Posted by yxibow on December 6, 2008, at 20:04:17
In reply to What's after SOMA????, posted by sometimesblue on December 5, 2008, at 10:59:21
> I have been taking Soma for about 3 years now for chronic back pain. It's pretty much starting to poop out on me...is there anything else I can suggest to my doc? I have a physical coming up in Jan. so I'd like to discuss it with him.
>
> any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!
>
> thanks,
> SB
I forgot to ask/add, have you ever been in or referred to physical therapy? I know that severe pain may restrict what you can do but sometimes non-medication answers like stretches and massage therapy are just as productive.
I'm not particularly for the alternative, but some people get response from acupressure, I am a bit squeamish about the idea of acupuncture but some people also get response.
One thing though that I forgot to add was that in physical therapy units they usually have large TENS/interference therapy units. These have electrodes that are placed around the major areas of pain.
I havent used it in a while but I do have a portable interference units which are also made for the patient to use at home.Basically it applies a varying frequency of low amounts of electrical current with pads that may be used in a crisscross or parallel (I think ?) fashion. The pads are pretty inexpensive and are good for a number of uses and then you get new ones.
Depending on your insurance, they may loan one, or you can buy one outright from a company, depending on cost.
It is a slightly tricky I guess to apply the pads completely acccurately to the back I guess for a single person if they don't have someone else do it but it is quite possible if the pads haven't been used too much. Usually you refresh the pads with water and store them.
There is actual theory behind TENS and other forms of stimulation (interference, russian stimulator, etc), though there is debate among the scientific community as to its effectiveness among different conditions.
Another form of therapy would be a massage device; not the cheap ones from drug stores, but the larger units from Brookstone and the like which have two vibrating bumps on the back; last I got one, they had a more inexpensive model.
-- tidings-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:866832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081204/msgs/867122.html