BPC-157 for back
Herniated Disc
Of the 24 unique stories with a clear outcome, 17 reported it helped (71%). 2 were inconclusive.
These are public YouTube testimonials, not clinical evidence. People who tried BPC-157 and got no result rarely post videos — read this as a sample of the positive end of the distribution.
Verdict
71
% positive
10 helped7 partial7 no help2 unclear
What people tried
oral 500mg X2 a day 500/1000 to 1000/2000 MCG, injected 500 and 157 bpc-157 with tb500
Source
Quote at 6:00
YouTubeHelped · significant
“I got four herniated discs. Yeah. And you're going to have fascia issues as well with disc problems.”
Quote at 1:29
YouTubeHelped · significant
“I herniated two discs and I was struggling to see improvement”
YouTube comment
@MrSamIAm39
I will say I struggled with severe hip pain, crippling pain in my left foot and ruptured discs. After taking KLOW for 6 months, I was completely healed. My foot was healed in 7 days. And I had suffered for months. This man most likely works for Big Pharma or funded by the FDA.
YouTube commentHelped · completeover 26 weeks
“I was completely healed”
@MrSamIAm39·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@rg.love4life
Hey Doc! Thanks so much for your videos. I have been taking BPC for my DDD and herntiated disk, and it been suer helful. Question! Should I be cycling it. I have been on oral 500mg X2 a day for three months. Thanks
YouTube commentHelped · significantoral 500mg X2 a dayover 12 weeks
“it been suer helful”
@rg.love4life·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@killerzzgamingcoc8936
Guys he is stupid person, don't believe these type of stupid lifters or influencers , i recovered from my 4 year old disc injury from Bpc and tb500
YouTube commentHelped · complete
“recovered from my 4 year old disc injury from Bpc”
@killerzzgamingcoc8936·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
r/Biohackers · Comment
@bioterra_research
It won’t fix it but might help with inflammation some but unless your hernia situates itself, the description doesn’t sound promising for that but I’m not a doc. Bpc, tymosin beta 4, those types of healing peptides can greatly speed up recovery if you end up having surgery though. “Peptide of the Week” podcast gentlemen have talked at length about this because one of them has gone through it at least once but may have been two herniated discs and you can find lots of info on that exact injury there.
Reddit comment · r/BiohackersHelped · significant
“one of them has gone through it at least once but may have been two herniated discs”
@bioterra_research·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/Biohackers · Comment
@CaptainHowdy60
This isn’t peptides advice but I’m battling a herniated c spine disc now too and I have had some relief from a different pillow. My wife had this goofy looking pillow from Amazon that supposed to be good for neck support. I tried it and after giving it a go for a while I can say that it has helped me out a lot. Good luck on your healing journey. I had c5-c6 fusion before and I really want to avoid that again as well.
Reddit comment · r/BiohackersHelped · significant
“it has helped me out a lot”
@CaptainHowdy60·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/Biohackers · Post
@MoneyAd2181
Swiss chems good oral bpc-157 supplements?
Hello, I’m 19M and I’ve been through 4 car accidents in Vegas, out of them 2 were totaled cars. I have lower back pain especially when I sit, from my MRI I was told to have a herniated disc in my lower back. I’ve had this pain since march 2025 and I’ve been to numerous doctors for scans, X-ray, bloodwork’s, then I had to wait 8 months just for physical therapy, and etc, my lawyer told me the procedure I need is too expensive and that I should just take the money, with no outcome just a lot of time wasted and all I got every time I visited a doctor was extra pills to numb the pain. After 9 months of doing this and being brain numb and having to quit my job, drop out of college and other negative things. I’ve decided to get a marijuana medical card and later found a peptide from Swiss Chems bpc-157 and I started using it, I know this is not the right path but it’s the only thing that helped me so far to live a normal life again. If anyone has any advise or knows what to do in this situation please let me know. As I live alone and it kinda hard and annoying taking care of my self with this pain. Any stretches, workouts, etc.
Reddit · r/BiohackersHelped · significantbpc-157 from Swiss Chems
“it's the only thing that helped me so far to live a normal life again”
@MoneyAd2181·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Comment
@Onlykitten
I’ve done both stem cells and PRP and both helped, but neither cured my pain for longer than 6 weeks, however my locations were totally different from yours and hard to treat because of gravity over time. I’m not saying “don’t do it”, but maybe try PRP first and see if it helps before moving on to stem cells. They should be harvesting from your bone, IMO. That’s how mine were harvested. Edit to add: I did get PRP for annular tears in my L5/S1 disc and it completely resolved it.
Reddit comment · r/ChronicPainHelped · completePRP
“it completely resolved it”
@Onlykitten·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Post
@ComprehensiveSpot0
In a mental/emotional blender powered by chronic pain and need to vent
I've had chronic pain for well over a decade now. At first I knew what it was caused by. Growth plates in the arches of my feet didn't fuse properly, leaving me with "extra bones" and causing quick and extremely painful collapse in my early to mid teens. This was dragged out due to the fact that my mothers response to me telling her about my pain ranged from "stop telling me about that it makes me feel bad" to "why are you bragging about that??" so my reaction to being in pain had long been to just stop doing what hurt. So I stopped running, jumping, or even walking too fast. I took books out of my backpack to lessen the weight. The problem wouldn't get solved until the beginning of high school when we were required to run the mile. I couldn't do it. It hurt too bad. Once school was involved I was finally able to get to a podiatrist who performed surgery on both of my feet to remove the bad bones, tack tendons, and put in implants to reposition bones and rebuild my arches. While that fixed my feet it started other problems and pain to cascade up to my knees (fibular head dislocation), my hips (IT band issues), and my back (general non-diagnosable pain). Queue years of physical therapy, which helped a lot for my knees and hips but never did anything meaningful for my back. I (now with my parents active support) tried to find answers for my back for a while, but came up with nothing. At that point I just accepted that the chronic back pain was the price I paid to be free of the more acute foot pain. Last year my chronic, seemingly for no reason, back pain started to really focus into my sacrum and tailbone. I mostly ignored it. Sure, it hurt literally every time I sat down, stood for more than a couple minutes, or walked "too much" in a day, but I had been in the headspace of "it's fine, its not like there's anything to be done anyway" for so long that I just dealt with it. After hearing my gasp when sitting down at my computer one too many times my husband reminded me that I have health insurance now and that it isn't actually fine that I'm in pain. It still took a while for me to actually schedule any appointments though, because I had already tried multiple times to get answers to no avail, and I "knew" a doctor would just shrug, say there's nothing specific wrong, and prescribe another round of useless physical therapy. Even when I was nudged and bugged enough to make an appointment it was hard to find a doctor that would see me. Sports Medicine focused clinics wouldn't see me because my pain was chronic, a pain focused clinic wouldn't see me because my description sounded like a spinal issue, and a neurologist couldn't see me without a referral. So I go to my GP and he decides instead to refer me to a "non-surgical spinal pain specialist". I made an appointment expecting the exact same song and dance as usual. "Where's you pain? What does it feel like? What makes it worse? What makes it better?", take a few x-rays, and take a few hours just to be told nothing's wrong. Y'all, it was not like that. It started the same as every other appointment for my back with the same questions, same "it could be this", and the same "but we'll need x-rays", but then this doctor took an x-ray I had never had done before. From the side while standing and bending back as far as I could. I just thought "well that was weird" but assumed it would be just as meaningless as every other spinal x-ray I'd gotten. When the doctor walked in a few minutes later he had a smile on his face and said something I'd never heard before. "This is a very interesting x-ray" Turns out, assumedly due an injury (thrown off a horse 12 years ago), the disk between my L5 vertebrae and my sacrum had been damaged, and it had been (unusually quickly) degrading ever since. The disk is barely there, causing my L5 and sacrum to connect and cause significant bone pain. When the bones of your spine are hurting the muscles of your back tense to "protect them". My back muscles have been working overtime for years, causing significant weakening of my core (can't even lift my shoulders off the ground if I try to do a sit-up), and occasionally wrenching so hard in wrong directions that my pelvis actually twists. And then the most unexpected and honestly life shattering thing happens. Not only is there an identifiable cause. There is an answer. An answer that isn't physical therapy, weight loss, habit forming pain meds, or surgery. Corticosteroid injections. I was so shaken by this that I barely reacted beyond just repeatedly saying "I know why now. It can be fixed" for a couple days. I got the injections. They worked. For the first time in literally years I had no deep aching bone pain. At my first follow up a couple weeks later we decided that the best next step would be to do targeted physical therapy to start undoing the muscular problems my back muscles had caused to the rest of my body, after which I would transition into basic strength training to rebuild my strength and capabilities after so many years of damage and reduced mobility. It's been two months since I got the injections, and due to insurance and work schedule problems I haven't been able to start physical therapy yet, but I didn't mind because I wasn't hurting. My next follow up isn't for another month. The shots have worn off. I started having bone pain again 3 days ago, but I thought "maybe its just a particularly bad flare up and it'll fade". It's only gotten worse They're supposed to last at least 3 months, up to 6. They made it 2. I know I'm in the same amount of pain I was before, but I managed to lose all tolerance for it in the 2 months of blissful relief. I am in so much pain. Every step hurts. The ache is so bad by the end of the day that it makes it hard to think. My insurance changed. The clinic is no longer covered. I haven't started looking for another one yet. For now I don't feel capable of doing anything more than feeling defeated, exhausted, and sad. It feels stupid to feel so upset by this. I still have the answer, there's still a treatment, and I'll most likely be able to find a doctor that takes my insurance. Plus, it's not like I didn't know this would be a temporary fix that would have to be redone regularly until the vertebrae and sacrum naturally fuse themselves in a few years. This is going exactly as expected. Doesn't stop the upset though.
Reddit · r/ChronicPainHelped · completecorticosteroid injectionsover 8 weeks
“I had no deep aching bone pain”
@ComprehensiveSpot0·Reddit UserSource ↗
YouTube comment
@patrickfons6121
I’ve been researching this for a little while now. I have a herniated disc that’s slowly been getting better over the last couple months (At one point I could only sit/stand/walk for 10mins at a time) in constant agony from sciatic nerve pain too. I’ve also seen in some studies BPC 157 along with TB 500 can also help promote stem cell production. I just got some of both in the mail and will be taking 500mcg of both 2x a day for the next 60 and will update if it can improve my health in any way, shape or form. Keep in mind I wasn’t able to get my hands on injectable so I’ll be taking orally but the brand I found is hydrolyzed capsules. In theory it’s supposed to absorb better and preserve the half life.
YouTube commentHelped partially · significant
“getting better over the last couple months”
@patrickfons6121·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@Jono_123-c1z
been suffering from L4/L5-S1 disc bulge nerve pain for almost 2 years, constant shooting pain down the legs, lower back and even my toes some are feeling numb. 3 days of taking this and I already feel about 50-60% pain reduction and the inflammation is quite shockingly to be able to say: MINIMAL. this truly is the future of sports medicine.
YouTube commentHelped partially · significantover 0.07 weeks
“50-60% pain reduction”
@Jono_123-c1z·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@twelfty89
Hi Dr Huberman, I live in the UK, male 37, I lived in a car for a long period of time due to being made homeless in the pandemic and have ended up hunched over, I have an MRI confirming DDD including a schmorl's node (that is definitely causing pain) and herniations indenting the cord and thecal sack and a foramen being pulled out in c5/6, also eagle's syndrome, and very likely some sort of HSD / EDS. I'm a few weeks away from trying mk677, BPC157, and TB500 all of them oral (although i would like to take the TB500 as SQ... i don't like needles and don't want to risk infections and stuff) the symptoms of my DDD have caused my entire body to be covered in myofascial trigger points, any physical exercise or indeed activity i do gives me more knots, i've seen about 12 or 13 different NHS doctors who have been completely clueless about all of this... so i'm basically on my own recovery wise bar my GP (who has been great for sending me for tests if i can medically justify them, but doesn't know what's wrong with me and wouldn't dream of supporting peptides) i plan to get a new MRI next year (2 years after the first) and a strict peptide regime, along with a recovery plan to create space in my discs very, very slowly, it's not fully planned out yet, but i'm thinking a small dose of mk677, maybe 12.5mg - 25mg per week in 4 week cycles, BPC157 and TB500 300mcg every 2 days in 8 week cycles with 4 week breaks. ideally i want only one or two cycles, maybe 3 for luck and will probably back off the mk677 early on depending on results, i only feel like i want to supplement my system rather than any body builder gains, as far as my bloods, lungs, heart, EMG/NCS, all sorts of testing for inflammation, ANA, all of it says i'm tip top, healthy as can be... and luckily because i've worked physical jobs my whole life like construction and gardening, i have a good foundational body. I can't seem to find a specific source of the knots (over the years this has built up have become very effective at understanding, finding and getting rid of knots), i'd expect like a king knot to be causing the cascade and there's nothing really, although the schmorl's node on t10/11 definitely has some pain radiating, so my only conclusion is i'm getting some sort of irritation from the cord indentations, i've been working on my spine for the last 8 months or so and that's fairly straight now, i can sit upright and hold it for a reasonable amount of time instead of immediately hunching like at the start... i figure my next progression is to begin hanging and attempting to decompress my spine gently whilst pushing the peptides and eating and supplementing well to really give the discs a chance to repopulate and any potential repair to take effect You sound pretty interested and if there's any information you'd like on my progress that could help others i'm happy to send my records i make and the results i see on the MRI, but i guess you're probably working with people already. and of course if you have any guidance or advice for me it would be greatly appreciated. much appreciated Dan
YouTube commentHelped partially · mild
“i can sit upright and hold it for a reasonable amount of time”
@twelfty89·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@Paul-q3m7k
I’m on week 3 of tb-500 and bcp-157 . I have herniated disks snd worn out facet and si joints . So far I can feel some changes happening. Some tingling and a bit less ache . Could be placebo I guess but something is happening
YouTube commentHelped partially · mildtb-500 and bcp-157over 3 weeks
“some tingling and a bit less ache”
@Paul-q3m7k·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Post
@Riley_Cubs
Anyone who’s had a C7 disk bulge/herniation or pinched nerve in general, did your arm/triceps strength ever return?
So about two weeks ago I began having really bad pain in my left shoulder blade area, I’ve had issues with my rhomboid in the past so I figured that’s what this was. It wasn’t until I went to the gym a few days later when I knew something was wrong because I couldn’t do a single 135 bench press, when usually I’d do a warmup with that of about 20 reps. When I tried to push the bar up, my left arm had basically zero pushing strength…. I went to a family friend who’s a chiropractor (I know chiro’s are usually snake oil salesmen) however he’s got over 30 years experience and he was willing to give me and X ray and examination on the house. He came to the conclusion that I’ve most likely got a bulging disk at my C7 that is pushing against the nerve which is causing my left side pain and weakness. Two weeks later my pain is definitely better, it’s now more of a deep ache rather than feeling like there’s a knife in my back. My strength in my arm however has not returned and I’m starting to get very worried. Has anyone else had a similar experience? If so what was your outcome?
Reddit · r/ChronicPainHelped partially · mildover 2 weeks
“My pain is definitely better, it's now more of a deep ache”
@Riley_Cubs·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Comment
@Ok_Young_2393
I’ve got the same problem at C7. Lost strength in my tricep, lat, and peck on all on the left side. It’s been about 3 months and strength has just started to come back but I tweaked it again and now am considering using bpc157 and tb500 to treat it. Has anyone ever used bpc157 and tb500 to treat their discs?
Reddit comment · r/ChronicPainHelped partially · mildover 12 weeks
“strength has just started to come back”
@Ok_Young_2393·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Post
@lb351986
Partner wanting me to go back to original occupation...
That caused my issues. I have 2 herniated discs in the C6 and C7 position. The discs are compressing both major nerves leaving my neck. I'm currently 7 months into the original herniation. Around month 4 I had a severe flare up which is still causing issues up until now. Thankfully I'm able to function again. The first couple months I was basically bed ridden. The pain was on a level I've never experienced in my life. I've broke multiple bones. Tore cartridge in my knees. Tore ligaments etc and it was nothing compared to this pain. Genuinely can't describe it. I worked in Agriculture. I quit 6 months ago as I knew this injury was serious and if I continued at the rate I was I was gonna destroy my body. My left side strength has decreased alot due to the nerves being compressed. I'm currently seeing physiotherapists to try and recover my neck surgery free. My partner keeps saying.. So and so needs a fence built. Give them a phone and do it for them. So and so needs a run way built (Slabs) give them a phone. I'm I overthinking this? I'm genuinely terrified that I will set myself back to that original injury. I get days where my neck slightly flares up if I do a little much the day prior and I panic. I couldn't go through all that again. I have nightmares of that pain. The part that's annoying me is. The people asking for the work done genuinely don't care. Zero care for my health. I've explained my injuries and not a single person has said... Are you ok? Nobody. Am I overthinking this? Is it ridiculous that I'm so afraid to take on this type of work again? My partner is obviously thinking financial issues. I can understand. The job market isn't the best and I have these opportunities in front of me. My biggest fear is being employed by a company and my neck pops again. I can't physically just work through this. It's not possible. People who don't experience pain genuinely have no clue how destroying it is. Any advice anyone or do i just get on with it? My mind is all over the place. Thanks
Reddit · r/ChronicPainHelped partially · mildover 28 weeks
“Thankfully I'm able to function again”
@lb351986·Reddit UserSource ↗
YouTube comment
@johnadams2630
I’m going on 7 days and supposedly have bone degenerative disc disease.. not claiming it, but regular exercise and eating healthy is necessary. Stay active. Hope this stuff works. Amazon has it
YouTube commentInconclusiveover 1 week
“supposedly have bone degenerative disc disease.. Hope this stuff works”
@johnadams2630·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@UnapologeticallyKind
Yo so im trying to heal a tendon partial tear and 3 bulging discs... plan was to recover before jumping on reta to lose some excess fat, should I include reta in my recovery phase or nah?
YouTube commentInconclusive
“3 bulging discs”
@UnapologeticallyKind·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@xeroxboy01
I've tried 2 different brands (peptide science and limitless) of injected BPC-157/TB-500 from 500/1000 to 1000/2000 MCG divided twice in a day for 3 months and also tried capsules and they did NOT help at all with back or neck pain. I call BS anyone who claim they recovered from herniated disc with peptides. It MIGHT help with inflammation temporarily for a rare exception of people but I personally have not met anyone or know of anyone whos also tried that that it's helped with herniation.
YouTube commentDidn't help500/1000 to 1000/2000 MCG, injectedover 12 weeks
“did NOT help at all with back or neck pain”
@xeroxboy01·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@jonfuller129
I can attest to this. I threw hundreds of dollars of 500 and 157 at a herniated l4/5 in combination with pt and pain management. Ended up having a microdisectomy after 2 years.
YouTube commentDidn't help500 and 157over 104 weeks
“Ended up having a microdisectomy after 2 years”
@jonfuller129·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
YouTube comment
@xeroxboy01
Bpc-157 or tb 500 does nothing for herniated disc. I know this video is not claiming it will but thought I'd bring it up because I see a lot of people asking. I did bpc-157 with tb500 for almost a year and half from a peptide clinic and from websites and found no relief on my herniated discs. I've also heard from others with herniations that they've had no improvement from bpc-157. I did notice that my energy and recovery was fantastic from hard core sessions at the gym but that's about it.
YouTube commentDidn't helpbpc-157 with tb500over 78 weeks
“found no relief on my herniated discs”
@xeroxboy01·Youtube CommenterSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Comment
@Maleficent_Finger642
I was also injured by an epidural steroid injection. My experience was similar to yours. I screamed in pain during the procedure. Later that day I had widespread bruising. I got it because of nerve compression from a bulging disc, which was causing pain in my foot. But ever since this injection it's been constant pain in my lumbar and pelvis region. I'm not sure the same thing happened to me that did to you, but I can really relate. That doctor immediately covered her tracks and did not care about helping me. I went to another specialist who told me the previous doctor "would never do anything to hurt anyone." I was not looking for vengeance or a payout, I just wanted help. No doctor has ever believed me that I was injured by this procedure. In fact, I've never seen an American doctor, in real life or online, admit that this procedure can lead to adverse events. Never mind that the British Medical Journal called the procedure no better than placebo, and too dangerous considering it has little benefit. I basically do not tell them about my experience anymore. But it was a horrific experience for me and I have not been the same since.
Reddit comment · r/ChronicPainDidn't help
“constant pain in my lumbar and pelvis region”
@Maleficent_Finger642·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Comment
@Witchywoman8014
We’re or are you able to sue the other driver?? I mean clearly unless they can safely do a colectomy ( or if a colon transplant is a thing) you will have that pain the rest of your life!! Does Quebec have any type of disability for those who can’t work- other than the program you are fighting with? I know here is the states they have disability- I was denied stating I can find other work- I had been work desk jobs since 2017 when I had disc rupture required emergency surgery and now I have limited neck movement and nerve damage down my dominant arm and hand (can’t lift more than 5 pounds). I reached out to a lawyer and I was told my best bet to get my claim approved was my major depression and anxiety. My point being, if there isn’t a disability type program are there lawyers or advocates that can help you with appealing their decision?
Reddit comment · r/ChronicPainDidn't help
“disc rupture required emergency surgery and now I have limited neck movement and nerve damage”
@Witchywoman8014·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Post
@gentlegiant_89
relative newcomer to chronic pain... i absolutely cannot go on like this- back + hips + abdomen, etc. tiniest movement triggers excruciating pain.
almost four years ago now (wow, time flies), i set out on a much-needed epic weight-loss journey. i went from a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, allowing myself to balloon up to 490lbs by the age of 31, to suddenly adapting a super active + healthy lifestyle, taking up boxing (the main thing that helped), as well as general cardio + weight-training, and clean eating (as well as intermittent fasting + restricting calories). the weight, as you can no doubt imagine, began just flying off. in the span of eight months, i lost 140lbs. it was a ton of hard work, super intense multi-hour daily gym sessions + really strict diet, but the payoff was immense- i was a whole new person, sure, physically, but especially mentally... while at 350, i was still very heavy, i felt and looked worlds better than at my start weight. i was a totally new person. then it happened- a deadlifting accident, which would serve as the impetus behind my falling off the wagon in the most catastrophic way. i ended up gaining everything back in less than a year- fell back to my old ways of completely unrestricted, wild, binge-eating without consequence. now i beat myself up telling myself "if you couldn't work out, you should've AT LEAST kept the diet tight...", and generally for just allowing myself back to this weight, when i promised myself for every 10lbs i lost, that that was a number i'd never exceed again. so much for that- i failed that promise more than 14 times for every 10 i put back on. the thing is, despite weighing what i did when i started, i now feel so, so, much worse than i did when i first weighed this, and it's hard to say whether it's just due to that injury, or due to how my body tolerates such excess now that i'm a bit older, or what... even when i weighed near-500lbs, i was (relatively) much more agile and athletic, people actually always marvelled at how quick and "athletic" i was for such a big guy (i'm also pretty tall fwiw). it's of course also possible that the effects of the injury compounded with the general effects of weighing so much (and associated inflammation) are what's causing me this extreme pain and discomfort. can herniated discs take so long to heal? or muscle tears? i did an mri and four herniated discs, as well as an additional vertebrae in my coccyx were found, along with general disc degeneration. i have also had what i'm sure are some severe muscle tears in various areas, but haven't been able to get a test to verify yet. additionally, i've had a long-lasting bout of pretty acute sciatica in my right leg + hip... the 4-5x i suffered sciatica previously over the years, it always resolved within 7-10 days, but it's now been more than a year. the pain is absolutely excruciating for most of my waking moments, with bed-- the place everyone, even the sickliest/most damaged, are supposed to get a reprieve from the pain-- being the absolute hell of my day every night... just turning from side to side, an excruciating 5-10 minute ordeal, often causing me to shoot up in sheer blinding pain. this pain is in so many places, slightly differently- my torso, abdominal area in particular, and my back are by far the worst off, with my right hip, the sciatica, and my knees being not far behind. the knees sometimes are searing hot with pain. the smallest, seemingly most inconsequential, move has the ability to send me into the most violent, intense, painful spasm of pain. i can just reach behind my head a certain way or have a tiny trip on something, and my entire torso + back + hips are suddenly in 8.5/10 pain... the turning in bed, i sometimes have to bite down on my pillow to make it tolerable. i cannot live like this- i feel completely hopeless and lost. i've been to so many doctors, only to get vague, inconclusive, answers or what seem like uncharted diagnoses like costochondritis (only ever got that once)- never anything definitive that could actually see me on a path to any kind of meaningful rehabilitation. the pain is so bad most of the days that i would truly rather die. i carried the weight so much better pre-injury. yes, regardless, that is an abnormal amount of weight to be carrying, i'm merely just saying. of course i want to lose the weight (and more) again, but being in this level of pain all waking hours, it's awful hard to get back up again and go for it- forget about with the intensity of before; i wouldn't last a minute under my old training regimens, but just in general. i can't stand for more than 20-30 min at a time without my hips and back starting to hurt tremendously, and then when i finally take a seat, even just that kills. is it really, truly, JUST the weight, or is it the weight + the back injury and everything else, or is it mostly the back injury and other documented things? i just never used to experience pain like this- and i have quite a high threshold, having been through a lot in my life. how ever can i get back on the wagon when fits of pain keep me psychologically from wanting to engage again- a sort of anxiety response, knowing the pain and discomfort that await. i'm currently unemployed and not doing well financially at all, but have a gig coming up soon which will require me being on my feet for 5-6 hours... it's in two weeks, and i have NO idea how i'll get through it- i almost want to bail ahead, but desperately need the money. advil + tylenol (both extra strength) mask the pain for only a couple hours, but i try to avoid them for obvious reasons- but i will need them to get through this. i genuinely see and empathize re: how easy it is to get hooked on opioids... with such excruciating pain being so ever-present in your life as the sun rising every morning, how could you not turn to the stronger reprieve these narcotics offer? i completely, wholeheartedly, understand, but am desperately trying to avoid it and find a solution before going down that avenue, especially as i very recently had a dear friend pass from exactly such circumstances (although his use was prolonged after many years battling chronic pains resulting from a major accident). you just want the pain to be gone so bad; for you to have a slight return to any semblance of pain-free normalcy that you can recall, that you're willing to gamble your life. this level of pain is maddening and all-consuming, and deprives you of participating in the most basic, birth-right, parts of everyday life- it makes you an alien.
Reddit · r/ChronicPainDidn't help
“the pain is absolutely excruciating for most of my waking moments”
@gentlegiant_89·Reddit UserSource ↗
r/ChronicPain · Post
@10-Piece-McNugget
32 “Healthy” male-Is there a point of “no return” with back pain? A slowly sinking ship?
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm determined to beat this...but losing hope. A little background first. Initial injury spring 2012. * L4/5, L5/S1 ruptured. Not a sudden incident, just increasing pain over a few months until I couldn’t stand it anymore. Got my first MRI and revealed the ruptures. * Doctors will not operate. Citing that I’m too young and in perfect health otherwise. It will get better on its own. It does…well, maybe. * I’m sent on a whirlwind of physical therapy, core strengthening, and injections which do little to nothing except empty my bank account. * Fast forward to fall 2014. The shooting pain down into my feet has subsided somewhat. But the pain in my lower back has increased. Doctors finally agree that surgery may help the situation. * I should note that the time period right BEFORE surgery was the BEST I’ve felt during this whole saga. Painful, but manageable. * Undergo microdisectomy L4/5, L5/S1 Fall 2014.Recovery is very painful, but I pull through. * I’ve followed all doctors/physical therapists orders for recovery to the T. Currently I’m exhausted. I’ve gone from a healthy energetic, fun 28 year old…to a depressed, tired, 32 year old guy. This injury has wrecked my life. I however, remain hopeful, despite the overwhelming evidence that back pain is really just a crapshoot. Here is some info to help start a conversation. I’d love to hear back from people in similar situations. * As stated above. 32y/o “healthy” athletic male. In shape, diet is squeaky clean. No booze, cigs. * Not taking any medication. Occasional ambien for sleep, maybe an aleve for pain (even though it does little to nothing) * I “workout” 5 of 7 days a week. NO lifting or running. Only stretching, and light cardio. * I am able to, although painful, work. I sit at a desk. with a reclined chair (big help!), and take frequent breaks to walk and lay down. *I currently use an inversion table, foam roller, and various other tools to loosen and relieve the tension in my back to no avail. Here’s my overall take on my situation: * This is muscular. My back muscles are seriously damaged. The lower back muscles are BRUTALLY tight. * There are HUGE knots I can feel on the deep back muscles. QL, PSOAS, erector spine. And they are literally ROCK hard and bout the size of walnuts. My feet occasionally are throbbing with pain. * Back pain is a crapshoot. I’ve spent an insane amount of money with “professionals” who tell me no more information than a quick forum search would have. I’m not buying it anymore. At best…its a “best guess”. Hence my post here. * The person who knows most about your body is YOU. You have to live with this, the doctors see 20 people a day...everyday. They may have the best intentions, but you're on a list of possibly hundreds. -Crucial takeaway: No matter the amount of massaging, rolling (softball feels best) will release the muscles. At best, after a super hot shower and stretching, I may have about 30 min relief…laying on the ground taking deep breaths. Then its back to pain.I’m trying very had to avoid serious painkillers as a last resort, but if thats what it comes to, to function, so be it. Questions -And this is why I asked about there being a “point of no return”? Its a truly vicious cycle. My discs have degenerated…my back muscles tighten to protect…putting more pressure on discs…causing pain…my back muscles have been strained for so long they’ve pretty much knotted and locked..causing pain. I mean once the disc degenerates, from what I know….that’s it, it’s gone. Is there something I’m missing? Other than solutions?! Ha -Has anyone visited the site PainScience.com? Its by far the best, most informative site on the web for back pain! I’ve learned about myofascial pain, relief techniques, etc. I’ve learned more from that site than I have spending thousands elsewhere. -Are there any recommendations on where/what to do at this point? Myofascial release ideas, muscular injections? I’d like to meet a physical therapist who has ACTUALLY had these issues…not just completed coursework. In closing: what are your guys’/gals’ situations? I’d love to hear from someone who has been in my situation. Any advice or success stories? Even a tiny success would be great to hear. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Thanks
Reddit · r/ChronicPainDidn't help
“My discs have degenerated...that's it, it's gone”
@10-Piece-McNugget·Reddit UserSource ↗