The $100 billion per year back pain industry is mostly a hoax

Quartz ^ | 6/26/2017 | Lila MacLellan

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

My wife is an LMT and has successfully treated back pain, often with one treatment, sometimes two. They don’t need to come back for further treatment, but refer others.

I have dissolved pure aspirin in a 60% DMSO/water solution and it works topically on areas of pain. This is a safe treatment. No opioids, no gastric distress from the aspirin.

[tang-soo]

I first injured my back in 1987 at the age of 29. The next day, I was unable to stand to get out of bed. Made it to a medical doctor, who gave me pain pills and scheduled me for therapy. The physical therapy felt good and eased the pain, but a half hour later, the pain returned. A couple of months later we relocated from Orlando to Cincinnati, Ohio for a new job (engineering). Had to step every few hours to ease the pain – horrible trip. Showed up to work hunched over like an old main. Visited my family the following weekend and my mom convince me to see a chiropractor. Never trusted them before. During my first visit a week later I took my first deep breath in a few months and without pain. I also stood straight for the first time.

Over the years, I occasionally saw a chiropractor to ease my pain. Never had pain down my leg until nearly 10 years ago, it got so bad I started to drag my right leg a bit. During a late-night infomercial, I saw information about non-surgical spinal decompression. I did a web search and found a doctor near who performed the procedure. It was not cheap and not supported by insurance, but it was a very helpful process. A Velcro strap was placed around my hips and chained to a digital motor. The machine gradually pulled with increasing then decreasing pressure. I never felt the pressure at all but I could feel in needle-like pin easing during the session. Over the course of 5-6 weeks, I had 22 sessions. Each was about a half hour. After the first session, the pain in my leg was gone. As told to expect, it returned a few hours later, but over the course of the few weeks, the relief lasted longer and longer until finally, it did not return.

When the treatments were complete, I was pain-free, could stand straight, and was fully active. My pain would at times, come back with slight intensity, but nowhere near as I had before. The out of pocket expense was $4000 and worth every penny. Have not been back to a chiropractor or medical doctor for my back since.

This 3-minute shows a machine that performs the process, though not the same model used on me 10 years ago, Same concept. Decompression

To keep aligned and to take away the occasional pain I have I got a Teeter inversion table and it helps quite a bit. I use it about once a week for 10 minutes and whatever discomfort I have, I just feel it wash away. This 3.5-minute video shows it. Again, highly recommended. Teeter inversion table.

I will never have back surgery as I’ve had so many people I know that have had horrible expenses. And the options I mentioned are not recommended to those who have had surgery.

I don’t understand the insurance not covering the decompressions procedure as it is significantly cheaper and has a higher rate of success.

[infool7]

Yeah:( we are not very good at marketing but you basically just use the lanyard or para-cord to maneuver the bakkball between the knots in your back and a convenient wall or hard back chair, works especially great in the car too. Our daughter Emily discovered that it’s much easier to control using two lanyards. When you’re not using it you can wear it like a necklace until you are ready to use it again just swing it around back and you’re good to go. I have endured many years of low level pain that was just not bad enough to take a pain killer let alone go see a doctor. NO MORE! If we don’t sell another one of them, at least my family and FRiends are pain free and it was worth the small amount we have invested in the effort.

[American in Israel]

Same here. Cronicles lower back pain for years. I asked a chiropractor why and he had me lock my knees and try to touch my toes. Could not get within a foot of my toes. He said upper hamstring was to short and rotating pelvis back. Told me to stretch them out. 6 months later, no back pain and I can touch my toes.

[TexasTransplant]

Also as others have said downthread I have an inversion table and if I am hurting I go hang for a few minutes before bed and it allows me to (sometimes) sleep and if I’m in pain in the morning it allows me the few minutes of warmup so the morning is manageable as well.

I am not a Dr and I didn’t stay in an Express last night .. . just stuff that works for me.

[Mariner]

Please tell me, does the VA provide Chiropractic? Or, reimburse it?

If so, I’m going to hit ‘em up.

[American in Israel]

Heart health? Vitamin E. 400 units of d alpha tocopherol a day will reduce the chance of cardiac problems by 50 %.

NOT L or DL, strictly D Alpha tocopherol. Read the vitimin e label.

Artery plaque buildup? Blood infection... rotor rooter your heart with 6000 units vitamin c and the same L lysene. Once a day for a week. Drink lots of water. Then do anti fungal foods to clear up infection.

Or get a bypass a few times and supressed your immune system with statin drugs for as long as you last...

[huldah1776]

That would be so good for the elderly who can’t reach their back. They could even do it in their wheelchair! Contact your local community college with graphics design students and web design students who can do the work for your site. Then find out how to advertise online. Actually, the college profs could help getting students to do a youtube video, too.

[infool7]

Yes, my Mom turned 90 in March and loves it. Thank you for the suggestions. We have a nearby community college I can visit. We are demoing our Software to an important affiliate tomorrow so I’ve been otherwise occupied.

Prayers for good success welcome.

[Rodney Dangerfield]

I’m 57, 6’1”, 180 lbs. and walk 2-3 miles per day.

Have degenerative disc disease in L4,L5 & S1

The only thing that helps is Inversion therapy but the pain relief is temporary.there

[TexasTransplant]

*** “The only thing that helps is Inversion therapy but the pain relief is temporary” ***

Long enough to fall asleep and what I need it provides, then in the morning long enough to warm up / loosen up and get busy enough to not worry about discomfort ... and then there is Beer. It is a routine now and I can go back to doing almost anything I did before with only minor discomfort. (Fishing on a Windy Day still kicks my butt, I just sit more and drink more beer, but hey it’s fishing and I’m old and don’t give a rip)

[Lumper20]

We have all these posts that vary, and; I do not see a one where anyone has at least a Grade II-III spondylolisthesis with every lumbar disc herniated plus foraminal stenosis SEVERE on each disc and on both sides, add facet joint hypertrophy L2/3 nerves on left trapped coming out of the left side of spine and add arachnoiditis caused by an idiot pain MD who is not an Anesthesiologist. Do not let idiots give you caudal ESI’s. When you start losing control of bladder and bowel you might be serious.

[cherry]

I have herniated disc in my neck and a bad back with degenerative disc disease...

a neurologist told a friend that most all herniated discs stabilize after a few weeks...

I've never had surgery and so far, so good...

[cherry]

really, Naprosyn is a miraculous drug...it doesn’t make for immediate relief, but its very helpful...with all drugs, you can’t use it all the time...its hard on the kidneys...

[Does so]

Prinzmetal I’d had perhaps 300 episodes over 30 years. Always on cold damp nights. Easy to recognize the real thing. Got a stent (LAD), and now only hints of nighttime Prinzmetal. Interesting that most doctors didn’t know what it was!

[Does so]

Neighbor had an awful back break while boating...suffered for years. Got an electronic “pacemaker”-type gizmo inserted into his spine. He’s back to normal!

[21twelve]

My wife was treated by a physical therapist that started off specializing with pregnant women - for my wife her hip was out of whack. The guy kept learning and growing - now he treats anybody.

He tests the weak spots by pulling down on my out-stretched arm, and then presses very gently on the various places that hurt. Ankle, hip, rib, neck - wherever. It is so goofy - but it works. He realized that a lot of the problems are related to poor foot support, so he got into making custom orthodics.

Most people don’t believe us. But the ones that give him a try are astounded. One gal was at her wit’s end after a car wreck years ago. Numerous doctors, chiropractors, etc. and the pain would never really go away. She went to our guy and after the first visit she was much better. After a few more she was pain free.

My wife just took an older friend (83) to see if there was anything he could do. Although he warned her ahead of time that the bones are brittle and he might not be able to do too much. He was able to adjust some things, and she was finally able to sleep without her right shoulder hurting her so much. Numerous doctors had tried over the years. Most just said “Well - at 83 you’ll have some aches and pains.”

My daughter was having terrible headaches after bumping into a door. X-rays, several doctors, etc. A couple of months and the headaches were no better. For some reason it didn’t click right away - but finally we thought - “Hey - maybe ‘Bob’ can help!?”

Turns out her jaw was out of whack and causing the headaches. So he sent her to a dental guy that made a mouth guard for her to keep her jaw in place. Slowly getting it refitted to bring the jaw back into alignment. The headaches are now gone (and no need for the guard anymore after months of using it).

He warned us to never tell a regular doctor about it. He had discovered this and researched it with the dental guy and they got a paper published on their results. The American Dental Association or some-such poo-pooed the published paper and filed a lawsuit against him or something - basically told him to never try any of it again - mainly because he wasn’t a dentist I think.

I recently had a head injury. My first call was to him. “Thanks - but you need to go to the ER right away After they check you out and if you’re still sore you can come visit.” He isn’t the type to not recognize the importance of medical doctors in some situations.

He’s pretty young, but years ago he was talking about retiring early and going overseas to live. Then he and his wife had a child. Thank goodness for us - as he decided he better keep his practice until his son is grown!

[nikos1121]

This is true. Most herniations will recede in 6 weeks. So, waiting is not a bad idea.

Also, I use McKenzie certified therapists for neck and low back pain. I’ve had success in well over 99% of the cases I see using their exercise protocols. No one is on chronic pain meds. Those that end up needing surgery, do very well.

[nikos1121]

Sounds like you were suffering from a classic lumbar derangement that responds to extension. This is the most common cause of low back pain in adults. The majority of these respond to lying on your stomach, and doing press ups, ie lifting your upper body. Some people call these “girl push ups,” and I apologize to the ladies for saying that. The same exercise can be done standing also, by simply extending backwards from the waist up. Doing this 4 to 5 times per hour for 24 hours usually does the trick, along with maintaining good posture.

[nikos1121]

Epidurals along with other pain meds, might make you “feel” better, but won’t make you “get” better. Spinal stenosis that is severe to the point that you have to sleep in a chair should be assessed by a back surgeon.