Hi Scott: I looked up your meralgia etc. I've never heard of that before. I only got the meaning of the meralgia which meant neuralgia of the thigh and it said see: sciatica. Sciatica I know! I used an old medical dictionary.
If you have disk problems, when a person sits, it creates more force upon the lumbar spine which can push your disks out further. The problem with the tests docs run is that you are lying down.
We have a 27 year old son who was born with some lumbar problems (L2 pedicle didn't form in utero and his sacrum didn't close up and he has a pretty good curve in his low back). He, too, works in an office and he suffers daily. He doesn't want to take any opiates; thus, he just takes over the counter motrin or alleve. He is concerned about tolerance and he is afraid if he takes pills now, when he gets older, nothing will work on him. However, when pain gets so severe, like mine is, (15 degenerating disks, 2 spinal surgeries)and most likely yours, too, a person just doesn't care about tolerance, etc. This type of pain is sheer torture and everyone's pain threshold is different. Also, understand that in some people's disks the nerves are imbedded into the disks more so than other people. When a disk degenerates, it is basically drying out and in my case, whereby I have degenerative disk disease, they degenerate faster than someone who is simply old age. All disks degenerate in older people. Basically, it is dying and drying body tissue.
I hope this helps and I would talk to your doctor about sitting. I blew my low back out doing data entry and not getting up periodically and moving around. My back was slowly going anyway, but I did what my boss told me to; sit and data entry all the checks in the book! He'd come in my office and ask me if my fingers were going numb and I said no, my low back hurts! I went home for lunch and it locked up and I couldn't straighten my left leg. I didn't get workman's comp as no doctor would say, "Data entry did it; it was wear and tear on the back." I haven't work since that fateful day on Aug. 23, 1991. My life changed forever. Perhaps you could get a lumbar roll to put into your lumbar curve (I used one for years before I got way worse) and it would allow you to sit more comfortably. Ask your doctor about it. Take care, Patmg
[This message has been edited by Patmg (edited 07-09-2003).]
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