The best thing you can do is stop advising people to use your suggestions of herbal treatments for all kinds of medical problems and preventing medical problems. You are not a doctor, nor do you have any understanding of the risks involved in people taking your advise, using herbal supplements in combination with prescription meds or not seeking medical advise for a problem. Recently you where seeking advise for yourself on medical problems that probably have occured from taking all these herbal supplements that you are posting about. Wasn't it something about black vomit? The best thing anyone can do that sees and reads your posts is to ignore any and all advise. By the way, chronic back pain can be the symptom of very serious medical conditions that your advise, if it where followed, could lead to even further serious medical conditions and even death. I hope everyone just ignores your continued posts and the dangers that they pose.

"And if you google pilates for sciatica you can find exercises to try at home." "Another important factor is getting or keeping weight off the stomach, and strengthening the stomach muscles. A big belly with weak muscles can put a lot of stress on the spine." I have had one bout of sciatica that came on suddenly and was incredibly painful-quoted the above insights because what has worked for me is Pilates. I was taking group lessons and when the trainer went out on her own I followed her. She is very good at getting me to move and stretch past what I would do on my own without straining or overdoing it; Pilates of course is also all about strengthening one's core muscles and I've not had any more sciatic problems. Thank goodness for that, it was one of the most excruciating pains I've ever experienced. Ann

Had a laminectomy 2 years ago to relieve the pressure on my sciatic nerve. Had never experienced pan like that before. Holy cow! Suffice to say that there was great relief after the surgery but, like they say, once something is broken, it's never like new again. The excrutiating, disabilitating pain was gone but to this day my left leg is still numb from my buttock fold to my foot! I can walk without a limp now and am grateful for that. I have terrible days and my nights are the worse but for the most part I do ok. Aleve and Motrin are helpful. I also walk as much as possible (which kills me but I do it anyway) and I make sure I stretch my hamstrings and calf muscles. I was a Physical Therapist Asst. for many yrs. and know that the one best thing you can do to keep your back healthy is to have a strong core. Find a way to work on those abdominal muscles. They support your back. I also know (from experience) that to some of us, abdominal exercises aren't easy to do when your back is killing you! Good luck to you all with your back discomfort!

Stretching. Sit ups. I was much like you twenty five years ago, tall and skinny enough that finding pants that fit was not always the easiest. First, develop good habits. Landscaping is a young man's game, but if you develop good habits and maximize all those small stabilizer muscles, you can overcome much. I'm of a mixed opinion on back brace belts. They do a good of reminding you to practice good habits. They can give you overconfidence and lead to attempting things you shouldn't, in which case, they do more harm than benefit. My days begin and end with some stretching, and have for...now that I think about it, longer than I'm going to admit. About half an hour to end the day, about ten minutes to start. How are your stomach muscles? Maximize these. Understand the strength of your legs...this is a concept much greater than just a few words. Learn how to maximize your body for leverage. How do you handle a shovel? In your hands, out from your body? Or is the handle across your upper thigh?