Thanks for your reply, BrokenWings. Reading your treatments is like taking a walk down memory lane. We've tried almost all of them. We were hoping to do something more aggressive now, since the epidural shots are the only thing that seemd to permanently help. But I will look into the infrared light therapy pads, which about the only thing she hasn't tried.

I just found this post....

I wonder, have you tried ice on it instead of heat?

I've had good luck with my pinched nerves using ice.

One chiropractor told me heat stimulates nerves. Ice numbs them.

A cold pack for 15-20 min on it twice a day may help.

Also have you tried Lidoderm patches? I've used them for
several different nerve pains over the years with good success.

Thanks for your reply, Mrs. D. She tried cold when heat didn't work. We still have a freezer full of cold packs. We also tried Lidoderm patches. And there was even a hot pepper lotion we tried that no one has mentioned. This is what we started with in 05-06 whne the problem happened.

None of this helped. We're looking at more invasive approaches, as I said, which will include facet blocks of T6-10 and a rhizotomy of whichever nervs seem to be the problem. We'd like to know if anyone has gone this route with any success. Our pain doc said "no," but I've read of people having this done. I just want to hear firsthand about it.

Did you use the Lidoderms every day for a while?

Sometimes they take a few days to get going.

I had to use mine for 2 weeks before my nerve in my leg went to sleep.