Question
Thank you for looking at my question.  About 4 months ago I was diagnosed with a arthritis and a synovial cyst, L4 or L5, confirmed by MRI that is pressing on my sciatic nerve.  I have had facet injections twice,on both sides and the last time I was told the cyst was burst.  I am still having the same pain in my back and right buttock and down both legs.  I have reduced reflexes in both legs.  The pain in my legs is causing me to not be able to sleep. I also have a lot of muscle spasms.  I take flexeril, ultram, clonazapam and dolobid. I have been told that I will need surgery. I am very frightened as I know no one who is better, only worse due to the surgery. Would you have any suggestions on how I can control my pain without surgery?  Thanks again for looking at my question

Answer

Hanna Somatic Educatio   Hi, Sandie.

It's common among medical diagnosticians to attribute "causal" status to a secondary effect.  Such is the case, here.

The only disease entity, in itself, called "arthritis", is rheumatoid arthritis.  Common osteoarthritis results from joint overcompression due to tight muscles.

Tight back muscles cause entrapment of spinal nerves (e.g., sciatic nerve), facet joint pain, and, in extreme cases, interference with nerve function (reduced control/sensation).

Brain conditioning is the primary cause that keeps those muscles in spasm; tight back muscles are the primary effect; sciatica and other symptoms are the secondary effects.  Other muscular contraction patterns may also be involved (e.g., front of the hip joints, hamstrings), and other pain (e.g., sacro-iliac joint pain).

A direct and way out is to recondition brain-control of the involved muscles and their movement action.  Re-training brain-muscle conditioning is the domain of somatic education.

Please begin the somatic exercise found at the bottom of this page:
http://somatics.com/back_pain.htm

May I direct you to the following entries of mine, which explain more and suggest your course of action:
http://somatics.com/sciaticasymptoms-piriformissyndrome.htm
http://somatics.com/back_pain_terms.htm

If you were my client, I would expect rather rapid improvements and complete resolution in a few weeks, without surgery.

regard,
Lawrence Gold