Identifying the Best Care for Back Pain - Patients' Advice

Patients share tips on finding the right health professional

In this section, patients share their experience of which type of health care professional was the most helpful for their back pain and why.

Asprin, and lots of it stops the pain before it starts. (Forget anti-inflammatories.) It is the pain that causes the cramping ... that causes the pain ... that causes the cramping ... etc.

For lower back problems keep your hamstrings loose by spending half an hour per day on your back on the floor with your legs up the wall.

From: Alex

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In March of 2003 I broke my thoracic spine in 3 places, then in August 2004 I had 2 discs in my lumbar go out due to a heavy lift on the jobsite. I was only 23 yrs old. I am almost 25 now and 3 years after the second injury just now finding a doctor that says there most likely a major problem and that there is a simple way to find out. I had numerous MRI and stayed in 2 hospitals due to my pain and they all said there was nothing on the MRI to show why my pain was so bad.

But this new doc said a discogram will show problems that MRI will not and that most likely my 2 discs are completely shot, if not more than 2 at this point. So all I have to say is that when a doc tells you there is nothing wrong and you feel like there is, go with your gut and get a second opinion.

From: Anonymous

See a neurologist or a pain management dr and insist that they do a MRI or a mylegram.

From: Karen

I am in my early thirties and suffering from spondylosis of the lumber region. Pain started 2 months ago. I don’t have a therapist yet - I mostly avoid situations that aggravate my back pain and rest. However, I intend to see a physical therapist because I found out that exercise helps relieve stiffness and pain around the affected joints.

From: Uche – Lagos, Nigeria

I found my orthopedic surgeon through references by other doctors in the same city. Fortunately, we knew other specialists who were able to help. The surgeon I saw presented me with a treatment plan that made sense. He had a permanent solution rather than just a band-aid for my pain. In my case it was a spinal fusion which ended up being a huge success. Post surgery, I followed every single instruction which has included a lot of walking.

From: Sally – Texas, USA

After going to a couple of back specialists in my local area's hospital I decided to research on the internet. Like they say, God helps people that help themselves. I came across an orthopedic surgeon in Manhattan who was wonderful. After going on his website and reading his credentials I contacted his office. Just from my first visit alone I left his office feeling confident and optimistic. I was diagnosed with lower lumbar stenosis, scoliosis and D.I.S.H. I’m 46 years old and needless to say even with taking muscle relaxants, Vicodin, Ultram, Ibuprofen, and experimenting with a variety of other different pain killers I was still unable to work, sleep, walk, sit in one position for more than ten minutes without having to shift around…basically I was disabled. My surgeon performed a laminectomy on me on a Wednesday morning; Thursday afternoon I was up and walking. That Saturday I was discharged and 12 days after the operation I can honestly say that I’m almost pain free, with the exception of some muscle spasms, which is normal. From a MRI that I had from a previous surgeon (who said I had just scoliosis) my surgeon pointed out that I had severe spinal stenosis as well. As a result, surgery was needed. Need I say more? OH YEAH, IT PAYS TO PRAY!!!!!!

From: Helmut Weber Jr. – New York, USA

Find yourself a physiatrist. Mine has saved my life and allowed me to continue with many of life's daily activities. Don't get me wrong, I still can't do laundry or vacuum, but I can go to work most days and work at my computer. I had a spinal fusion in Dec 2001 at L3/L4, and have completely degenerated discs at L4/L5 and L5/S1. I found a good neurosurgeon who will do a double disc replacement; however, my insurance company won't pay. I can't get into any trials because I had the previous fusion. I see my physiatrist every six weeks and she helps me manage my chronic back pain using a pharmacy of my own. If your doc hasn't prescribed it yet, ask for ACTIQ pain pops. They are normally prescribed to cancer patients with breakthrough pain, but allow me to take the edge off the pain during the day. The meds only last about an hour, but therefore allow you do actually leave the bed and the house. The other thing I have done is to shell out $4,500 for an adjustable bed. My husband and I bought two twin extra long adjustable beds and locked them together. He can sleep in the normal manner and I "sleep" with head and knees up. I'm pretty sure this has saved my marriage. Before the bed, I slept under 2 hours a night, and when I did sleep, it was in a recliner. Now I actually sleep about 5 hours a night.

From: Amy – Tennessee, USA

I suffered from 2 herniated discs and 3 degenerative discs. These were a result of a 50 ft fall while in the Marines. I visited an Active Release Techniques chiropractor and am now pain free. The ART doctors break up the scar tissue connecting the muscular and skeletal bodies so the joints can function properly.Then, I began Tai Chi, yoga. 18 months later I was able to start jogging again and began weight lifting again and hapkido. I began a law enforcement career and was pain free for 10 years. I was hit by a truck's mirror. I was unable to get ART help for a year. After seeing an ART provider for one month, I was pain free again.

From: Dave

Discovered in 1/06 that I had a herniated disc in my cervical spine and 3 herniated discs in my lumbar spine. Opted to have the cervical disc replacement surgery in April 2006 and was extremely successful. The sciatica acted up right after that surgery and I was in pain for 7 weeks. I was scheduled for surgery for that in 7/06 but my doctor suggested I wait as he thought it may heal itself. Through the help of a Doctor of Chiropractic, an alternative to an epidural, I slowly was able to move around better and then would get on the treadmill everyday as I actually felt better after doing so. I now get on the treadmill everyday for a minimum of 35 minutes on incline plus I take a multi-vitamin and glucosamine/chondroitin (2 tablets/day) and haven't had any problems since. My back is a little sore in the AM sometimes, but I make it a point to get on the treadmill particularly on those days. Haven't had to take anti-inflammatories for at least 2 months now. I'm positive I will not have a problem with my sciatica again. I also do stretching with resistance bands to for my leg/thigh/rear muscles and use that ball to stretch my lower back. Try to be positive. It's hard, but I think it makes a big difference!

From: Stephanie Weiss – Florida, USA

I was 24 years old when I hurt my back (pinched nerve, sciatica, slipped disc) and have tried physiotherapy and chiropractor. None of this worked. The only thing that worked was Acupuncture and the Bowen technique. These 2 things saved my life! After not being able to walk for days and after visiting various physios I went and tried the Bowen technique. It was amazing. Highly recommended.

From: Sophia – Melbourne, Australia

Communicate with others about the best back care

* Note: This page expresses the experiences and opinions of patients, not doctors. The Back-to-Back forum is provided because we think people often have very practical advice and insights to share that can benefit other patients who have similar back problems. This section has not been peer reviewed by our Medical Advisory Board, and is provided for your informational purposes only.

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