This is not a bass fishing subject, but yet it is. Our bass fishing ability and enjoyment is set by the shape of our spine. I have to recount my last 2 years experience with bad neck and lower back, some of which I have posted about.

Two years ago, after 2 neck surgeries, 3 fusions and a plate installed, carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, I still had such neck, lower back and hand pain I could cast for no more than an hour.

Through Denny Brauer, I found Dr Paul Detwiler in Tyler, who has been mentioned here before, and he did surgery on my neck, cleaning out calcium deposits, and surgery on both elbows, fixing my cubital tunnel problem. Then he did surgery on my lower back, fixing two bulging discs and cleaning out calcium deposits that were pinching my sciatic nerves.

Then, because my nerves had been pinched so long, he sent me to Dr Scott Lamb, a pain management Doctor. Dr Lamb gave me three cortisone shots in my neck, two cortisone shots in my lower back, and blocked six vertrabrae nerves in lower back.

I now get up in morning with no pain, after 15 years, I take no pain medication, and I can fish all day again without hurting.

If you are having problems that haven't been fixed, I highly recommend these two doctors.

By the way, they're both fishermen, Detwiler fresh and Lamb salty.

PS. I also have restless leg snyndrome, and they sent me to another doctor in their building, Dr Bains, and I feel like she is going to solve that problem.

thanks for sharing that and glad to hear you are doing great...

And if cortizone doesn't work, do like I did, get disk fusion surgery. It works great.

My nerves had been pinched so long, even after 2 disk fusions, when Detwiler cleaned them out, they would not heal on their own, but the cortisone helped them heal.

At 25 I had a micro dysectomy in 2005. Still have the shooting pains down my left leg from the sciatic nerve. My feet go to sleep while standing. My right knee is knumb....I lost a lot fo feeling in both feet. My hands go to sleep on me all day long when I write, cast, TYPE, eat...anything. I thought it was alot better since I had surgery but this is getting pretty old. I turn 31 today and I feel 81. Time to stretch....Headin to the lake!

Six neck surgeries here(Thank you dumb a** drunk that hit me). Three plates and lots of screws later I can get around and fish. Still hurts, but I get through it.

Fused at 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 5-6, 6-7.

Bugling disks at L4/L5 and tendonitis in my casting arm elbow. Has not made me miss a day but I'm only 43 and I can see it getting worse in the years to come.

53 here had to have back broken to get it fixed. Was told 80% was about all i could hope to have. Legs went numb, feet burned, hands and arms went to sleep, just about all of everyone's symtoms. Now have a ladder up my spine, with steps, about 1" apart with hyme joints, two lag screws hold taibone on and springs under it give me bendover movement. I had i think what they call major back surgery. I see a pain managment specialist, once a month. I take MORPHINE in the morning and about 6 every afternoon. I do just about what ever i want to now other than the pain medication i get along as if nothing was wrong. I still feel the effects if i have to stay bent over doing something very long though. I was supposed to stay off work 1 1/2yrs. but was back on a Dozer in 4mnths. while wearing a plastick shell, and a corsett. Had to live no matter what lol. But for me it is like heaven now compared to sometimes having to just lay down no matter where i was to get relief, embarassing as hell when your in a store or something and have to do it sometimes to the point of running to get somewhere to get relief. So here is to you young man them backs can be bad news lol.

Also 53...had micro disk surgery in 1990 to remove about 60% of the L5 disk but no fusion. Whatever he did worked...been pretty good since with no sciatica or major back pain...

im 8 degrees off was like 11. so i have to have a butt seat most of the time.

360 fusion,wear your $500 back brace, get on the bicycle seat and enjoy. 4-5 hours is about all i can enjoy. good luck

after hearing from some of you, I will not ompalain about my minor lower bak pain.

+1 on that...my lower back gives me some trouble from time to time but I deal with it....nothing at all like some of the above...

Yep 39 and been through the micro dysectomy 5yrs ago most of the pain is gone some days I can fish all day and others only half a day and no sleeping more than 6 or 7 hrs or it takes all day to work the stiffness out if I'm lucky.

I'm 64 and have had back pain for 25 years. They said if they tried surgery it was a 85% it would paralyze me. I tried morphine pump with no sucess. I also see pain management doctors at Texas Spine and Joint in Tyler but they have finally said nothing can be done. I take my pills and am active as I can be and more so than I should be. Staying active much as possible keeps me going but I have a tendency to really over do it.
Take care of your back. It is the only one you will ever have and the pins and braces hurt like well...........
Thank God for you that have had sucessful surgeries.