I have a ruptured disk in my back, how can I help the pain?

the disk is pushing on the nerve. Its tolerable until I lay down, and then it throbs. I'm taking lortab and advil, but they still don't work. any suggestions?

My MRI is scheduled for wednesday, so the doctor will most likely do surgery. My first disk problem was ruptured and removed, and this feels just like it.

I used oxycontin and oxycodone, neither one worked and I haven't found anything that really helps, I had an epidural
and that only worked for about 3 weeks, now I just limit what
I do
somethings that do help: got a new mattress, sleep in different position and a couple of shots of Wild Turkey
I sympathize with you

you're obviously not too concerned about your health if you believe painkillers, surgery, & vodka will help you. ultimately it's your choice & it sounds like you're choosing the "lifetime of pain" path. there are other alternatives, but if you choose to ignore them then enjoy your misery i guess. Report It

My Mom has that. She got it from a massage! The guy that did it left the country. But her ruptured disk is one from the lower back ,a few rings above the tail bone.

Unfortunately once you get an attack it's hard to get rid of the pain, regardless of meds, the pain will go away with stronger stuff, but so will your head.

Her doctor wanted to operate. she did not want to. The only way she would operate was if she was already in a wheelchair.

She does a lot of yoga. She took a lot of physical therapy in order to strengthen her core. Her back has a ruptured disk, so she strenghtened all the muscle around so her weight was supported by muscles.

She also experimented alot with different angles of her bed, she would prop up her mattress with folded blankets. She finally got one of those beds that inclined and declined automatically.

It is a condition that one can live with, at least my mom does.

as a chiropractor i see this type of scenario on a daily basis. for those who have degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, disc bulging, etc.--normal chiropractic care can usually help with those problems. but there are also people out there that have had this problem for many years and can't find relief with anything they try--including chiropractic.

but now there is a treatment that is perfect for that situation and the best part is: it's non-surgical and non-invasive. if you haven't heard of it yet there is a newer treatment out there called spinal decompression. this type of treatment focuses on disc injuries and the problems they cause. i use the DRX9000 spinal decompression system in my office and it works wonders for people with these types of injuries. the DRX9000 is fda approved and is the best decompression system available (there are cheap knock-offs that don't give the same results).

my recommendation would be to first off see a chiropractor for a consultation to see what they have to say. i would also research the decompression treatment and contact someone (usually a chiro) who uses it in their office. i would just google "DRX9000" to find info on it and doctors in your area who may have it. this treament is able to encourage the disc to go back to it's normal orientation and also rebuild its height--which then takes the pressure off whatever nerve it is compressing.

this treatment is extremely effective for degenerative disc disease, disc bulging, herniation, etc. and also sciatica type of cases, especially if you haven't had surgery yet. i've had many patients who were scheduled for surgery, tried this treatment as a last resort, and then ended up cancelling their surgery altogether after treatment was completed. it really does work and that's what my recommendation would be for you. good luck and hopefully this gives insight to others experiencing similar problems--there is a solution!!!

Do you have a "ruptured disc" or a "buldging disc"? Huge difference! Sounds more like buldged because if it were ruptured (herniated) your doctor would have suggested surgery!