Welcome... 

I created this site to tell my story - the story of how I healed my own back pain and sciatica without surgery.  I have no medical training and I have not created this site to offer advice - I only hope that my story will inspire others.  I spent months bedridden, listening only to doctors about my lower back problems and taking pain medication and muscle relaxants.  I continued to get weaker and weaker until I was told by several doctors that my only way to fix my herniated disc was surgery.  This is the story of how I took charge of my own recovery - and returned to an active, healthy lifestyle with no pain medication and without surgery.

Back pain relief (natural and prescription)
     Vicodin, Vioxx, Effexor, Topricin, Natural Supplements, More
Products that relieved back pain
      Massage Chair, Memory Foam, More
Books
Exercise
     Pilates, More
Physical Therapy for Herniated Disc
Diet
Staying Sane
Disability Insurance
Definitions: Herniated Disc, Bulging Disc, Sciatica

My Story
I am young (33 years old) and have always been physically fit - but I also have a job working at a computer all day and don't always take the breaks I need, and I'd had some lumbar back problems years before, but never anything serious.   At first I had back pain at work - just a little stiffness when I stood up - the pain worsened slightly over time until the point where I thought "this isn't getting better on it's own."  Gradually it got worse until I couldn't sleep at night and finally my back pain was so bad that it was almost impossible for me to stand up straight and I had a constant tingling sensation in my right foot and sciatic pain in my right leg.

I was told to rest in bed and do no exercise - my back felt better at first, but as I started moving again, my back pain and sciatica took a turn for the worse. I saw doctors, back specialists, and a physical therapist - I was prescribed heavy pain killers, including Vioxx, Hydrocodone, and Percocet.  The drugs made me depressed and that my back problems got worse and worse.  I had an MRI and was diagnosed with a 15mm herniated disc (also known as a slipped disc or ruptured disc). The doctors encouraged me to take stronger doses of the medicine to "get past the pain" and still I continued to get worse.

Finally I hit rock bottom - my back pain was so bad that my physical therapist cut me off - saying that he couldn't help me anymore and that I needed to schedule surgery.  I went to a neurosurgeon who tried to scare me into having surgery right away saying that I might permanently loose function of my bladder and right leg if I did not.  I could barely walk the 6 feet from my bed to the bathroom on my own and I didn't feel like a human being any more.  I thought "there's no way I'm going in for surgery" and started to get other opinions and take charge of my own recovery.  It's sad that it took this much to make me get serious, face my back problems head on, and stop relying solely on the doctors around me - but that's what it took. 

Enough of the sad stuff - here's what I did to get better!

Update: It has been three years since I recovered from my back pain.  I continue to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.  During this time, I had a healthy pregnancy through which I continued exercising and had less back pain than many of the other pregnant women I spoke with.  Occasionally I have mild pain, and it reminds me to be diligent about my exercise, but I have never had a serious relapse. 

Back pain relief (natural and prescription)
     Vioxx, Hydrocodone, Natural Supplements, Ketocam Plus, Effexor, Topricin
Products that relieved back pain
      Massage Chair, Memory Foam Mattress, Inversion Table
     Ergonomic Desk Chair, Ergonomic Desk, More
Books for back pain
Exercise for Back Pain
     Pilates, Yoga, Elliptical Machine, Stationary Bike,
     Treadmill, Home Gym Equipment, More
Physical Therapy for Herniated Disc
Diet for pain relief
      Low Sugar - Low Carb
Staying Sane
Disability Insurance
Back Specialists
     Primary Care Physicians, Chiropractors, Osteopath, Orthopedist,
     Neurosurgeon, Spine Surgeon, Physiatrist, Anesthesiologist,
     Neurologist, Rheumatologist, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist,
     Psychologist
How I survived pregnancy after a herniated disc
Definitions: Herniated Disc, Bulging Disc, Sciatica, Back Specialists

I have no relationship with the solutions I describe and created this site purely to inspire others to go take control of their own back care and to provide some ideas of treatments to discuss with your doctor.  If you find this website useful, please add a link to it from your website or blog.