@sheabebabe, After 32 years of back pain, one double level fusion and one recent very helpful disc replacement in Barcelona, I have found that over the years a cocktail of pain medicines taken at different times of the day work better. Daypro anti inflammatory (eat food with anti-inflammatories) as well as Flector and/or Lidoderm Patches at bedtime. Norotin or Lyrica turn down the amplification on nerve pain. I had been on a high level narcotic even stronger than oxy for 6 years now. Starting to cut down notably. Yet, I consume Flax Seed and Psyllium Husks (14g ea) to keep digestive track going. That cocktail works for me. Also if you have a hard time sleeping, as the Dr. for something to help. Even a hot bath for 10 minutes before bedtime can help. On the non-prescription side BioFreeze aerosol spray is fantastic at tricking the brain for a while to pay less attention to the pain. I also have done acupuncture with electro-stem--stimulation that helps break down tight muscles you cant reach - like around the hip bone line. Funny how I found the "spikey ball" they come in 2 and 3 inch sizes from Appleround and others work into the muscle deeply and really work well - no drugs. Deep massage as well. IceyHot Lidicane is also a non-prescription that helps pull the edge off of tight muscles. There are a few select places in the US to get a new disc replacement. Mayo is one of them. Texas Back Institute is another. Hundreds of disc replacement of the lumbar spine should be a minimum requirement. I went where they specialized in the Spinal Kinetics M6-L. Good luck.