[tessendicott]

Hi everyone,
Haven't posted in awhile due to the fact that I got a new job as a vet assistant and am very busy with work (YAY). I love my job! <3
I know some of you have dealt with bulging discs and just wanted to ask a few questions.
I am 24 and my doctor just told me I have not one, but two bulging discs. I've been on painkillers for years because of the pain and no one bothering to do an MRI.
I'm getting a brace from amazon and wondered if anyone had dealt with sacral braces and what kind they liked? I don't have insurance now, but when I do they should cover to get a custom built one for me.
Also, has anyone tried acupressure for bulging discs? Do you think this would make it better or worse?
I am so frustrated. I'm not allowed to lift any of the animals at work anymore and I'm not supposed to bend or stoop unless I'm holding onto something and bringing myself up very slowly, which is very tricky at my job. I'm having to restrain animals, which probably isn't the best idea in the world right now.
If anyone has any pain relief advice I would greatly appreciate it! It seems that losing weight has caused the pain to actually increase a lot (what's up with that? ugh.) but I'm not letting it stop me from getting to goal!

Thanks in advance!

[EagleRiverDee]

I herniated a disc 3 years ago and hated taking pain killers and didn't want to have to have surgery. A mix of acupuncture, yoga and massage is what sets me right. I have a therapeutic massage once a month, acupuncture every 4-6 weeks, and yoga several days a week. I went from being 100% disabled to about 95% on a good day (I do still have the occasional bad day) and don't take any pain killers and have never had to have surgery.

[eightiesbabe84]

I have three bulging disks in my lower back that act up a couple times a month. When they do, it is all I can do to get through the next couple of days. I always hope it doesn't happen when I am on a work stretch (I work 8 days in a row then I am off 6) but it often does. I take naproxen every morning with tylenol arthritis (2 tablets) I use a heating pad (thermacare has ones that u can wear at work under your clothes) and I also take 2 pamabron (pamprin) in the afternoon, they have a diuretic and an antihistimine that work on inflammation in the lower body regions (thats why they work so well during "that" time). You can also take ibuprofen in between. Just watch that you don't take more than 3-4 grams (3-4thousand miligrams) of tylenol in a 24hour period. I hope this helps. I do a lot of walking and lifting and charting and most days its non stop on my feet. when my discs bulge; no one cares and I have to tough through it. These interventions help most of the time.

[tessendicott]

Thanks for the advice ladies! I have been doing yoga and it used to help greatly but I'm to the point where it doesn't really do much anymore, but it does make my muscles feel good, so I continue to do it. We have one acupuncturist in town and it's really expensive without insurance. (I haven't hit my 90 days yet) I'll definitely have to do some research on therapeutic massage. My mom has done the rossiter method and she says it's great for muscle pain.

I take 800mg of ibuprofen on my really terrible days, but it doesn't do hardly anything for me. I have to take 3 tramadol for it to even come close to getting rid of the pain. Maybe I can try the pamprin to see if it helps at all. My heating pad is my best friend. I do need to get some thermacare heat wraps for work, it's just so SO hot because I live in Georgia and I'm constantly moving all day with the animals.

My doctor told me they're both very close to herniating so I'm not allowed to lift any more animals at work and if I bend down I have to hold onto something and come up extremely carefully. I'm just so frustrated that at 24 I have to be so damn careful. I want to do dance as well as roller derby, but they're out of the question for the time being (probably never on the roller derby because of the preexisting condition)

My pain shoots down into my feet and I feel like I have an electric fence strapped to both my legs constantly. I have had back pain since I was 15 because my bottom two lumbar are fused together with no disc in between them (birth defect) and now they're grinding bone on bone with the two bulging discs. I work at a vet hospital so I'm on my feet 8 hours a day and try to stay on my feet after I leave because some days it helps.

They won't do surgery on me because I'm too young and I've never known anyone who has had back surgery and felt good about it afterwards. I definitely will never go that route unless it's no longer an option and it's forced on me.

Any advice on coping with the frustration? I try not to get upset but sometimes I do break down because I can't do things other people my age can. :/ I've found a lot of crafty things lately to take my mind off of it, which is good. I'm just trying to stay busy now.

P.S. Has anyone ever tried the electronic pulse massagers? My mom is buying me one.