Thankyou again for your thorough reply.
Yes, the Chiro seems very good. I must admit to being very hesitant in seeing him at first as I had heard alot of bad stories of chiropracters previously along with some good stories too of course. And this one was recommended to me by several people who had suffered from back problems. Seems to be that just about every one either has had or knows someone who has had a back problem.
I understood that some folk could have a protrusion and have no symptoms but didn't realise that it could press on nerve and there be no pain. The private physio that I originally saw did say that it was very sensitised. At the beginning the pain seemed to be very 'exagerated' ie - one time my friend just barely touched my hip and it sent me into spasms of agony, she was quite bemused as she had really just brushed past me nothing more, lol!
I take it by resorption, you mean the disc protrusion going back into place as it were, as opposed to reabsorption, where perhaps the disc degenerates and is reabsorbed by the body???
Aye, guess it will do no harm to research the Motor Control thing just now. I have never heard of it before, hopefully there will be someone in Scotland, nearby who practises this!
Yes, my core is pretty weak just now. I used to do alot of pilates, as core strength is very important to climbing to keep you close to the wall when on steep or overhanging ground. The pilates was really helping there, but then I got lazy and out of the habit of doing it so regularly. I hadn't done any core exercises for around a year before my disc going and I do wonder if this, along with the very heavy weights you have to carry when winter climbing in Scotland and the often very steep ground you have to cover, contributed to my disc going in the 1st place.
As for the surgeon, the Chiro knows him and says he values his opinion greatly as he is very good. He says he is not 'scissor happy' as it were, and will not choose to operate unless it is 100% necessary and as there is no nerve root compression and I am alot better, I am confident I shall escape his knife! Hopefully he will not be too brusque with me, as many ortho's can be, having had experience of them after breaking my wrist a few years back. Ended up with extensor tendinitis which physio cured a treat and made me develop an interest in it. The human body, muscular and neurological is such a fascinating and complex subject. How one disorder in some part of the body, can effect a multitude of different parts elsewhere, so much to learn........
I also had an appointment at a pain clinic recently, where I had a loan of a TENS machine. Found it helpful but a real hassle to use and the electrodes didn't seem to stick well to my skin, so I gave up on it. The pain specialist I saw also does Acupuncture and has booked me in for a course of that, but my appointments aren't until June (blasted NHS waiting times!) and I'm hoping that I will be all better by then!!! She has also made an appointment for me to see about having an epidural, which I am none too sure about. I detest taking drugs of any kind and it was months before I had to relent and start taking painkillers, the physio I was seeing said she had never had a patient not take painkillers for nerve pain before, and I should not be so stoical, hehe! So the thought of pumping drugs into my spine, does make me shudder somewhat. And I have heard stories of steroid injections weaking joints in the long term, wether this is true or not though, I do not know. That was another thing, she prescribed me Amytriptyline to see if it would help me to sleep better and said I would probably need to work my way up to 50g a night before it would be effective for pain relief. I have been on 50mg for the past week now, and I'm wondering if it is this or the exercises and stretches I am doing that is giving me relief, or a mix of both. I'm highly tempted to stop taking the Amytriptyline to see if the pain comes back as it is making no difference whatsoever in helping me get a good nights sleep and that's why I was willing to try it in the 1st place.
Aye, I will post again once I have seen the Ortho and let you know how I got on. Thanks again