I must assume that you have excellent care, that they have ruled out surgery, and that you have tried a bracing harness (even the belts you get for heavy lifting might be an improvement). Rapid weight loss is relatively difficult as we age, because at some point the body simply conserves energy as less energy is taken in. In researching, I found that it made little difference if a person ate one pound or five pounds of salad, since whatever it replaced was higher in calories. So I encourage my patients to eat more rather than less, but make an effort to eat as much green as possible.

In terms of rapid pain relief, I do hope a physical therapist has taught you \"neutral pelvis\" (finding the point where pain is minimized and maintaining that at all times) and mackenzie exercises (like the cobra pose in yoga, since most back herniations are on the back side of the disc). If not it would be worth talking about it with your doctor.

I hope this is helpful. Christopher Maloney, Naturopathic Doctor Augusta, Maine www.maloneymedical.com Individualized research available for a fee. Informational only, I cannot treat or diagnose via the web.