Hello... I came across this site when researching chronic sciatica pain.

I'm 35 years old and have 2 VERY active children (12 & 9). We raise horses and barrel race on the weekend. In May 2012, while trying to learn to ride one of our new horses, I fell off and thought I had just "hurt my back". I saw my family doctor, who provided me with pain and anti-inflammatory medicine so I was able to function and went back to riding within a week or so. In November, the same horse tripped while running the barrel pattern and I was thrown over his head and landed in the dirt flat on my back. Since that day, the pain in my lower back, legs, and feet hasn't stopped. There are days that it is tolerable and then there are days that I struggle to walk

According to my family doctor, my most recent MRI shows "arthritis around L4 and L5" but nothing else. I decided to go for a second opinion and the doctor I saw suggested that I see an Orthopaedic Spine Specialist. My appointment with him is on Feb 13th.

If anyone has any suggestions or know specific questions I should ask, please let me know! All of the terminology is very confusing to me and I want to be sure that I understand what the doctor tells me as well as convey to him that the type pain I'm having is not "normal".

Thank you!

Hi, I'm so sorry to hear about your two riding accidents. I'm even more sorry to hear about the pain.

If it were sciatica, then my experience might help because I haven't had sciatica since I started having vitamin B12 replacement. Before having replacement, I had sciatica a LOT. NO FUN.

I'm presently dealing with a sharp pain in my left leg that has to do with extreme stress last month. Stress can cause muscles to knot and be very painful.

I'm working on gradually lengthening the affected muscle by doing mild stretching exercises. This has worked in the past. Not fast, but... in the end the pain was gone when the muscle "lengthened".

Pain is tricky in that it's sort of a traumatic event for our bodies, so we tend to have a sort of post traumatic stress syndrome... that is, the cause of the pain is reduced but the pain is just as bad as before. Apparently that has to do with our body's memory of the pain.

So, I use Ibuprofen to keep me from feeling the pain, or some of it, at least some of the time. I find that using Ibuprofen for a long period is sort of counter productive. It's as if it stops working, and more doesn't help. So then I have to stop using it, which usually results in a day or two of intense pain... but then, almost magically, the pain is vastly less.

Have you used an Epsom salts soak? That can do wonders. Epsom salts ... I forget the terms, but it basically sort of ... oh dear, words to describe it are eluding me. I guess you might say it sort of flushes into cells and allows the things that are contributing to the pain to be flushed out... That's a very coarse description. I've found it works VERY well.

I hope you feel better VERY soon.

Karen

Hi. there.

Epsom Salts work great because it's full of magnesium Sulfate which works WONDERS on muscle pain. Cramps, etc.

Been doing this for years.

So if any of you have muscle spasms or cramps that awaken you at night, well before you go to bed, do an epsom salt soak of your feet. Your feet have the largest pores on the body and that's why when you soak your feet, all that magnesium sulfate goes into your body.

Happy Soaking,

Melody

Carolina

It is great to have you come and be with us. You will fine a great number of dear friends to listen when you are in need of ears. You will find out we are supportive and relaxing place.

Click onto the following forum for some assistance. Hope you get some answers there and also from a medical expert.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

Please keep us up to date on your situation. Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thank you! I have soaked in the Epsom salt and it does help a lot! I haven't tried soaking just my feet so I will be sure to try that on the nights I can't relax in the tub.

Hi MelodyL,

My Polish grandfather used to say that if you got a chill or thought you were coming down with a cold, you should soak your feet in Epsom Salts, and likely as not you'd be fine.

Thanks for your input.

Karen

I'm really happy to hear that there's been a bit of help.

Yes, it's amazing that soaking ones feet works for the whole body.

Since I had tetanus I can't get in and out of a bathtub, so soaking my feet... I have lots of experience with that, and know how well it works.

I hope you get totally Better really soon.

:-)

Karen

Just wanted to say WELCOME ABOARD

and that it's great to have you with us.
You're sure to get great support here, so make yourself right at home.

I hope you can get that pain under control very soon

Caring,
Rae