[MPQ]

I've had back trouble since my mid teens, ever since I threw rocks up in the air to attract bats in the summer of 1990. I wish there was some way for the chiropractor to glue or pin my L-14/L-15 on place so it won't subluxate again.

It hurts to stand, sit, walk, bend. Only way I can get some relief is to lie face down with my feet dangling off the bed. Takes pressure off that L-14.

[jerhanner]

I kind of got stuck at the "throw rocks in the air to attract bats" part. I'm gonna have to try that!
Do back braces help?

[vuedoc]

Small point: there are only 5 lumbar vertebrae so you probably mean L4 and L5. A common injury. First off, do not go for surgery. It isn't worth the pain an the results are less than 60% favorable. You don't want something that will incapacitate you, you want something that will make you more functional with as little risk as possible. My best recommendation is a combination of chiropractic, physical therapy, and accupuncture. A lot of misalignments can be put back into place non-surgically. The trick is to keep them from going out again.

Accupuncture is best applied by a non-MD practitioner. Someone who is already a physician can become certified for accupuncture after 80 hours of training. A non-physician requires something like 800 hours, so that person clearly has a better idea of what they are doing.

Good luck. It's horrible to live with pain.

[MPQ]

L-4, I meant L-4