I don't understand why people are so afraid of narcotics. My son takes narcotics every day of his life. He went to the Mayo Clinic(we are from Canada)and with the help of the doctors at the Clinic and pain management doctors here, we have our son back. Basically, his brain receives pain messages for pain when there is no inflammation. Doesn't matter, his brain receives the pain message and he feels diailating pain. He can now function, hold a job again, and go back to school. Not every day is a good day for him, but with medication and careful management of what he does physically he is so much better. Just watch out for doctors that are just/only pill pushers.