HeroOfHyrule wrote:
auntblabby wrote:
as one with similar back issues, i recommend 5% lidocaine patches combined with regular massage of DMSO into the area by a cooperative friend [can't really do it to yourself too well], alone with spinal traction by hanging by one's armpits in a suspended spare tire hung from a stout tree branch, or lacking that, a spinal stretch device one can order online consisting of a belt wrapped around one's waist [tightly] with the ratchet anchor tied in a door jamb, that is what i do.
Thank you for the recommendations! I'll try these out and see if they help my back pain.
prego
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
i hope you have a cooperative friend who can massage the stuff into your back. with me, the lower back is reachable by my long arms but if it were mid back or higher i'd be SOL. the 5% lidocaine patches [doc's script required] last about a day, but the 4% ones you can get OTC only are good for a few hours at best, they don't seem to stick too well to the skin and forget about placing them where there is body articulation [bending/flexing]. don't use patches with things like camphor for too long as those can burn if used repeatedly in the same place, stick to lidocaine. when trying comfrey cream, stick to
traumaplant brand as it is purified, lacking in toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can mess up the liver and kidneys. be aware that med grade DMSO is less likely to have you temporarily tasting metallic garlic which the vet grade stuff ["horse liniment"] can impart. DMSO can also cause a temporary burning sensation, which can be avoided if you first use the comfrey cream.