Seriously, people who fight through chronic back pain are my heroes.
@Museek Look, I barely made it through today. You are a freaking superhero.
@quickfics *lol. I had to... I had a child that was more mobile than I was at one point--scared the living hell out of me. I do hope you feel much better. The water treatment is called watsu but you can get a lot of pain relief from taking a hot tub -add Mg salts if just a bath. But if in hot water, it opens up blood vessels and cold water shrinks them. The bottom line is usually inflammation. I don't take pills except ibuprofen occasionally. It works for me!
I barely got to finish my firefighting career because of mine. One disc gone & on either side of that one the discs are deteriorating. I got as close to mandatory surgery as you can get in 2003. If it ever gets that bad again, I will have no option but to go ahead with it.
Hang tough. It's not about not hurting, it's about what can you accomplish WHILE you hurt.
@quickfics not trying to be a hero or anything but I was in a wheelchair for three & a half years about 3years ago and I'm not anymore- am very active again. What helped me get out of the chair (had nerve issues) was first, 12 weeks of laser treatment-then physical therapy & water therapy which i do several times a week-still. alternating rounds of hot plunge then cold plunge &sauna. It's made a world of difference for me-- that &yoga. So many have disk probs but France has promising treatments!