Lower back pain due to a pinched nerve: Anything I can do for relief?

My problem is that i do not have too much faith in doctors , i just go for a blood test and read it myself and see what is lacking in my system . For pain and inflammation i use organic Turmeric its a fab product, apple cider with the mother.
Organic Rosehip powder is also a very good product especially for the skin and different ailments . Doctors never advice a nAtural product and this is not good . Have a nice day .

When looking for and evaluating complementary therapies, I turn to NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrated Medicine (NCCIH) website https://nccih.nih.gov/

In the section "Health Topics A-Z" current therapies and conditions are listed explaining the most recent evidence, cautions and potential of future studies.

The site also features a section dedicated to the management of pain since "Pain is the most common reason for seeking medical care. It is also a common reason why people turn to complementary and integrative health approaches."
- NCCIH and Pain https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/pain

The Pain page is a wealth of information about evidence-based complementary health approaches and chronic pain.

I have had Degenerative Disc Disease for 30 years with bouts of very painful lower back issues. I am allergic to Ibuprofen because of over use (over prescribed) in past.
What never fails for me is simple: bed rest with heat. You have to be patient but much better than alternatives for me. A doctor once explained to me that a pinched nerve is like a crushed stem on a plant - it will recover given care.

When I had a pinched nerve in my neck, from 2 herniated discs, the only thing that helped was physical therapy. And since then (this was about 14 years ago), I see a chiropractor when things tighten up again. But, as always, talking to a doctor/caregiver is the best way to go.

Welcome Jeremy @jbanks, Thanks for sharing your experience and what helped and the sound advice. Did you ever find a cause for the herniated discs?

My doctor gives me a shot in my back and that helps for a year or two. Did you try that?

I have been experiencing sciatic nerve pain in right leg after total knee replacement in left leg. It radiates from buttock to foot. Have addressed it to surgeon and PT but neither has addressed the problem. It is getting very uncomfortable, I have Googled stretch’s for back pain relief and are doing them at home. Not getting much relief, feeling discomfort in back while laying down and having difficulty sitting upright. My next step is contacting my Pain Management Dr. as the surgeon and pt are not addressing it. Has anyone one else suffered this? I am wondering if they nicked the nerve when doing spinal block!?

Have you had a current MRI? If not that is first thing to do so a neurosurgeon can see what is going on. A friend of mine, 71, had the same problem and had surgery yesterday and did well.

I see a DO Dr for terrible back pain, mainly lower back and she does gentle OMT'S. Have you looked into that? They are trained in these, they are manipulations that relax the muscles. She gently moves my arm & legs and in 15 mins it feels like a massage. Insurance pays for it, it has really saved me. What she does usually will ask if she can just work where she see issues, my back neck & my back. She says my pelvis is out of whack & adjusts it. She can only do 3 a day as she has carpal tunnel. But it doesn't look like she is really using any hard work. It doesn't hurt. All that wasted money on massages I will never go back to one.

You can try Voltaren. That's (a generic) diclofenac gel, in a tube. It's an NSAID in gel form and works nicely on a lot of things. The generic is reasonable cost.

Also, instead of heading directly to surgery and high cost ones at that, have you tried things like Gabapentin? There are prescriptions for nerve pain, that are not opioids. Or controlled substances, at all. There's also Lyrica, which is what I had first, before some sliding scale clinic couldn't refill it, so I was tried on the Gabapentin and that cut in half (no joke) all the pain I had been living with for decades. High risk back surgery can be put off a long time when we get things like that.