Sci-at-i-ca! Sci-at-i-ca!

[BaDnOn]

Hello kids,
I was just curious to know how many out there suffer from sciatic nerve pain. It plagues my life, along with the shoulder pain I've heard spoken of frequently on this forum. I'm going though the process of "spinal-decompression" utilizing a chiropractor's a torture-table device (called a DRX-9000). It seemed to be producing some positive results until this week. Maybe I layed around too much last weekend and "broke the rules", but I'm not sure.
So, anyone want to share?.. Perhaps lay down how futile trying to rid yourself of this terrible pain is?..

-BaDnOn

[sweetness514]

Chiro did the same to me before the op, helped and then it didn't.

Walking and swimming helped, along with some anti inflammatories. Sometimes that combined with time makes the stretched muscle heal. And not sitting for long periods.

[rainbow2010]

I had spinal decompression surgery to remove extra fusion (mine grew on its own) that was pressing on the nerves. Instant relief!

[BaDnOn]

To Sweetness:

Not sure what you mean by a stretched muscle; I believe this has to with a cocked-off L5 pinching the sciatic nerve a bit... But you're right, sitting for long periods of time makes things worse. Drugs, however, seem to be rather ineffective.

To Rainbow:

Also not sure what you mean... By fusion, I'm assuming you don't mean the combination of light nuclei and the release of energy that follows. I've heard of vertebrae fusing together, but... The doctors I've seen so far, including the chiropractor (of course) don't want me to play with surgery. There don't appear to be any truly degenerated discs either. Some "facet arthropathy" they say, but I'm sure that's related to the scoliosis.

18 degrees does seem to be very "mild" to me...

[sweetness514]

You're right it is a nerve. I do feel sometimes like the muscle around(in the butt area) can get stretched as well, when it gets real bad.

The only med that helped me with it(in a week, it was like a miracle for me) was Vioxx, but it's off the market now(fortunately)

[BaDnOn]

Sweetness,

Was your pain due to your scoliosis somehow, or was it bulging disks or something?.. And they had you stretching on a glorified torture device also, and to no avail? Rough show; I paid about $2000 'cause I was told the prognosis was good...

Almost feel like taking a steak knife and going after that nerve myself...

-BaDnOn

[sweetness514]

I hear you...

I didn't get spinal decompression, and the pain was worse pre op, and so the surgery helped but I had a lumbar curve that was in the 20's at least(degrees).

Post op, I had periods that I dealt with sciatica. I always went to PT to help and this year, after getting my last surgery I stopped sitting on low couches, bought some good office chairs and for me it's been of great help.

I don't think your scoliosis would cause your sciatica b/c you don't have a lumbar curve, if I'm correct. But I'm not a medical professional.

I do know that many people without scoliosis I know have had problems with sciatica, and usually time takes care of healing it. But in your case if it's been a long time, maybe you could seek other opinions and try other options, that cost less.

[LindaRacine]

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/arc...es/06local.htm

Watsonville chiropractor held liable for deceptive ads

Santa Cruz Sentinel Thu, 07 Dec 2006 5:05 AM PST

Monterey County prosecutors have won a $25,000 judgment and an
injunction against a Watsonville chiropractor in a case involving
deceptive advertising.

Monterey County prosecutors have won a $25,000 judgment and an
injunction against a Watsonville chiropractor in a case involving
deceptive advertising.

The ads, published in Monterey County newspapers, touted a spinal
traction device known as the DRX-9000, and offered to send consumers a
free report about a medical breakthrough based on an "accidental NASA
discovery" that "outer space quickly and easily solves 86 percent of
back pain."

The civil judgment against Watsonville chiropractor Charles Strong was
the second of two secured by prosecutors who started investigating the
advertising claims a year ago, said John Hubanks, Monterey County deputy
district attorney.

Prosecutors earlier obtained a judgment against Tony Hoang, a Monterey
chiropractor.

The chiropractors ran the ads, provided by the manufacturer, without
verifying the truth of the claims, Hubanks said. That made them liable.

"They are professionals," he said. "They had a duty to verify claims."

Hubanks said the claims were "absolutely false." He said, for example,
that NASA has determined that space travel has a detrimental effect on
spinal anatomy and astronauts returning to space frequently suffer from
back pain.

Strong did not return a call Wednesday.

But Hubanks said both chiropractors cooperated with prosecutors.

Hubanks said prosecutors didn't release the information about the
judgments "to harp" on the two chiropractors, but rather to get the word
out about the fraudulent treatment. Consumers are paying from $2,000 to
$15,000 for packages of treatments that, in certain patients, might
actually aggravate their conditions, he said.

"These ads are all over the state now and in newspapers in most of the
country," Hubanks said. "It's a large problem."

The Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners issued a warning about the
ads just last month.

A task force made up of prosecutors from 10 California counties,
including Santa Cruz, is investigating the manufacturer, Hubanks said.

He said it's unknown how many local consumers were duped by the ads, and
prosecutors are asking people who responded to them to contact the
Consumer Protection Unit at 647-7770.

[SandyC]

Linda,
I'll proabably start a "discussion", but THANK YOU for posting the article. It is one of my really, really pet peeves when people are taken advantage of by chiro's who can cause real harm.

[coloradogirl]

I have sciatic nerve pain in my leg from time to time but I don't think that's associated with my severe scoliosis.

[Cena75]

I got sciatic nerve pain too from time to time, and it was attributed to my scoliosis, and subesequent stenosis and flatback syndrome. I've had surgery a month ago, and have been okay so far.

[dawney]

I suffered from sciatic nerve pain on and off for about 10 years. The past year it worsened and became constant. It was due to bulging and herniated discs in lumbar region where I had a 55 degree curve. I received little relief from chiro. My sciatic pain is totally gone since my surgery. I know I am posting in non surgical, but surgery definitely helped my sciatic pain.

[BaDnOn]

Why, those rotten bastards!.. It figures though. To clarify on my condition: I have an 18 degree thoracic curve, with a compensating "rotarylumbar" curve, which appears to be of similar degreeage. So what sort of surgery are you kids speaking of? They've (doctors) told me that there is no need for surgery in my case, and I'd of course like to avoid that... But hell, options aren't terribly plentiful these days. On the DRX-9000: No soup. I don't believe it's aggravating my condition, but I wouldn't call it successful in any way. It sure aggravated my checkbook; I'll tell ya that!

-BaDnOn