No joke. The treatment for slipped-disk sufferers is a drug called chymopapain, which is derived from papaya. If youve tried bed rest and traction without success, and now youre contemplating surgery, think about trying chymopapain (market under the trade name Chymodiatin). It may be the answer for you.
A slipped or herniated disk results from a bulging of the inner portion of an intervertebral disk in the spine which presses on the sciatic nerve andcauses severe back, hip, and especially leg pain. Chymopapain, injected into the disk, dissolves the herniated material, thus relieving the pressure. (In surgery, the bulging material is cutaway.)
Actually, chymopapain isnt new. Before the drug was popular in the United States it was in use in Canada and elsewhere for twenty years. A Canadian study of over 4,500 people using the method, determined through careful study that chymopapain does not work for other than herniated disk conditions. It will not, for example, relieve back trouble caused by bone spurs, degenerative disk disease, or emotional stress. But for those with herniated disks, the success rate varies from 59 percent to 80 percent, depending upon the criteria used. Most failures are susceptible to surgical intervention.
There is a very slight risk of allergic shock reaction with the use of the papaya-based drug, which can be countered. The percentage of those suffering ill effects is as low as or lower than that associated with surgery. A surgical procedure requires an average hospital stay of a week or more; an outpatient treatment in a single day is considered standard for chemonucleoslysis, as the chymopapain-injection procedure is called.
If you think chymopapain may help, check with an orthopedic or neurological surgeon to find out where to go for treatment.HOW TO AVOID LOWER BACK PAIN -- as recommended by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Always stretch before exercise or other strenuous physical activity. Dont slouch when standing or sitting. When standing, keep your weight balanced on your feet. Your back supports weight most easily when curvature is reduced. At home or work, make sure your work surface is at a comfortable height for you. Sit in a chair with good lumbar support and proper position and height for the task. Keep your shoulders back. Switch sitting positions often and periodically walk around the office or gently stretch muscles to relieve tension. A pillow or rolled-up towel placed behind the small of your back can provide some lumbar support. If you must sit for a long period of time, rest your feet on a low stool or a stack of books. Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes. Sleep on your side to reduce any curve in your spine. Always sleep on a firm surface. Ask for help when transferring an ill or injured family member from a reclining to a sitting position or when moving the patient from a chair to a bed. Dont try to lift objects too heavy for you. Lift with your knees, pull in your stomach muscles, and keep your head down and in line with your straight back. Keep the object close to your body. Do not twist when lifting. Maintain proper nutrition and diet to reduce and prevent excessive weight, especially weight around the waistline that taxes lower back muscles. A diet with sufficient daily intake of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D helps to promote new bone growth. If you smoke, quit. Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate.Robin Westen is ThirdAges medical reporter. Check for her daily updates. She is the author of Ten Days to Detox: How to Look and Feel a Decade Younger.See what others have to say about this story or leave a comment of your own.
