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← Return to Chronic Back Pain for Years
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@jimhd Not many options for sciatica. I saw a neurosurgeon who said surgery would help but cognitive behavioral therapy would. I have done that. Over the past 5+ years I have tried every stretch, antidepressant, anti seizure, chiropractic, dry needling, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc. I am still in the early stages of myofascial therapy and I have hope. I saw another pain dr and because of black box warning can’t prescribe benzodiazepines with opioids. That is all that works for my conditions. My husband and I have talked at length and if it would give me some semblance of a life I wish I could make the decision of taking the meds. In the over 4 years I’ve taken a pain killer my dosage has never gone up. I am in bed again today crying because the sciatica hurts so bad. I don’t think a pain pump is an option for sciatica.
Replies to "@jimhd Not many options for sciatica. I saw a neurosurgeon who said surgery would help but..."
I apologize for butting in on your conversations but... I have some info. to share that may help some of you. Long story short, I fell in 2003 and have terrible back pain and sciatica ever since. I was just labeled a chronic pain patient because after all the MRI's, tests, numerous doctors, etc. they still couldn't come up with a specific diagnosis... until 2018. The fall caused Tarlov cysts to form in my sacral area along with a tethered cord. The tethered cord has been pulling on my spinal cord all these years causing a ton of pain and they cysts have been compressing the sacral nerves causing havoc on everything below the waist.
After being on some of the forums and talking to people like yourselves I kept coming across Dr. Forest Tennant. I checked out his websites and I couldn't stop reading. I think I read everything on both sites. Over all it seems like the first step we all need to do is control the inflammation. He offers so much valuable info. for you to print out and take to your doctor plus a self help protocol. I have replaced naproxen with tumeric and have added palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and pregnenolone to may normal medications. I have to say that I've only been taking these things for about 3 weeks and I can tell a slight difference in my pain already. Here is an article on the palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) that I think everyone in pain should read and try. If you don't want to read all the scientific stuff then scroll down to where it talks about them treating specific patients with it in their clinic. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500919/ It has been found to work just as well, if not better than opioids for pain and it's just a supplement!!
Dr. Tennant has 2 websites, http://www.arachnoiditishope.com and http://www.intractablepain.com Even if you don't believe you have either of these things please read as the info. he provides helps all pain.
Best wishes for you all!
Terri
Why wouldn’t a pain pump be an option for sciatica pain?
Sciatica is the main reason that I have a pain pump. Someone is jerking your chain with bad information.
@bustrbrwn22
My wife had spinal stenosis, which was squeezing her sciatic nerve. Surgery to clean out the spinal canal released the pressure on her sciatic nerve, and the pain stopped quite soon after surgery. I just had the same procedure, and recovery was amazingly quick. But whatever works for me might or might not work for you.
Jim
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@jimhd I made a typo. The neurosurgeon said surgery would not help and given where my nerve is compressed it is very risky.