Back Pain, Discs, Bone Spurs, etc Testimonials

The info below contains a lot of testimonies related to back pain. Back pain affects so many of us, myself included, that any relief you can find is better than none. What worked for these people is definitely worth trying.

Back Pain ---Testimonies from SHAKLEE users for what helped

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6 years ago I ruptured a disk and had other bulging disk associated with that in my lower back. The doctor gave me Vicodin and Soma which I took for 4 days with little relief. I began to think what I would recommend for a customer. I stopped the drugs and began to take 3 Joint Health, 3 Chewable Calcium and 3 Chewable C 4 times a day.

My pain diminished, I was able to get up off the floor where I had been sleeping and when I finally got to a neurologist I was almost pain free. She was talking about avoiding surgery as she looked at the scan, amen to that. She said I should cancel a trip to Israel 3 months out because of the condition of the back. I didn't have surgery, I went to Israel with no pain, no consequences and in November she dismissed me with "Take your Shaklee and get out of here, you are fine. My mother used to sell Shaklee."

I am still fine at 73 years old. I have lost 4 inches in height during the last 30 years but no pain and I try to exercise daily. I do take lots of Shaklee supplements and I know that has kept me well.

Hope this encourages someone. It would be easier to tell you the supplements I do not take, however supplements that I feel help me manage my back are:

􀀻 3 Joint Health Complex

􀀻 3 Chewable Vitamin C (as needed for pain)

􀀻 3 Chewable Vita Cal (original formula, as needed)

􀀻 Alfalfa, OmegaGuard, Calcium and GLA.

I am known as the Optiflora Queen in this area. Before any healing can begin I believe the gut must be restored with a healthy level of micro flora and Optiflora begins that process. I also take a long list of all the regular supplements.

I am 73 years old and have been taking a healthy amount of Shaklee since 1987 so I was well fortified, when I ruptured the disc in 2000. I decided through trial and error what worked rather than taking drugs. I originally took 3 Joint Health, 3 Chewable C and Calcium and received some relief within the hour. When the pain began to reappear 4 hours later I repeated

the regimen. I think it was the 5th day that the pain was controlled for over 5 hours and then it would just be longer between the times I took that amount of those 3 products. Within two weeks I was down to just once or twice a day. I take Joint Health every night.

Seldom do I even take Pain Complex. The Scan of my back and neck shows I have disc problems but I have no pain. One important thing - Every morning before I get out of bed I do stretches and Pilates type exercise. I have been told by my doctor my back is very malleable. I believe it is due both to nutrition and the exercise. At my age I still love to canoe and camp out and out perform many who are much younger than myself.

Alice C

Source: Prevention Magazine (below)

"I suffered for nine months with severe back pains. I had x-rays, which indicated deteriorated back

disks. My doctor said disks can be fused, but he would not recommend such an operation. I would have to learn to live with the pain. He did prescribe some pain pills which made me feel better, but drowsy. After one week, I advised my doctor that I was not going to take any pills. I would rather live with miserable pain than become a dope addict. I could not walk one city block without severe back pain. I could not drive a car more than 50 miles. I had to use a cane for support. Friends handed me a number of issues of Prevention. I found a “Mailbag” letter from a woman who suffered back pain and took 3,000 to 4,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day. It solved her back problem. I did the same, and within three days my back pain was gone."

Doing Life Intentionally Together

Comment on the above from Sherri Attila ----Why would vitamin C help back pain? Because it is one of the essential ingredients in rebuilding collagen. When re-building our cells---Collagen acts like mortar does when you build a brick wall. Would a wall be very strong without the mortar. No way, you would just have one brick pushing on top of another with no support. Vitamin C is water soluble and not stored in the body. You must get it everyday. Therapeutic levels of supplementation is essential for helping back problems.

You should start with the Shaklee Basics Protein and the Basic strips to cover the essential nutrient requirements. Consider filling out a Wellness Profile questionnaire to see if you

have other issues of deficiency or toxicity.

Subject: Herniated Disk and Back Pain

I take 10 Alfalfa every day for my back pain. I herniated my Lumbar 4/5 disc last year. I opted not to have surgery, and healed on my own. I was still getting the occasional muscle aches in the low back which bothered me during the day and would keep me up at night, too. My upline recommended Alfalfa to me because of its detoxifying properties. When I started taking the 10 Alfalfa daily -- 5 months ago -- I noticed an improvement immediately. If I overdue it, I'll take 20 daily. I am told that as many as 50 can be taken in a day. There have been days when I forgot to take it, and I would get the pain in my back all over again. It truly is an amazing product! I suggest this for your client without question! Good Luck!

Jean C

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Herniated Disc

My husband has 2 herniated discs and was considering surgery at one time. We found that stress triggers the back pain more than anything else. I have also found that constipation will aggravate it.

On that note....the supplements that help are calcium, B-Complex, Herb-Lax and Joint Health Complex.

Also a good exercise program of stretching, stomach muscle strengthening and lifting help. I have not heard him complain of back pain when he sticks with this regime. He never did have the surgery and have not considered it since. He does see a chiropractor every now and then.

Dolores

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Herniated Disc Testimony

I'm a surgery-free herniated disc survivor who is living and working out pain-free! These products helped...

􀀻 Physique: a couple of Tablespoons several times a day relieved pain. This really works!

􀀻 Alfalfa: Seemed to drain pain causing inflammation --10 to 15 per day spread out during the

day

􀀻 B-complex: soothed painful nerve transmissions-several per day

􀀻 Vita Lea: 2 per day--overall healing

A good chiropractor and a good massage therapist are paramount!

􀀻 Vitamin C Sustained Release: Speeds healing 4 -6 day

􀀻 Joint Health Complex: helps to heal cartilage

Sherri A

Bone Spur and Back Relief Testimonies

Because of intense pain, I could no longer lift my arm. I went to the Doctor and he took X-rays, which revealed 5 spurs in my shoulder joint. He began to treat me with 1600 units of Motrin per day. My sister call and asked, Why don't you try Shaklee? What do you have to lose? I agreed to take 3 CALCIUM-MAGNESIUM, VITA LEA morning and evening, and 15 - 20 ALFALFA throughout the day.

I added 6 VITA-C (SR) and 1 HERB-LAX.

In one week, I noticed a difference, so I cut back on the Motrin. Within 6 weeks, I stopped taking the Motrin. I have very little pain now. Four months later I went back to my doctor. His follow-up X-ray showed the spurs were almost gone. He said, Whatever you're doing, keep it up.

Ruth M

Bone Spurs & Calcium Mag works!!!

At the end of three weeks of taking the calcium/magnesium/ Vitamin D tablets three times daily, I am walking without pain. I am now using one dose daily (4 tabs) as maintenance and so far have had no return of the excruciating pain of the heel spur. Thanks for the info. My doctor is using me for a "guinea pig" and has all the information that came with my order. Thankfully, he is open to valid alternative methods.

Jim M

Thank you for the information that you have sent to me. You asked me how long it took for the pain in my heel to go away. I would say about two months, taking twelve tabs a day of the calcium. I had ultrasound treatments done which gave me little or no relief. I also went to a podiatrist who suggested I have an orthodox made for my shoe, which would cost me four hundred dollars. Another podiatrist said to forget the orthodox, taped up my foot and gave me exercises to do. Needless to say, I am so happy with the results of taking the calcium. I am supposed to be taking calcium anyway, so I'm killing two birds with one stone.

Paula M

My mother-in-law has (had) bone spurs on her spine along with arthritis, diabetes, and degenerative disks. She was in extreme pain and went to many specialists. She received cortisone shots, which helped temporarily, but the pain would always return. She was using a walker and was headed for a wheelchair.

When the doctors told her that there was nothing else they could do for her, she FINALLY took my advice of 9 cal mag a day (3 -3 times a day) and within a couple of weeks her pain was completely gone. In addition to remaining pain free, thanks to the cal mag she has increased her bone density. I know this because, on several occasions, she has lost her balance and fallen in the kitchen on the ceramic floor. She never had any breaks or any bruises. She is 76. Hope this helps!

Anne and Doug S

Bone Spur Testimony

Anybody who is diagnosed with a bone spur problem, also anybody who has back or sciatic pain that doesn't respond to physical therapy may be helped by this letter. I have had occasional back problems for most of my adult life. (I'm in my fifties.) I could go months or even years without a problem, then I'd bend down to feed the dog (or do something similar) and my back would go out, causing me months of pain and/or discomfort.

During one of those periods 20 or so years ago I went to a doctor who gave me a series of back

strengthening exercises. I'm not very "exercise oriented" but I would do them occasionally, mostly after a minor back-pain incident, and they seemed to speed up the healing process.

One of the exercises on the chart was not recommended for people with sciatic pain. I was unable to do this exercise, making it obvious that I had some kind of sciatic sensitivity in addition to my weak back. (Sciatic pain is a pain that runs down the back of your leg.) In thinking back, I had always had at least a minor discomfort that ran from my buttocks and down my thigh. I just never thought much about it until a year or so ago when it flared up and became more persistent and painful. This seemed to be full-blown sciatica, unrelated to my back- (or so I thought).

My current doctor sent me to a physical therapist, but after weeks of trying various things, the sciatic discomfort just kept getting worse. It was difficult finding a position to stand in or to sit in to relieve the pain. I discovered that straight back chairs were my best bet for taking the pressure off the sciatic nerve (or whatever was causing this pain) so I went out and bought a bunch of used old wooden straight-back chairs, one for every room in the house. I was walking in a weird, ultra upright position in order to minimize the pain.

Finally the physical therapist realized that nothing she could do was helping me and she recommended several back specialists, one of which I went to. The new doctor ran me through

some tests and concluded that I probably had a pinched nerve or a spinal bone spur that had caused a nerve to become inflamed. This was the first time I had heard the term "bone spur."

She put me on a regular regimen of super-sized ibuprofen to relieve the inflammation and she sent me to another physical therapist who was going to try to come up with an exercise that might possibly take the stress off the problem area, allowing the inflammation to go away. I was told that this whole process sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.

On my own I did some research into bone spurs and learned some interesting things. It appears that the body needs a lot more calcium than most people think. Calcium is not just for strong bones and teeth and all those things we think in terms of. EVERY function of the human body requires calcium, and when there's not enough calcium to go around, the body will sometimes leech it out of our bones!

This is what causes bone spurs to occur...little bumps or protrusions in certain bones. Typically, we don't notice these eruptions unless they're in a place that impedes us in some way, like on the heel. But they can occur anywhere, even on the spine, where we have thousands (millions? I'm not a doctor) of nerves threading through a series of very narrow openings. If a bone spur erupts in one of those tiny spaces you get a pinched nerve, and depending on where that nerve runs, you'll have pain that won't necessarily be localized along your spine or your lower back. It can run down your leg, as in sciatic pain. Or it can even manifest itself in other areas.

Now, I didn't think that this was my problem. I've always taken a lot of vitamins, and since I consume hardly any dairy products, I would often chew on Tums (or one of those calcium-rich mints).

This is getting to be a very long letter so I'll cut to the chase.

Weeks more of physical therapy and an expensive M.R.I. confirmed my doctor's theory. I had

a bone spur AND a pinched nerve on either side of one of those little spinal conduits.

MEANWHILE...after reading about bone spurs..learning about how properly absorbed calcium can conceivably reduce or even "melt away" bone spurs...and coming upon a testimonial letter on the internet (similar to this one but, mercifully, much shorter) recommending a particular

calcium/magnesium formula made by Shaklee, I put myself on a calcium/magnesium regimen as recommended by the Shaklee distributor (Sounds strange, but I was desperate, & physical therapy was getting me nowhere.

My doctor's conclusion: operate or learn to live with it.) I was taking 16 pills a day, every day, and after around 45 days I began to feel results. At this point I had once again given up on physical therapy. Also, I found I could ease up on the ibuprofen. After that things happened rather quickly.

After 60 days of the calcium magnesium therapy I was dramatically improved. After 120 days I'd say that I was back to normal, but that would be an understatement. The mild sciatica that I'd had my entire life was gone! Today I take 3 pills with each meal...9 a day...and I haven't had a new back incident since.

A few caveats. Calcium is not easily absorbed by the body. The type of calcium used by

Shaklee (dicalcium phosphate...a form of calcium I haven't seen in any other supplement) in

combination with the other ingredients in the Shaklee pills (magnesium oxide and vitamin D) is

apparently more useful to the body than other calcium formulations on the market. After what it did for me I would not use or recommend anything else.

Marty P

My brother-in-law just called and said he wants to start taking Shaklee for his slipped disc problem. This is the fourth time his disc has slipped and he's in a lot of pain. The disc has its gel intact and with painkillers and exercise it gets better. The docs did a MRI and found that the reason the gel stays in the disc is because the disc is running into the spinal cord which holds the gel in but this makes Barry's legs go numb.

I am just not sure what specific nutrients would be the best for him. I looked in WellTalk and found nothing on slipped discs-Any and all help will be very much appreciated!

It IS a very slow process back to wellness with a slipped disk. Mine weren't quite that bad, but bad enough that surgery was suggested, and I did not want to go that route. What helped me, and my suggestions are these.

1) Get a good chiropractor. I trust the ones with Palmer training because that is what I know works, and have studied their overall philosophy and training, which not all chiropractors have. (That’s the training Dr. Shaklee had.) Over time, with adjustments and the gentle daily exercises they'll teach, the pressure on the disk can be relieved. They will recommend when heat is appropriate, and when ice is. Generally, it's ice on for 10-20 and off for 10-20.

2) PHYSIQUE and FITNESS were designed to repair muscle...so are of enormous help. He's moving muscles in unusual ways to avoid pain, so they need to be helped. Because you can put on weight with these if they're not replacing other foods, have him experiment with what amounts every hour will help him. Sometimes a little can go a long way. This helped the most with my pain. As a result, I rarely needed pain meds and avoided muscle relaxants.

3) VALERIAN IN GENTLE SLEEP COMPLEX is a muscle relaxant, and can be helpful even during the day, but will really help with sleeping at night. There are no bad side effects.

4) Anything to stop inflammation will help. Lots of C (12 over a day would not be too much. If you get diarrhea, that’s the sign your body is getting too much.) Take GLA and/or EPA because they balance the prostaglandins which have to do with the inflammation process (a ratio of 4 EPA to 1 GLA has been recommended--again, 8 EPA and 2 GLA a day for a time would not be too much).

5) Lots and lots of clean water to flush out toxins.

6) Keep the body detoxed...colon cleaned out, etc. With the meds he's on, I'd suggest OPTIFLORA as well as DTX to minimize the harm the chemicals in medicines do on the body.

It's my understanding that the spine needs to move to eliminate waste from the spinal cord, disks, etc. If he can, he would benefit from this: standing or sitting, elbows raised, hands touching, move torso all the way to the right gently, then all the way to the left gently, and back and forth. Do this every morning for sure, to help "squeeze out" the things the body sloughs off overnight as it heals and repairs.

I'm not a doctor, nor a certified medical professional. But I've dealt with severe back pain from

accidents off and on for several years in connection with the caregiving I did for my mom, and have listened to lots of sports injury experts and nutritionists talk about these issues.

I would now never be without a monthly adjustment to make sure nothing goes awry, and so that I'll heal more quickly in case of another accident. If you have regular adjustments you will heal a lot quicker from an "incident" because your muscles are functioning properly already, and your back structure is aligned. If you injure muscles that are already inflamed and over extended, and further jar out of alignment a spine that is already mis-aligned, the recovery time may not be a few hours, but a few weeks instead.

And I do the things above if I need them for flare-ups, along with the SHAKLEE basics, to keep every cell in optimal health. I think lots of soy protein helps in the repair process, as do zinc and extra antioxidants, etc. B-COMPLEX directly feeds the nerves, and lecithin heals nerves. JOINT HEALTH COMPLEX would help repair cartilage in the spinal column, whose breakdown caused the problem in the first place. I have heard from SHAKLEE customers taking JOINT HEALTH COMPLEX that their xrays showed that the cartilage was actually growing slowly, slowly...but definitely showing up on x-rays!

Shirley K

Back Pain, Degenerative Disc, and Shaklee Joint Health Complex

I have had back pain on and off for the last several years. Last year, the pain continued to worsen and gradually began to affect my daily routine, such as standing for any length of time, weight lifting, etc.

An MRI revealed that I had two discs that showed signs of degeneration. The doctor prescribed

physical therapy to strengthen the back, a prescription for pain blockers and an electronic pain-blocking device as well (TENS unit) neither of which I used.

During this time, I did quite a bit of research and found that glucosamine supplementation was known to help some patients with certain types of back pain. I discussed the possibility with my doctor, and to my surprise, he advised me to try it.

I began to take Shaklee Joint Health Complex - 1500 mg (3 capsules per day as recommended on the label) all in one does for greatest effectiveness. By the end of the first month, I had already noticed a difference. I continued to improve with each passing month; after 6 months, I was able to lift light weights, walk on the treadmill and do many things I had been unable to do before. I have now reduced the dosage of the Joint Health Complex to a maintenance dose of 2 per day taken at lunch and dinner.

I can truthfully say that I am at least 95% pain free. I am very happy with the results I have seen with this product and intend to continue with it from now on.

Gene E. W

"THANK-YOU so much for all your help. My mom is so happy with the pain relief product! It took effect IMMEDIATELY! She has herniated disks and works as a housekeeper at a major NY hotel. She use to come home with pains EVERYDAY. After taking the Shaklee Pain products, she said she feels so rejuvenated and PAIN FREE!"

Mitzi G

Back Pain ... Glucosamine + OptiFlora

I just read the email on back pain and our glucosamine. Our glucosamine is fantastic. And anyone that improves on glucosamine should add optiflora. Most people, and physicians do not know that glucosamine is made in the NORMAL intestine. Of course, most people do not have NORMAL intestines. My holistic physician prescribed billions of acidofilus after I had a severe back injury from an auto accident. Her brand of intestional flora made no decrease in symptoms. Then Shaklee came out with Optiflora.

WOW, did it make a difference. Due to over two years of physical therapy, and Shaklee nutrition I avoided back surgery to insert surgical steel rods to stabilize my back. My husband is out of town so today it my my job to "muck"

A healthy colon, intestines:

makes glucosamine from glutamine in intestinal cells

maximizes nutrition

supports immune system throughout the body

eliminates toxins

synthesizes b vitamins and vitamin K

A healthy colon, intestines, is truly the keystone of a healthy body ! When Optiflora first came out, we "in the field" heard stories of people with lung infections, yeast infections, vaginal infections, stomach ailments, and even significant improvements of debilitating conditions as C.O.P.D.(congestive obstructive pulmonary disease) and emphysema.

Most of us did not know why this was happening. The very basic answer is that if the intestine is filled with bad bacteria then the good nutrients we take in are used up in the intestines and cannot leave the intestines to do good work in the rest of the body.

If we work to get more good bacteria, acidophilus, then the good nutrients leave the intestine and go to work in the rest of the body. The body should have POUNDS of good bacteria...TRILLIONS of bacteria, but after age 30 the number is drastically reduced.

Health is a state of well being, not merely the absence of disease.

For me Optiflora is the cornerstone.

Sandi K

In late August of 2004, I tripped carrying groceries from my car into my house and banged up my left knee and leg and toes -- pulled muscles in my right arm and across my back. My Chiropractor did some adjusting and put me on a vibrating table to "roll" my back. An Internist gave me a bottle of Bextra (now in as much trouble as Vioxx) PLUS a prescription that I did not fill.

When I read about the side effects of Bextra, I threw it away. The Chiropractor gave me 4 weeks of treatment to feel 100% again. The Internist thought it might take 6 weeks.

Then I saw a testimonial in my Microsoft Word file on inflammation that suggested 10 Alfalfa with each meal a day and 3 Essential Omega-3 with each meal. I added 3 Joint Health Complex (newer than the testimonial). In one week, the arm and back pain was gone. It took a little longer for the knee and leg to heal, but the pain was minimal. It was the arm and back pain that was excruciating!

Mary M. A

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The above is NOT a prescription, and should not be treated as such.  This is just a testimony from an individual who had a positive experience with the product(s) listed.  These are personal testimonies and are not endorsed by Shaklee Corporation. Please consult a physician for medical advice.

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