Flux Health Forum

L4/L5 DIsc Bulge treatment

Injury Recovery
#1

Hi folks,

New here, was introduced to PEMF and this forum specifically after having a disc bulge at L4/L5 go symptomatic (through overuse and some dumb stuff by me). Have been disabled for the past 7 wks (no sitting, little driving, no exercise, little walking), and looking for anything I can do to assist recovery.

Question is - which device, which protocol would be recommended for reducing nerve tension and nerve pain at the base of the spine/out into the glute. Either my disc or swelling is (likely) pressing on some of the L4 nerve roots and causing tightness and some pain.

And second - which device, which protocol would be most appropriate for accelerating healing of the disc injury itself? I know the answer could be “it depends” but I’m new to all this, so any guidance much appreciated.

#2

Hi @Justin_Huskamp, welcome to the forum. Before I bought the ICES PEMF M1 over 2.5 years ago, I was thinking there was a magic protocol/magic device for my use case. In reality, Dr. Bob Dennis, the inventor, has made many posts and my experience jives with them -pick the device that you can afford and use it minimum of 8 hours a day (more is better in this case) and its fine to use the default protocols. I own the M1 and C5. Our dog gets the C5 on his sleeping pad/mat and the M1 is used as needed for those in the family. I use the Omni 8 and Alpha protocols primarily on the M1 and my understanding is that Omni 8 is the protocol used on the A9. The ultra portability of the M1 can’t be beat, so if it can be afforded, I recommend that one. These devices are absolutely amazing in my opinion - they help with every ailment I have thrown at them (elbow bone break, rotator cuff pain, ligament pains, plantar fasciitis, migraines, and many more applications).

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#3

Thanks TajD - I’m wondering if I got the C5 with the larger pad, would it penetrate deeply enough to be effective in the spine? (would also save me having to make sure a smaller coil is in the right place). Reading the site, appears that the pad is a better use case for things closer to the surface (but not sure what “closer” means in reality).

#4

The C5 is 4 M1s synchronized. Each M1 can power one 2x2 coil config, or a standard set of 2 coils. The C5 pad is 4 2x2 coil configs wrapped together to be like a mat. A 2x2 coil has less depth of field than standard 2 coil config. By stacking 2 coils, you get more depth of field. Therefore C5 allows 4 sets of stacked 2 coils. For the spine, you can search the forum, but think most have used A9 or M1 stacked coils.

#5

Hello all. Not sure I’m participating correctly. This is not a response to Justin’s post but, an original post on my part.
I’ve been dealing with L5S1 stenosis for the last 2 years and have tried every type of conservative therapy (PT, Prolo, PRP,) I can think of and nothing has resolved the leg/ butt pain.
I recently had a MILD procedure and am afraid it was a dud as well because the pain persists.
Two days ago, I ordered a unit from Dr. Bob.
I have three questions please:

  1. How long should I plan to apply the PEMF therapy daily; , 2. Is there some record keeping tool people use the measure results (spreadsheet or app); and 3. If so, is Dr Bob interested in receiving such information?

Thanks in advance

#6

Sorry I did not see this sooner. I think TajD is correct. I think the best thing to do is use an M1 or A9 (least expensive but works great IMHO), then stack the coils bumpy-side-to bumpy side (like poker chips), tape them together, then place them directly over where it hurts the most on your spine, or where the injury is known to be by imaging. Placement can be fairly approximate (do not worry about precision); just hold in place by some simple means that works for you: snug-fitting underwear, ace bandage, back brace, medical or kinesiology tape.

Just start with the default pulse pattern (Omni-8), maybe increase the intensity a bit to 11 or 12, and use the device every day for as long as you can (at least 6 to 8 hours, but all day long is OK, that’s what I do).

I am sorry I did not see this sooner, but you should get relief pretty quickly, usually within a few days or even hours. If not, let’s keep adjusting it to get the best results for you. Please write back to let us know how it is working (or not), and I will try to help you find the best way to use the device for your specific injury.

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#7

Hi @Justin_Huskamp. I have a similar issue going on with a 7mm disc bluge at L4/L5. Did you buy one of Bob’s products, and if so, did it help you? Thank you!

#8

Hi Bob - tx so much for the response. Good news is the disc bulge pain is gone, but the underlying issue appears to be right SI joint dysfunction and associated neuromuscular guarding in the right low spine (multifidus/longissimus) and right Q/L which are keeping me from getting into any sort of low back flexion - sitting, squatting, (any) exercising, etc. (not too much fun!).

Purchased the M1, and am planning to use on the SI joint to try and get some relief from any inflammation in there. I’m also curious whether some sort of PEMF application (or something else) could be helpful for resetting the muscle guarding, or possibly if it would just make things worse.

I’ve had a number of ortho injuries in the past, and with the guarding this one is just different. It isn’t that it hurts too much to do x, y, or z, it is that I’m physically unable to, for example, do a full squat because my right low back/pelvis just locks itself up if I try.

cheers

justin

#9

I would start by giving it plenty of time: allow the reduced pathologic inflammation to allow healing to take its course, which can take weeks or months. You may need to add movement therapy to help you re-learn your posture/etc once your tissue has recovered and is not chronically inflamed.

#10

Makes sense - I agree it is a “plenty of time” sort of situation at this point, but such is life.