Suggestions please—lower back pain interrupting sleep

I’ve had 3 back surgeries. Every injection possible. Ablations for 2 years. Finally got 80%relief from having surgery to implant a permanent spinal stimulator.
I also have two arthritic knees with torn meniscus’s. Right hip has been replaced. Left one is gonna need replaced as well. Both shoulders are arthritic and both have torn rotator cuffs.
So, that’s a lot of pain. Before the crackdown on meds from pain management I was taking Dilaudid, Xanax and Ambien every night to get 4 hours sleep. As soon as medical marijuana was legal I was saved.
The Indica strain is a gift from the universe. I am not a smoker, not to worry. There are capsules, gummies, edibles, tinctures that work great. Everyone is different so it will probably take experimenting what works best for you as well as dosage.
On average I get 6-8 hours of sleep with no side effects in the morning. Throw all the pharmaceuticals away and go with a natural sleep aid.
You can also help pain issues during the day with the Sativa strain or possibly a hybrid.
The one negative is it’s very expensive.

I have arthritis in my spine. I live in the State of Florida so it's almost impossible to get any type of pain meds. I have found that Gabapentin taken at bedtime helps me sleep through the night without waking up.

@msvjv
Do you have degenerative disc disease and any disc bulges or herniations and compressed nerves/spinal cord? What does you lumbar MRI report list as findings?

Have you been to a pain management specialist for spinal injections?

The only thing reported on imaging was degenerative changes. Arthritis. No disc involvement mentioned. I’m on Eliquis and any spinal puncture discouraged,

I fractured my lumbar vertebrae 3 years ago. There is spinal stenosis and vertebra slipping in back of one below it. I also have stenosis in my cervical area. My neurosurgeon prescribe methocarbamol muscle relaxant. I take it for a few days with one 500 mg Tylenol. I’m surprised that then I could just take Tylenol for maybe even weeks just at night to sleep. For myself having something in the medicine cabinet if I really need it helps me relax.
I also breathe and meditate or say a repetitive prayer. It helps me and no cost or side effects.

@msvjv I'm not sure if you’ve seen the Salon Pas roll-on I like it better than patches because I can cover a bigger area

Thanks. Can’t use it because of mild CKD.

Hi msvjv,

Wow I have many of your symptoms but not the same problems with sleeping. It's very hard to think of something you haven't already tried, but here are three:

1. You mentioned you sleep with a pillow between your knees, so you must be a side sleeper. I suggest using two pillows (or one very long pillow) so that your knees and ankles are separated, creating a more neutral position for your spine.

2. Never use heat on your back or any joint. It does feel good but ultimately causes inflammation. Get used to ice, and use it frequently. A large, rectangular gel pad with straps would be good for the lower back.

3. See if you can get an Rx from your Dr for 5% lidocaine patches. These are a bit more powerful than Salonpas and you wear them 12 hours on, 12 hours off. Insurance won't usually cover these for back or joint pain.

That's all I can think of right now. You said you stretch, so make sure you're stretching your lower back, which often gets ignored. You can search for some good lower back stretches online.

All the best to you.

Joe

Breathing and saying a repetitive prayer or prayers (it doesn't even matter what you're saying) is a surprisingly good way to relax.

I was raised Catholic and we had a set of prayers every night. I'm not a believer, but I still say those prayers each night and they help!

Joe

Medical marijuana, the Indica strain will put you to sleep with no side effects that one has with pharmaceuticals.
I have exhausted all existing options for my lower back. I just had a spinal stimulator implanted almost 5 months ago and it has reduced back pain by 80%.
Unfortunately both knees are arthritic with torn meniscus’s. Right hip has been replaced, left is arthritic. Both shoulders are arthritic and have torn rotator cuffs, one torn three quarters through.
So, I have a decent amount of pain to deal with. First back injury was at age 25, almost 70 now.
Before the crack down on pain management I was taking a Dilaudid, Xanax and Ambien every night to get 4hrs of sleep. As soon as medical marijuana came on the market I threw the pharmaceuticals in the garbage. During the day I take no more than 2400 mg of ibuprofen and a few arthritis Tylenol. Been doing that for decades. Was scoped for another issue last year and there has been no damage to by gastrointestinal tract and all blood work is super good. Hope this helps.