Question
Lawrence,

I am trying to do all I can to help my wife.  She was in a car accident about a year ago that caused Degenerative Disc Disease.  She has tried everything from Chiropractic to acupuncture to Pain managment including a set of 3 epidural shots.  After her 3rd Epidural shot she has had major problems with her hip and leg spaming.  We think the Doctor that performed the Epidural hit a nerve on the 3rd shot.  Since the last epidural shot she has had 3 more symtoms added to her DDD Hip Pain, Numbness in her right leg, and this uncontrollable muscle spasm in her left leg. Do you have any suggestions of things that we can try to help her get better.  Her Back Surgen is now reffering her to a neuologist do you have any other suggestions?  I hope you or someone you work with can help me help my wife.

Thank you very much.

Alan

Answer
Dear Alan,

I would recommend Hanna Somatic Education.

DDD is commonly a result of reflexive muscular contractions triggered by injury, causing disc compression and breakdown.

Hanna Somatic Education ends muscle spasms by quieting the reflex in control of the spasm.  It's a brain-muscle training process the brings muscles back under the control of the person, and it works quickly.

Epidurals address pain, but do not address spasm or the reflexes that control them.  See the comments on chiropractic at somatics.com/page3.htm.

The mechanisms of spasms and recovery from spasm are discussed clearly in articles at somatics.com/page4b.htm.  The topics of relevance are "back pain" and "recovery from injury".

A trip to the neurologist can rule out conditions requiring orthopedic surgery.  Neurosurgery is a last resort.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold