Here's My Story
 

Hello everyone,

Well I'm here to share my story with you all and share some information as well. I'll try to make it less tedious.

I am a 21 year old male and a College Student. About 8-10 moths ago I started feeling pain down my lower back everytime I walked anywhere, suddenly it started sooo bad that I could even walk 5 feet.

Think about it, A college student needs to walk so much for classes with a backpack, I use to nearly fall to the ground because of pain especially in Summer. On top of that I am a student worker on Campus which made things more difficult.

So got an MRI done and this is what came out:

"At L4-L5, there is an approximately 9mm right paracentral and posterolateral disc herniation. This is producing marked impression upon the lateral recess and neural formation"

I went to the therapist and he started Decompression therapy on a Machine called "Spine-Med" I was doing decompressions for 3 times a week for almost 6 weeks. But my pain was still there. Then he recommended I get Epidural Steroid injections (3 of them, which drained out my insurance). What's more sad is it worked for a day everytime and then pain was back.

When I was almost to end of my therapy he got a machine called DXR9000. It was unique machine which literally pulls your back to proper decompression stretch. It started to work on me and I was almost recovered.

Unfortunately my therapy time was ending, I told him to let me do more sessions on this machine but those stupid injections really screwed up my insurance since they were given in a Hospital with Annesthesia.

Anyways as of today my pain has went from Excruciating to Bad. Which is okay because atleast I can walk now. So if any of you are about to consider decompression look for a doctor with DXR9000 machine. Many doctors will say "Oh our machines do the same thing as that one" But in reality no they do not.

Another option if u have bad pain: Try to buy an inversion table. I recently bought a Teeter Hang Ups, and it gives fair amount of relief but if ur condition is like me DO NOT DO FULL INVERSIONS, just do 60 degree inversions and it will help.

Also if u have access to Gym, look for a Back Flex machine and do not put weights over 60-70lbs.


Speaking of gyms, I think when I was about 17-18yr old I did those weight Squats which I think triggered this pain, but at that time nothing really happened but I felt that something in my back went wrong, I guess over the years it was getting weaker and BAM!

Since my pain is still there, I am waiting on Insurance to settle down a bit and I will find a doctor with DXR9000 machine and hopefully recover 100 percent.

Seriously, I am only 21. I shouldn't even know what back pain is, I should be going out there enjoying life with friends and being involve in school. But I can't! I have freakin gained 40lbs since this pain. I cannot go to gym because anything I do triggers it. I really do not want to gain anymore weight because I'm seriously looking like I have a beer belly.

I feel so shitty literally like Constantine!


Anyways hope this helps some of you! Feel free to ask or advise me anything!



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Hi Constantine,

Welcome to the forum. I agree, at your age you should not be experiencing such debilitating pain.

I know very little about the DXR9000 machine but if this decompression therapy works for you, then I don't quite understand how or why you used up your insurance for the injections????

At this point in time, I'd stay out of the gym unless specifically directed by a physical therapist. You could do more harm than good.

If the inversion table helps, stick with it but even a 45* angle is helpful.

We all understand how insurance companies and personal finances can limit the medical care you receive. Does your college have a student medical center where you could receive physical therapy for a very nominal price?

I wish you the best, Dale

Thanks Dale,

Actually when I was on the first machine "Spine-Med" that doctor did not had DXR9000 in his office, so I kept telling him that the decompression is not working on me so he referred me to his partner who gives those injections in hospital. So I gave it a try because he kept telling me "Oh don't worry everything is covered in ur insurance" but when I got the bills I was shocked. They costed me more than a surgery.

Two weeks after those injections he got the DXR9000 in his office. And unfortunately my therapy session was ending. I called my insurance and told them if they would keep paying the doctor if I continued my session but they said those injections were really costly and that time they couldn't continue.

So I am waiting, on those bills to settle down so I can find another doctor with DXR9000. And No in here we do not have student medical insurance because that's only offered to international students.

I have a home traction unit that I used to use and liked very much. It was manufactured by a spine patient from alaska, who produced a few hundred units before he gave it up. It was way too much trouble for him with no return. He did it out of a desire to help fellow spine patients. Old Braintalk members will remember Cush's Iso-Trac.

It's basically a pvc frame that you lay on the floor. Pillows under your abdomen reduces extension that hurts most spine patients and keeps the from moving. You apply force with your arms via handles attached to the part of the frame above your head. This pulls your hips down with a rock-climbing harness fastened to the frame below your feet. A fish scale in the system tells you how much pull you are exerting.

It sounds like a silly contraption, but it works and is easy to use. It provided comfortable relief, but in my case, the discs were too severely degenerated to get meaninful benefit other than the short term relief from temporary decompression.

Welcome to the forum... thanks for sharing.

Hi Constantine,
Hope your back continues to improve, espec at your age.
Some time back I read posts all over the internet about the DXR9000. Most ppl who tried it were told they were good candidates but gained little or no benefit, especially in the long term. They also were unhappy about the wasted money for treatments.
Good to hear you might have been one of the lucky ones.

I don't know if you heard about this or not. But it's definitely worth checking this out:

Please watch the whole video: YouTube - Stem Cells can repair bulging disks