Question
My husband has been experiencing severe hip/back problems for over 8 months now, but had no insurance so we couldn't get him to the doctor's until recently.  His symptoms are severe, sharp pain in his lower back down to where his thigh meets his knee.  It's gotten so bad that he now walks with a limp and has difficulty doing anything.  It is worse when he sits, goes from position to position, or climbs stairs.  While laying flat or standing, the pain isn't as bad.  We took him to the ER once for it and they prescribed him some Valium, Vicodin and Motrin, but he cannot take these while working because he is a truck driver.  Since he began truck driving a few months ago it has gotten worse.  We went to a doctor's office and they took two X-rays, put him on Prednizone, Prilosec, and Flexeril, and then okayed him to go back to work.  The problem is that he cannot take the Flexeril at all because of his job.  Should I find him a new doctor?  They haven't even so much as mentioned doing an MRI and it's so bad right now I'm worried if he continues to work like this that he'll permanently injure himself.  Is it possible to injure himself further without proper treatment?  Thanks for all of your help!

Answer
Hi Andrea,

I recommend he see a Chiropractor, especially since he can't take pain medication. This sound like a bulging/herniated disc at L5/S1, so you need to find a DC that has flexion/distraction tables. This treatment is inexpensive and he should see results in less than a week.

Any good doctor can tell if it's a disc without an expensive MRI, if money is an issue, they are at least a thousand dollars and will only show what I suspect anyway. If you can afford one, then get it, but it isn't absolutely necessary.

Here is a site that can guild you to a physician and explains what it is. It is fully researched and proven effective.

http://www.coxtechnic.com/homepage.asp

Flexion-Distraction, (F/D) is a gentle, chiropractic treatment procedure utilized for back and neck pain. Flexion-Distraction is a safe alternative to back surgery for those 95% of patients whose conditions do not demand surgical intervention. The doctor is in control of the treatment movements at all times.

Flexion-Distraction is utilized for many conditions such as:

Failed Back surgical Syndromes
Disc Herniation/Ruptured Disc / Bulging Disc / Herniated Disc
Sciatica / Leg pain
"Whiplash" injuries
Stenosis
Arm Pain
Neck Pain
Failed course of Steroid Injections
Chemical Radiculitis
Spondylolisthesis
Headache
Transitional segment
Many more conditions?
How does Flexion-Distraction Work?

For Disc related conditions:

Increases the intervertebral disc height to remove annular tension on the annular fibers and nerve by making more room and improving circulation.
Allows the nucleus pulposus, the center of the disc, to assume its central position within the annular fibers and relieves irritation of the spinal nerve.
Restores vertebral joints to their physiological relationships of motion.
Improves posture and locomotion while relieving pain, improving body functions, and creating a state of well-being.
For Non-Disc related conditions:

Patients with other conditions causing back pain (facet syndrome, spondylolisthesis, sprain/strain, scoliosis, transitional vertebra, sacroiliac restrictions and misalignment, certain types of spinal stenosis), Flexion/Distraction provides all of the above benefits plus the ability to place the spinal joints into normal, painless movements so as to restore spinal motion without pain:

The posterior disc space increases in height.
F/D decreases disc protrusion and reduces stenosis.
Flexion stretches the ligamentum flavum to reduce stenosis.
Flexion opens the vertebral canal by 2 mm (16%) or 3.5 to 6mm more than extension.
Flexion increases metabolite transport into the disc.
Flexion opens the apophyseal joints and reduces posterior disc stress
The nucleus pulposus does not move on flexion. Intradiscal pressure drops under distraction to below 100mm Hg. On extension the nucleus or annulus is seen to protrude posterior into the vertebral canal.
Intervertebral foraminal openings enlarge giving patency to the nerve.

Reference: Cox JM, Feller JA, Cox-Cid JA: Topics in clinical Chiropractic 1996; 3(3):45-59

You can call around the local area and ask if the DC has F/D tables. These are usually reduced in a few weeks. No way surgery is the first option, besides, scar tissue grows rapidly after surgery necessitating more surgeries. They usually fail anyway, get the F/D!

Massage and epidurals won't solve the problem either.

I ask only that you take a few seconds to rate my response. Your feedback helps me refine my expertise and helps to guide future questioners.

Thank you for your question Andrea and good Luck!

Dr. Timothy Durnin
drs.chiroweb.com