Welcome, sometimes living with pain can take it's tole on you. It's nice to know you are not alone. I love this site the most when I have questions or when my back is so bad that I am stuck in the house all day, atleast I can talk to someone.

Wecome to DS. I've had 4 operations on my spine to date and more procedures than I can count on both fingers and toes. I can understand your reluctance to having surgery but I'm going to caution you about the technique you're using. I don't have any experience with an inversion table but to have someone pulling on your legs sounds a little scary as what would happen if a nerve was inadvertently damaged? Like I said, I don't have any experience with this but I'd ask a Physical Therapist about the procedure you're using. And Maika is right, living with pain can most definately takes it toll on you. Good luck and wishing you a painfree day.

Thanks both of you for you advice,i know it sounds weird to do it this way but in physical theropy they used a traction table with me and it just seemed like the same pricipal's.
I have to do this,my doctor likes to take his time getting me an opointment(usually 3 weeks)and my back feels like it's bone to bone untill i do this.the pain is almost unbareable.
Also i have thyroid problems,and wont operate on me untill that has been taken care of.i have to go thru this doctor for referal's so my insurance will pay.

Hi Kevin ~ What exactly is wrong with your back? Can you tell me what the MRI said? I know you said you have 4 herniated disks, but to what extent? Probably half the population is walking around with herniated disks and don't even know it. It's just we poor souls who have to endure the pain. Not everyone has pain with these disks.

Do you have your report from the radiologist? I was just wondering what it said.

I've had several surgeries myself, and if I had it to do over again, I would not do it. Each surgery made a level above or below unstable. Consequently, that level would herniate, and we'd be on a roll again. Now, I'm deemed inoperable even tho' I have several more herniations.

So I guess what I would tell you that unless it means that you'd lose control of your bowel or bladder or unless you're in risk of becoming paralyzed, I'd stay clear of the operating room!!!! Just MY opinion, but there are other options for pain such as a spinal cord stimulator or morphine pump, both of which are implantable. Your doc can tell you about these.

God bless and best of luck! Hugs, Lee

Hi welcome to the group
I also have had 4 herniated disk, i was in a car accident and for about a year i did PT, shots, relax and then i thought enough is enough in june 08 i had cervical surgery and in aug 08 i had lumbar surgery, cervical went great and lumbar is taking a bit longer but i did just have it 5 weeks ago.

I know it is a hard decision, i am glad i did mine, i know how you feel, but surgery can help.

talk care

lee,thank you for your interest.
This is what i have.And i will tell you what i told the doctor as we did the MRI's...I walked into this office today.yesterday i could barely walk on my own.i was laying on the floor the day before the MRI's and my dog got excited and went to lick me and i flinched and my back went back in line(go figure the day before the MRI)I had been layed up for weeks before this.

results.
at L1-2,L2-3 AND L3-4 THERE IS NORMAL DISC SIGNAL AND DISC HEIGHT.A FEW IMAGES SUGGEST MILD DISCBULGING TO THE LEFT AT L3

AT L4-5 THERE IS DISCDEGENERATION WITH LOSS OF DISC SIGNAL AND DISC HEIGHT.THERE IS MILD TO MODERATE DISC PROTRUSION IMPINGING UPON THE DURAL SAC NARROWING BOTH NEURAL FORAMINA AND CLINICAL CORRELATION IS ADVISED REGUARDING THE STATUS OF BOTH L4 NERVE ROOTS
AT L5-S1,THERE IS DISC DEGENERATION WITH MILD DISC PROTRUSION AND MARGINAL OSTEOPHYTOSIS.A FEW IMAGES SUGGEST PERHAPS A MIDLINE DISC HERNIATION.

IMPRESSION:
1.MODERATE DISC DEGENERATION WITH MILD DISC PROTRUSION AND A SHALLOW MIDLINE DISC HERNIATION AT L5-S1
2.MODERATE DISC DEGENERATION WITH MILD TO MODERATE DISC PROTRUSION AND LEFT GREATER THAN RIGHT NEURAL FORAMINAL NARROWING AT L4-5
3.MILD DISC BULGING TOWARD THE LEFT NEURAL FORAMEN AT L3-4.
4.FINDINGS SUPERIMPOSED UPON AN ALREADY CONGENITALLY SMALL SPINAL CANAL WITH DEVELOPMENTALLY ATTENUATED DURAL SAC.

There is surgery that can help you. Now let's face it. Surgeons don't care about us, they can't. They do one thing cut us open to fix the problem. A good surgeon will make you feel comfortable and explain everything and answer any questions but care no.

Knowing that you have decisions to make based on what the doctors say. If two surgeons say surgery one who is a great surgeon who will try all the latest techniques and one very conservative surgeon who tries everything else first, then you know you need it.

My first surgeon was conservative and told me he wouldn't cut me despite my needing it cause there was no technique that would improve me. 5 years later the next surgeon who is brilliant told me he could fix me. So now I had two surgeons who agreed surgery was needed and new techniques were available. Easy choice for me.

But for each of us the choice is personal and can be only made by you and your family.

Welcome to our group. If I could ever be of service.

Thanks ouch,I understand what you are saying.but i think i want to exhaust all non evasive treatments first so at least i can say i tried.i'm not afraid of the surgery per say.just that for the most part it is irreversable.and between you and all my friends here,the doctors in fl suck and i have lost faith in them.
It took them 6 months to figure out i had graves disease.they don't follow up on things,you have to call the office and remind them to do stuff.i have been waiting a month for my back doctor to tell me what my next move should be.should I have to call them every other day to remind them.that will make them hate me for sure.sorry this is a touchy subject for me.

Hello...
I have used the inversion table in Physical Therapy and I have my own at home. Inversion helps free up the pressure on the discs and nerves, for me it allows me some relief it doesn't always last but it helps. I made sure that I purchased a very sturdy one as there are some out there that are not. When you are on the table it is the movement of putting your arms over your head that inverts you and you can do this very slowly so that you are comfortable and same with returning up-right. Welcome....

We have a sports store down here that has them.i tried one a couple of weeks ago and forgot two things:
1.left change,keys and other stuff in my pockets
2 forgot to latch my feet.lol
yea,it was ugly,stuff went everywhere,and almost me too... thanks for the info.

Hi there i also have herniated discs in my lower back and in the neck and have gone through test after test and i too am afraid of surgery i just had a discogram yesterday and im unsure of where this is heading.

Welcome! I hear you, I am scared of surgry, too. While I haven't tried it myself, one of my best friends used to have disc problems (before she did solve hers with surgery) and she SWEARS BY inversion tables. She keeps trying to get me to get one (but I don't know where I'd put it, for one thing). She is always singing the praises of her inversion table.

Hi Kevenfl Ive read all your post and sounds to me surgery is the least of your problems you need are you seeing a nero and a orthropedic? sorry for the spelling but Ive been through 8 surgerys my last one just 4 months ago and let me tell you like thay say every time you have one it makes the area above or below weaker yes it sounds to me like you might have spondilolises have your Dr check for that I had it this last time and I also couldent stand for over 1 min at a time I waited so long for the surgery that I became a test study for up comming Drs so I would consider eather changing Drs or something because you do need the surgery and yes you might end up with a rod but beleave me you will feel like a new man and get that thyroid fixed it only takes meds for that inless thay want to take it out and then you take the pills anyhow. hope all goes good for you and have a pain free day hugs Joyce

I could only wish the graves disease was that easy(lol)And i realy believe that the thyroid issues i have are effecting my back also.
yes,i am seeing a neurologist,but the thyroid problem even fooled him.one week i went into his office two of his 60yo patents had to help me up out of his waiting room.you should have seen the look on his face when i walked into his office the next week after i got on the thyroid meds.he said he could not believe it was such a drastic change. i would change doctors,but nobody close takes my humana one that costs me almost $900 a month.but thats another story..

Hi Kevin ~ I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you. I read what your MRI said, and if the reason you might have surgery is just due to PAIN, I'd opt for a Morphine Pump implant if I could. If the doc says you're in NO IMMEDIATE DANGER, then ask to see a pain management doc to be evaluated for one. You'll be able to reduce your oral meds by alot, and your pain will be reduced by ALOT too.

The pump needs to be refilled once a month, and it takes only a few minutes ~ it's done by the nurses, generally. It's no big deal. With surgery, you're gonna run the risk on having to do it over and over again, because once you operate on a level, the one above or below will become unstable, and then herniate. Then THAT one will need repairing. It's a never ending cycle. If I'd have known that when I had MY surgeries, I'd never have had them done!!! Now I'm a mess.

Just my 2 cents worth. Talk to your doc about it, IF you think it's worth mentioning. Good luck and God bless.