I've suffered with back pain for about 10 years -- nothing like what you and some of the others are going through, though. I'm usually ok as long as I'm sitting or moving around -- but if I stand or lay down flat for any length of time - boom! Muscle spasms or sciatica, or both. Last year we got an adjustable bed - actually two separate frames and mattresses that can be adjusted independently, so I can raise my head and knees to relieve the pressure on my spine. I haven't slept this comfortably in years and I don't start my day with a backache anymore.
I also have a TENS unit - I would use one of the long, narrow electrode patches across my lower back where the pain was the worst -- and it helped mask the pain enough that I didn't need painkillers. But I really haven't needed it since we got the bed except when we are traveling and I have to sleep on a flat bed.
I can relate to the depression -- before we got the bed I wondered if I would ever have even a single day without pain. I've never had pain bad enough to need the shots. I've had several friends have them, though. Some have had wonderful results, some not so much. I hope you get some good relief from them. |