I feel for all of you guys. GOODLUCK Eddie. I hope you are pain free soon......
Speaking of noninvasive methods.
My biggest challenge initially when I started to get the pain was the fact that the more I sat, the more pain I got. I realised then that it was not a case of nerves needing to heal after the microdiscectomy.
I really have to thank chirogeek for detailing his pain. I've taken his mantra of just not sitting. I really think that the major reason why an annular tear never heals for people is that at least 40-50% of your waking hours is spent sitting somewhere. That's 3 times the pressure than standing.
Weight is probably another issue as well. Before my op I was 74kg, I think i'm down to 67kg. Not out of choice either. It maybe my body trying to reduce the pressure on the disc. I'm not suggesting anyone who has a annular tear lose heaps of weight, but it would relieve pressue off the disc.
The glucosamine is something I picked up from some site suggested by a Tim Durnin a phyiso or chiro, who was recommending it to anyone who had annular tears. since the disc is similar to cartlidge, I think it is a good supplement to rebuilding the disc faster than just a normal diet. Again no studies have ever been conducted on the efficacy of Glucosamine for annular tears. Why not? well they should but it won't make any money for surgeons and if found better than a placebo would lose money for them. Also glucosamine is an ingredient in the SED injection proceedure performed By Dr Yeung.
I read also on that biologix site
Spinal Restoration - Products
that the disc healing process, starts with a clot buildup.
My theory,
Since the disc is always subject to varying pressures and toruques,
Usually this clot build up will break as it is not strong enough. It will then clot again, possibly the leaking nucleus fluid is part of this healing process, but sitting pressure never allows the clot to become stronger. Hence constant discogenic pain that increases as the tear opens up wider.
By not sitting, and taking pressure off the disc your allowing the clot to form. Even though the clot is not strong enough initially it will form again. Since your not sitting as much the initial clot has made some progress. So it rebuilds on the matrix. Again it might not hold and nucleus fluid escapes, but its a cumulative thing but over time the tear heals. It can the correlate to the feeling of "flareups" as I have experienced and what Doug the Chirogeek has written about. A period of sciatica that then subsides and he's left will a burning pain.
Just thoughts and ramblings...