Hey there
I may need to read this information for myself.
My neurologist says my MRI showed that I have some slipped discs in my spine? What does this mean exactly? Is there any way to get a slipped disc back into place?
I know I do experience some back pain on occasion...not very bad but usually after sleep. I find that I wake up with stiffness and have to unkink my spine very slowly. Maybe this is a different issue than traditional back pain?
And then the other times I have lower back pain it seems to come on after doing a lot of bending and working around the house.
I have two questions that maybe you have already written about.
1. What is the correct way to bend and to lift things?
2. What exercises are going to be good for my back and which ones might hurt it if I do them wrong? For example...I like to do weight bearing exercises but the ones where you bend over and lift weights up....I guess it is called a bent over row...I am always afraid of hurting myself.
Thanks for sharing all this great information!
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Big questions, I need to be brief. When a doctor is talking about a slippage in the spine, usually what is being referred to is a condition called a spondylolisthesis. You can read my introduction article about this condition.
In regards to biomechanic education and exercise review, you will be best served by going to a physical therapist. I reccommend physical therapists who are fellows of the AAOMPT. Back pain even slips can be treated by physical therapists.
This information should get you pointed in the right direction.
Dr. Christina Lasich, MD
Thank you so much doctor!
I know I asked a lot of questions. 
I will read your article and do some more researching on this topic. Not really feeling much back pain from it just sometimes some stiffness. I just don't want to do anything to make it worse.
Thanks again for your reply...it is very helpful indeed.
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Of course, if you don't respond to any of those individually or your pain doesn't fal neatly wtihin one of those classes, there is always the option of taking all three types at once.
Yes, combinations of different types of medications are frequently necessary depending, of course, on the individual. The nice thing about attacking pain from different directions is that smaller doses of one medication can be even more effective when working together with other mediations. Smaller doses are also less likely to cause side effects which are usually dose related. For example, a little bit of gabapentin with a little bit of an opioid like tramadol can be better than a whole lot of gabapentin or a whole lot of tramadol alone.
Finding combinations and blending the right medications together is an art and best done by a doctor who specializes in painful conditions.
Dr. Christina Lasich, MD