok position.
I would love some details on this! Not sure quite what you are describing but anything that helps would be awesome, thank you!
I too investigated surgery. Fusion, disc replacement, etc. Got opinions from multiple orthopedic surgeons all over the SE, even Texas Back which is supposed to be the best. I got so disgusted with the lack of professionalism, arrogance, and different recommendations...not to mention the extended recuperation and risks you became aware of as well, that I gave up. At some point in the future, I'm preparing myself for the possible need for a laminotomy (the doctor with the most experience on the latest procedure with ultrasonic microsurgery seems to be Dr. Cantor in south Florida -- check YouTube), but the therapy below has helped immensely, and kept me from having to make a surgical choice...for now.
Wear a type of pants made out of material that will provide some friction against the carpet. Jeans are good, or something with pockets sewn on the outside of the pants. Lay on the floor with your body halfway through the doorway, and hike your shirt up so the lumbar part of your back is bare against the carpet. (Think of your body as two separate pieces: your hips and legs which will remain relatively stationary, and your torso which will be pushed away from them.) Place each hand on the doorframe, and push away from your feet. This will take a little practice to overcome the subconscious reaction to tighten your spinal erector muscles. Keep pushing (readjusting your position as needed), first concentrating on feeling your lower spine settle against the floor. (Sometimes flexing your abdominal muscles will help push your lower back downwards.) If you're doing it right, it "may" hurt a little bit, but stop...or back off on the pressure...if it hurts a lot. That's the beauty of this exercise -- you're in complete control. You may even feel a "pop" or two as the vertebrae separate. That's a good thing if it happens -- don't be frightened if it does. Once you can relax those spinal erectors, you'll feel the pulling and traction against those lumbar vertebrae.
When standing, normally, your spine is in an S-curve. But when you lose the cushioning from the discs, this S-curve in the lumbar region contributes to additional pressure on the back side of the vertebrae, where they press/pinch the nerves exiting through the passages between the bones. By allowing your lumbar spine to settle against the floor when you do the traction, you're opening up those passages slightly, at the same time you're pulling the bones apart.
When you're done with each session, don't sit up straight like you're doing a sit-up. Roll slightly to one side on an elbow, and grab that doorframe you're facing with both hands, and come to a sitting position sideways. Then use the doorframe, and placing one of your hands on a knee to come to a standing position. You'll figure out what's the best way for you to do this. Go easy on your spine after the traction. Twisting and sideways motions are actually better than placing force directly upon the lumbar section (as in doing a sit-up).
Work into this exercise such that you are doing it 3-5 minutes nightly, before bed. It may take a couple weeks before you begin noticing benefit, but keep at it. Years ago when I first discovered this, I actually set up a pillow on the floor and did this for 30-45 minutes per session, but I couldn't maintain enthusiasm for that length of time. Since I imagine you still have good arm strength, you'll be able to easily keep up the pressure for a few minutes.
In the future, if you feel like you want to step up the traction a notch, I have also set up a concrete block in a carpeted closet (so it's out of the way), with a cord tied to it and a piece of Velcro tied to the end. I've measured the length of the cord so it's in exactly the right place when I'm laying in the doorway. I attach the Velcro around an ankle to secure the leg, and do the traction as I've described above. Anchoring the leg like this is especially helpful if there's one side of your SI joint that's giving you trouble, as you can isolate. If you've ever watched any chiropractic videos, they frequently will measure the length of each leg and find that one is longer/shorter. If you apply equal pressure to the traction without isolating like this, you may miss out on some possible additional benefit. You don't need to do this isolating traction often. Be your own guide. It's possible to generate quite a bit of force -- don't go overboard. Steady, even pressure.
If you're also experiencing some sciatica pain/numbness going down your leg(s), after you've done the traction is a good time to do another form of therapy called "threading the nerve." Lift the leg giving you trouble vertically, and try to straighten out your knee as much as you can. Then point your toes towards your head, maybe even grabbing your toes on that foot with your hand to help. Then release the pressure, and do it again. Repeat ten times or so. I was amazed how much this one stretch can do to help minimize sciatica!
Hope this helps!
Awesome! Will give this a shot and report back in a week. Thanks a ton!
“…said that the literature shows people who get the surgery have an average of 3.7 more surgeries on their backs over their lifetime.”
Can confirm statement from doctors, surgeons and personal family experience. Avoid surgery if at all possible. (My .02)