Decompression can work miracles in some cases. I suffered with severe sciatica back in 2008. For the first time ever, I went to a chiropractor as a last resort. In less than a month of decompression....the pain was totally gone and it has not returned.

I was in therapy for 2 years & saw a lot of back issues in that time. I can tell you is that the people who had a neuro do their surgery were back to work a lot faster than the ones that had an ortho do their surgery, in most cases those people had multiple surgeries on their backs.

I tried the decompression thing. Stopped the pain in my leg. Not my back.
Did the injections and radio frequency for about 10 years. Helped for a time, but pain always came back.
Finally after about 12 or 13 years of pain and barely able to get around, my left leg from the knee down became numb and I couldn't do much with my foot.
Went to neurosurgeon and was very pleased with the results. Still have pain when I stand too long, carry something heavy or bend over too long, but I can do things now. At one time, all I did was lay down till it hurt, sit down till it hurt, then lay down again. Pain pills didn't work for me.
My pain management doctor recommended a good neurosurgeon. Said not to do any kinda fusion surgery that will restrict motion.
When you have a fusion, the disc above it will eventually go bad, and so on up the spine.
At the time of my surgery about 3 years ago, there was not an artificial disc replacement for the lower back, but there was one for the neck.
I was out of work for about 2.5 months.

Good info guys, thanks so much

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If your insurance will cover it, look into prolotherapy.

Ray, the decompression table got rid of the pain down my leg but not in my back. I guess it did move the disc enough so it wasn't rubbin'. Sure made a difference.

I got the decompression when it first came out.
Had to do it in Lafayette. None in Lake Charles area at the time.
Now they are everywhere.
I stayed at my brother in laws place for a almost 5 months to
get it to where the leg pain and numbness was gone.
It was not covered under insurance at the time. I took the hit,
but it was definitely worth the money.
I had 2 bad disc. After the decompression therapy, I only had
one bad one.
The neurosurgeon who did my surgery said I had the biggest
bulging disc he ever seen. So I guess that one disc was too
far gone for he decompression therapy.
It was called VAX-D when I got it done.

I got pain managment and surgery in Houston. I could not get any help at all in the Lake Charles area.
I didn't want to do narcotics, cause I wanted to continue to work.
I got my best relief at a hospital called Foundation Hospital. Off of I-610 and Hwy 59. It is a place that
specializes in spinal care and surgery.
My pain management doctor(who doesn't use pain pills) and neurosurgeon worked together to help me.

Ray looking back would you say get surgery young or wait

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I hurt my back at 27 years old and I had ups and downs for a while.
Then at some point, it started to hurt all the time, getting worse and worse.
Since it was a gradual increase in pain, I lived with it as long as possible.
By the time I was 40 years old, I could barely do anything. Working offshore
didn't help any either.
I wasn't at a point at a young age to need surgery. So I cannot say wait or
not. But at one point I was ready to shoot a hole in my back to make them
do something.
I would try all options before surgery, and go to a good Pain Management Dr.
who doesn't use pills to do his job.
There are minimally invasive pain management doctors who really know how
to deal with pain.
My pain management doctor was named Abraham Thomas. He is an anastesiologist.
He can numb and/or help relieve pain without surgery, until it is really needed.
At one time, shots lasted about 2 months. The over time, they only lasted weeks,
then days.
But he did several things to help other than shots.

Some people I know that had fusion surgery said they wish they never did it.
I didn't have fusion surgery, the doc. removed the bulging part of the disc, then
sucked out the soft inside, then did something to toughen the inside of the disc.
I still have good movement in that area.

Thanks ray and others, you guys have put me on the right track.

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Look into vax d. go to vaxd.com read the lit i had a friend in a wheel chair and no has no pain only fda approved non surgical low back treatment that works. blue cross and blue shield did a study and found it a lot more successfull than back surgery just my suggestion

Dr. Jeffery Kozak at Fondrens Tx Orthopedic Hospital in Houston, look him up all he does is fix backs. I have had 2 surgeries both done by him with short recovery times.

Back Surgery
 

I'm in the medical field--nurse anesthetist-- and there is no simple solution. Back surgery is no guarantee for a cure. It's a very slippery slope. Not like taking your appendix or gallbladder out. You have to exhaust all opportunities before having this done. Physical therapy, meds, injections etc. Once you just can't stand it any longer go for it. Make sure you go to a highly recommended neurosurgeon in your area vs. an orthopedic surgeon IMHO. Good luck.

Well spoken. Not only good advice...it's the truth.

Kozak fixes botched surgeries from other ortho doctors.
He is good, but he didn't want to work on my back.
He told me to find a good neurosurgeon.