What’s up with your back? I have constant back pain, some days worse than others but I always have to use a small pillow when I’m sitting, right in the small of my back. I ice it a couple times a day and use Biofreeze too. It was screaming tonight after I moved a few 6’ pieces of old telephone poles in my back yard and then spent hours hunched over a gate I built today. So I did a 20 minute hot soak in the tub and I’m turning in early. Sucks.
Oh man, I injured my back years ago doing stupid things, while highly intoxicated. Lol.
My back is a wreck. I’ve been seeing a pain management specialist for a few years, and it’s needed, but still not quite doing it for me. I have had steroid injections 3x now, in 6 locations. My issues are lumbar, on both sides. My facet joints are basically all running into each other in the lumbar area. I’ve been doing a lot more exercise, which I thought would do the most, but it seems ineffective. I did the steroid shots. 6 of them in one session. I was sedated, thankfully, that stuff is crazy painful. I felt the first 2, and told the doc it hurt like hell, then he waited a minute to do the rest, until I was really sedated. (Probably gave me more.)
The first time i had this done, I couldn’t believe it. I woke up pain free for the first time in years. It was surreal. But unfortunately, it lasted about 1 week. Since the facet joints are so small, it’s difficult to get any amount of cortisone in the joint. With a larger joint, like a knee or a shoulder, you can load it up.
Second and third times were less than satisfactory. Second lasted a couple days, and the 3rd -last time I went, I knew a couple hours later that it didn’t do squat for me. Each time I go, it’s a $500 co-pay, and another $100 fee to the facility. Plus a day off, and needing a ride, etc..
So my next move is to cauterize those nerves (called “ablation”) and I’m down with giving that a try, but will cost the same amount of $$, and now that I’ve waited with indecision, my insurance dictates I pay for the (seemingly worthless) injections again, to “try that treatment”, before they’ll pay anything toward the ablation.
So, in the end, I should go in, have the pointless injections ($600), and then, when those fail, schedule the ablation for another $600.. to hopefully address it for about 1 year, which is about the time those nerves start growing back, and healing.... its a whole load of bs....
Oh yeah:
Meant to tell you also; I love bio freeze. It’s the shit! Also ice it down at least 2x a day. And do my exercises almost every day.. [emoji6] I’m on a strong pain medicine, as well as a muscle relaxer, and it’s honestly not even touching the pain.