I used both prescription pain relief and natural alternatives.  The prescription medication was extremely effective through the acute part of the pain and recovery, but I was anxious to switch over to natural alternatives as soon I was past the acute pain stage. 

Natural drugs and supplements.
Topricin
Dietary Supplements

Prescription Pain Relief
Vioxx
Darvocet
Prescription Topical Muscle Relaxant
Effexor

Devices. I got several different prescription pain relief devices, including TENS, Ice Pack, Saunders Home Traction, and Electrostim.  Click here to learn more about the devices I used to naturally reduce pain.

Epidural Steroid Injection
I got three epidural steroid injections two weeks apart. After each one, I showed marked improvement in my level of pain and ability to walk!  I saw Dr. Zimmerman at Evergreen Hospital's pain management clinic in Kirkland. They used an X-ray to figure out exactly where to do the injection and he gave me pain killers before the procedure so that the injection did not hurt.

The day I got the epidural was a good day for me to stop taking some of the other drugs I was taking as I was pretty much knocked out from the procedure. It took a couple of days for the steroid to kick in, but once it did, the results were very exciting. I was able to walk longer and longer distances and my pain was greatly reduced. 

Spa treatments. Some spa treatments claim to reduce toxins or increase circulation. I think they just helped me to relax & feel like a human being. Going to the spa was one of the first "normal" activities I was able to do as I started recovering and I also did my own spa treatments at home. 

I have no relationship with the solutions I describe and created this site purely to inspire others to go take control of their own back care and to provide some ideas of treatments to discuss with your doctor. If you find this website useful, please add a link to it from your website or blog.