Multiple users with severe back problems report major pain relief after beginning reta, often alongside weight loss, though some also credit earlier use of tirzepatide or topical DMSO. Improvements appeared in joints and inflammation even before substantial weight came off, and several avoided further surgeries. Core work, walking, and heat are mentioned as helpful additions.
What this discussion establisheswhether reta would help back pain in people who do not need to lose weight
Nothing here is advice.
My spine is in bad shape. I'm partially disabled at 30 and nearly needed another surgery with rods and screws. After two months on reta and dropping 25 pounds the pain dropped a lot. This drug may have given me my life back.
My problems were milder than yours but I noticed the same thing. All my joints feel much better. Tirzepatide helped first and then reta did too, with clear pain relief even before I lost much weight.
It really is a miracle drug. I was close to suicidal before starting and the side effects are there but it has given me another shot at living normally.
For me the key has been working on core strength, though losing the weight definitely helps too.
Yes. Damage from L4 to L1 was severe enough that I received steroid shots on both sides of the vertebrae. After researching the long-term effects on bone I tried something else first that took away the pain, the shooting pain down both legs, and the weakness within a week. It also helped a shoulder tear and a knee with cartilage damage. Later I started reta while looking into fatty liver and other issues. After some time on reta I stopped needing the other treatment.
Me too with a nearly vanished disc between L4 and L5 plus a slipped one at L5/S1. I went through three steroid injections and a pressure-relief procedure. The operation removed most of the leg shooting pain, so now the main problem is lower back soreness. Shedding extra pounds eased everything quite a bit. Regular long treks help plenty, such as six miles on trails each day. Pausing those outings for roughly two weeks a few months back let mild discomfort return, though far less than earlier. I nearly had vertebrae joined last year but feel lucky I followed the doctor's advice to delay.
Good job. I'm in the same situation and nothing has helped the pain except learning to live with it. Hearing it might get better is encouraging. My wife and I walk or hike three or more miles most days. I have a home gym but the heat makes it hard to use consistently.
I have never met anyone helped by back surgery, including my father, and I think medicine is still far behind on treating back pain. Reta for weight loss is only the start. I would use smaller doses even without needing to lose weight. My pain seemed tied to stress, lifestyle and extra weight but it is gone now. The first week on reta removed the swelling and it has not returned. Before reta I found 5x5 strength training the best way to build core support.
For the pain you should look into DMSO. It is my first choice now for knees, back and feet. I have also mixed it with antifungal cream to reach deeper and finally cleared a long-standing foot fungus. I think reta will fix the underlying issue while DMSO just let me stay comfortable.
Were you using it for the back pain? Sorry, I read further and the answer is already there.
I wish I lived somewhere warmer. Heat helps my pain a lot but winters here are cold and make the back worse. I can handle 100-degree days with no problem.
Heat helps but it needs to be hotter than normal summer temperatures for me. I use a sauna that reaches about 160 degrees and that works well. A large jacuzzi tub also helps when the pain flares. One reason I bought the house was the tub size. The sauna was inexpensive and still works well years later.
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