HELP Sciatica / back surgery?

After weeks of pain in the back and butt, I went to the doc a couple of
weeks ago.  He gave me some meds, but it got worse.  A CT Scan shows a
herniated disk (L 4-5) that is strangling my sciatic nerve at its root
in the spine.  

For the past ten days I have been mostly face-up in bed as per doc.  The
theory is that it will keep pressure off the spine enough for the disk
to retreat back from compressing the nerve.  

It’s a little better, but there still is some numbness in the toes and
some pain.  The longer I am up (matter of minutes) the worse the pain
gets.  

On Thursday I go back to the doc.  He says we will discuss options at
that time including perhaps a cortisone shot into the disk area or
microsurgery.

Has anyone else had experience with this?

What other treatments might be considered?

Thanks in advance.

                                Ray


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    Ray Schroeder                   Associate Professor of Communication
    Sangamon State University       Director of Television Office
    Springfield, Illinois 62794     217-786-6799  fax=217-786-6542
               Internet=schro…@eagle.sangamon.edu
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3 Responses to “HELP Sciatica / back surgery?”

  1. admin says:

    To: Ray Schroeder,schro…@eagle.sangamon.edu,Internet

    RS> What other treatments might be considered?

    This is clearly a Chiropractic issue. Acupuncture could also be used
    profitably.

    - "When you take a question it is your responsibility to answer it–No one
    can tell you how or where to dig; you must find for yourself." -Georges
    Ivanovitch Gurdjieff

  2. admin says:

    In article <835846110.7288…@lamgnet.lamg.com> Paul_Iann…@lamg.com writes:
    >To: Ray Schroeder,schro…@eagle.sangamon.edu,Internet

    >RS> What other treatments might be considered?

    >This is clearly a Chiropractic issue. Acupuncture could also be used
    >profitably.

    I would state that the other way around. In my experience, acupuncture is
    far more effective in treating sciatica.

    ******************************************************************************
    Robert Greenstein           What the fool cannot learn he laughs at, thinking
    gr…@srilanka.island.com   that by his laughter he shows superiority instead
                                of latent idiocy – M. Corelli

  3. admin says:

    In article <33at5r$…@pigeon.island.com>, gr…@island.COM (Robert

    Greenstein) writes:
    >I would state that the other way around. In my experience, acupuncture is

    far more effective in treating sciatica.<

    Orrrrrrrrr, Maybe they both work. Both work with energy paths and
    balancing the bodys health. After all…. WE are not CURING the body, are
    we?  Let’s face it the body/nature is more effective in healing than any
    pill, needle, or adjustment.  I love the story a few months back about the
    man in NJ. Tripped over his seeing eye dog and regained his eyesight.  I
    guess dogs are more effective in treating some forms of blindness  :-)  
    jim