ivyandpeony

Lora, I was really sorry to see your post & hear what you are going through. I have a dear friend who suffers with disc problems so I know from her that it can be beyond painful. I just had a couple thoughts that I hope might be helpful... Don't know if you have ever seen a magazine called Natural Health on the newstand, but the most recent issue (I just got it in the mail) has several articles about spinal pain/health. I have only skimmed them so far - one is about a doctor with a controversial theory that 90% of back problems are caused by emotional tension (I do think this is largely the case with my husband but wonder about the generalization!), another is about exercises to keep your spine healthy... If you happen to be in a bookstore or Whole Foods/Wild Oats type grocery, you might want to take a look. My other idea was acupuncture - I first consulted an acupuncturist for some hormonal issues and she has really helped me with several other nagging things that I had pretty much accepted as part of my makeup. If anything, acupuncture might get you some pain relief from your bulging discs without the grogginess, upset stomach, etc. you get from prescription painkillers (or the lack of relief you probably finf from OTC stuff!). My husband recently began seeing this acupuncturist as well and his complaints about backaches, neckaches and headaches seem to be less frequent. Wishing you the best of luck in overcoming this!