The Journey of Seeking Pain Relief

I recently wrote about trying to see the good while plagued with pain. The comments I received on that post gave me such encouragement! 
Pain is a fickle matter. It cannot be definitively measured, no matter how science tries. Each individual struggles with what their maximum limit is. Take for example, James Bond. Last movie I saw him in, he was getting his balls hit and still asking for more.

Okay, okay. I jest. But lets peek into reality for a moment. Everyone has their limits. Everyone responds to treatments differently. 
As I have mentioned before, I've been on over the counter pills for quite some time. Since getting pregnant in February of 2016, to be exact. Before that, I was taking pain injection (steroid?) shots. However, those were doing nothing since I was taking them on a day in the middle of my 4-ten hour shifts while working for Amazon. The shots require you to take one, rest for a couple days, and then resume life. Didn't help too, that they had me taking them once a week instead of upping the dose so I could go longer between them. My Nana was given the ones that were supposed to last a month. She always said she was lucky if the pain relief made it to two weeks. These shots are administered directly where your pain originates. For me, that was in the area right above a pinched nerve. This pinched nerve is above a slipped disc. That disc rests on two others that are degenerating. Yes, I'm literally falling apart here. So the doctors would numb the injection site. Then using a real time x-ray machine, they inject the medication in the bubble around the nerve. I admit that I only felt a sharp pinch and then sudden calm. For the rest of the day, I felt slightly tired and sore. But if I rested the next day, I had some relief for a while. Working for Amazon, though great as far as a job goes, did not help my back. The constant motion and heavy work was degrading my bones further. So I quit there and was given an administrative job that lasted a good year before I was laid off. 
That brings me to now. I have exhausted Ibuprofen and Tylenol. They no longer affect the pain levels I feel. They take care of headaches, but not the spinal strains. 
So what can a person do? I've been trying other methods. And I think it is about time I start sharing them. I'll write several posts. A series, if you will, of my journey seeking relief. And before anyone asks, no, I won't be trying recreational drugs. I have heard about their help. But I'd rather suffer than take that route. And no, I won't drink myself stupid to drown out my sorrows. Because then I wake up to four kids, reality and probably a mess... That, and I just don't drink much.  

I want to help others who are in the same boat as me. I know we are limited, but at the same time I feel that there has to be more. We just have to hope and keep searching. So here goes! My journey to pain relief starts now. Join me in it!