My wife has been suffering from prolapse disk to the lower back. She has had several root block and epedruial  injections. However this has not seemed to make a difference. Currently she has another episode where by the nerve is trapped from the lower back right down to the toes. The right leg is constantly throbbing and the pain is unbearable. Is there anything that can be done to release the nerve? 

Which country and town do you live in?

Blobby

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Robin Allan
Chek Practitioner
Natural Health Coach

http://www.robinallan.com


robin_allan@hotmail.com

07967-366470

Is she being treated only by a physician?  Has she had physical therapy?  I would recommend seeking a physical therapist who emphasizes manual therapy.  At times this has a surprisingly easy fix, but be patient.  Be disciplined about any home exercise that may be given  Avoid surgery as long as possible. 

B

Hi

I do advise your wife to give The Bowen Technique a try as soon as she can.  It's very gentle and can do no harm, and is very good at helping the kind of condition you describe.

go to www.bter.org to find a therapist near you.  It's wonderful stuff!

AC

I would strongly recommend drinking a good Aloe Vera - a natural anti-inflammatory. Also apply it topically in the form of Heat Lotion and also MSM gel with Aloe to aid absorption into the skin and inflammed nerves. I am happy to talk to you about our experience of using these products if you want to ring 0844 453 2024 (local rate).

Regards

Margaret

Hi

My Dad was suffering with lower back pain and a trapped nerve earlier this year - there is a thread on here all about it with various suggested treatments.  He was in agony for a couple of months and couldn't walk without a stick.  The treatment that eventually sorted him out was "Spinal Touch Therapy" - he said it was instant.  I have attached a link.  I hope it gives your wife the same relief that it gave my Dad. 

http://www.distanthealer.co.uk/spinal_touch.htm

Cheers

Sue 

Rubbing on Hypericum tincture (St John's Wort) can help nerve pain. 

Hi

A prolapsed disc is a severe condition that needs careful and specialist handling by someone who really understands what is going on. A full prolapse of the disc, rather than a bulge of the disc, implies that the nucleous pulposus has ruptured through the anulus fibrosus and is pressing on one of the nerve roots as the nerve leaves the spine. This is what will cause the pain in the Sciatic Nerve and the distribution of this referred pain will be an indication of the level within the spine at which the prolapse has ocurred. The nerve is not trapped along it's whole length, the problem is local to the back and the pain is referred along the course of the nerve. As we age the nucleus polposus is less jelly-like and a full prolapse is less likely. This does not preclude referred pain from being present, it just means that the cause is likely to be more due to degenerative disc disease or arthritis.

If there is pressure on the nerve as it exits the spinal column the nerve will become inflamed. The body will attempt to heal this and there is a likelyhood that scar tissue will form (internally known as adhesions). If this adheres to surrounding structures this can then aggravate the problem by tugging on the nerve root and adding to the pain. You mention that your wife has had several nerve root blocks and epidural injections. My advise would be not to have more. If they have not helped to date then further ones are unlikly to help. Also, each time a needle is stuck in, or near, to a nerve minor trauma will occur. This is unavoidable. This can further aggravate the nerve and surrounding tissue and may even lead to more internal scarring.

I am a physiotherapist and a Bowen Therapist and would advise that you see a Physiotherapist, make sure they are MCSP (member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy) and registerd with the HPC (Health Professions Council). Physios know their anatomy and understand what is happening and have several techniques that will help. This is a common problem and Physiotherapists deal with it on a daily basis.

As a Bowen Therapist I know the value of this technique and have used it extensively in my practice. It can help enormously to relax and re-align the body. If you can find someone who is both Physio and Bowen trained than that would be great. If not then I would recommend Physiotherapy and ask your practitioner if she minds if you also visit a Bowen Therapist.

I do hope this helps. The problem should not be insurmountable.

Gill

My first port of call would be a chiropractor.

I tend to agree with Gill,this is a serious condition and great care must be taken. The nerve blockers can be dangerous also because of their side effects and the fact that you can do more damage because no messages are getting to the brain. When i had a trapped nerve i used a slant board, basically a board that you lay on at approx between 25 to 45 degrees with the ancles anchored at the high end. Laying on this for a while every day can help to make a gap between the vertebrae allowing the nerves to breath-so to speak, releasing them from being trapped. It is very important not to get up too quick as the nerve can get trapped, like it did to me and i collapsed on the floor due to the nerve, however ultimately you need to build those muscles in the lower body and back as these muscles really do keep the spine erect and they keep the gaps between the vertebrae to allow free movement to the nerves which come out of every vertebrae. Perhaps see someone local who can give you an example of the muscle toning exercises, and see if they can be done while on the board so that they will be the correct length to support the damaged area. For the immediate drug free pain relief i can suggest the pain genie info can be found at albert@paingenie.net i have had some amazing results with this unit. It helps the body to heal itself. I did find that it had very limited positive effect with one of my friends who was taking double the amount of nerve blockers so i now suggest using this unit just before you take the next lot of pills so the effects of the drugs have worn off. just 15 to30 mins should do the trick. Some people have one treatment and dont need another for a few weeks. But please always be careful with your posture, no matter how painful it gets keep your spine in a straight line, althopugh leaning over to one side may seem to ease it (in the short term), in reality it is making more of a long term problem for you. Dont worry there are people out here who can help. All the best with moving forward and being pain free. Kind Regards

 Albert

I would also suggest finding a certified IYENGAR Yoga teacher who is trained to a minimum of Junior Intermediate Level II and who may offer therapeutic classes.  Finding a therapeutic practise that you can do yourself will, in the long term, promote healing rather than always depending on a 'therapist' for relief.  It will take dedication and discipline to learn and practise the postures that will benefit you, initially under an experienced teacher, but then ultimately working towards developing your own home practise.  Clinical trials have been conducted in both the US and the UK on the effectiveness of IYENGAR Yoga for Cronical Lower Back Pain with very positive results.   I am a certified IYENGAR Yoga teacher and many of my students who suffer from cronic back pain find relief from the practise.  You may be able to find a teacher in your area by visiting www.bksiyengar.com  or www.iyengaryoga.org.uk  I would not suggest that you attend a regular yoga class and this could make the situation worse - you need a therapeutic approach.  However, it is the experience of the IY teacher that is important as they may be able to modify poses to suit you in a general class although a finding a therapeutic class would be perferable.  Good Luck. 

I had a trapped nerve a couple of years ago, and bought a Chi Machine, and after a couple of goes on that, it seemed to just disappear, and has never returned. 5 minutes a day on the Chi Machine seems to do wonders.  Good luck with it.

Hi, i went to see a pain specialist through my own admission's. He advised me to have an epidural, i was very concerned that this could aggravate the problem. My partner was with me whilst i asked twice for his word that this would NOT make the problem worse. Twice he assured me it wouldn't! I had the injection, it was very unpleasant, and was in great discomfort for a good week. It has made me worse and i refused to pay the private fee of 200 euro's on this basis. I did however get cautioned to pay a 75 euro charge which i relented to in the end. I am angry after reading hat epidural's can make these problems worse.   I hurt my back 5 years ago, im assuming it was carrying my son whilst he was sleeping, dead weight etc. I was also sitting on children's chairs as a classroom assistant, they do not provide adult chairs!!  MRI scans all 3 of them over these years have come back normal.  I walk 2 miles twice or 3  times a week and go to a physio's gym 3 times a week, yet- if i lift a 6 pack of coke im in trouble?  I can't sit on a hard chair or i will suffer for days and absolutely cannot sit on a soft sofa, i cant work now or even stand for long,please can you advise me what to do?? I am very depressed at times, but really try to keep hoping?   Than you    Fidelma ( i live in Ireland)