lower back pain stick-shots?

I have heard there are shots for relieving bulging/compressed disc pain. Are these the steroid shots we have to avoid post RNY?

I have lost 45 pounds and now I can feel a hard bulge. I also relized the back pain has stayed the same.

What alternativs could I try to surgery?

We don't have to avoid steroids after RNY.  At least, not according to most surgeons and not according to the ASMBS.  We have to avoid NSAIDS - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are not the same thing.

Talk to a back specialist about your options.

Systematic use of steroids (other than replacement dosages for adrenasl insufficiency) can cause problem for anyone - and definitely for our blind stomach.  

Steroids shall be last resort (beside last of the last resort  -back surgery).  Systemastic use of larger dosage of steroids or large one time dosage ( like in epidural shots) can cause a lot of long term issues. 

Physical therapy, chiropractor, regular exercise - massage or acupuncture (Insurances typically don't pay for that ) . 

Best to see back specialist to find out what is going on. 

Our small city lists orthopedics and neurosurgeon. I see no ads for back specialists. Would one of those work?

I would try to contact both of them and see which doc is treating back problems.  IMO - it may be neurosurgeon will be for back - spine problem, but you need to check that.  I typically check on line - and google - "my city , spine specialist" and I look at reviews.  Also - word of mouth - to find a good doc for that... 

Hmm.  Not sure which planet most of these responders live on, but yes, you can do the steroid injections after RNY.  Should you do them every few months or take a medrol pack every week?  Heck no.  I fell three months before my RNY and ruptured three disks in my lumbar area.  The pain, despite physical therapy, exercise, etc., got worse and worse.  I went through two rounds of the steroid injections.  They did not help at all.  Some folks get relief, but most do not.  I eventually ended up having a three-level spinal fusion, L3-S1.  Twice in the years since my spinal surgery (2008) I've had severe flare-ups of the pain and have had to be put on a medrol pack to reduce the inflammation.  While it can give you a stomachache and make everything taste like you're chewing on tinfoil, I don't believe it has caused any serious harm to my guts.  

Do what you have to do.  Work with your doctor to see if there are precautions you need to take, but as one who has been in that hellish pain, I think telling you that you can't have steroids is ludicrous.

Having just had spine surgery in Oct, either an orthopedic or neurosurgeon will work BUT and it's a BIG BUT, make sure they are accrediated by the American Board of Spine Surgeons

Finding a spine surgeon (and I have used both cause my first spine surgery was in 2006, this last one was Oct 2013), read this article.

Make sure they are a spine surgeon...not every orthopedic surgeon OR neurosurgeon do spine surgery.

I've had tremendous success with steroid injections to relieve joint pain due to severe arthritis. 

You might want to check out http://www.spinehealth.com  There is a lot of good information there about what types of procedures are available to you in avoiding surgery or at least having minimally invasive procedures to help you get your life back from spine pain.  The forums there can be brutal - some helpful and supportive people but a lot of nut-cases (and, of course, pain can create a lot of nut-cases).  There is a procedure wherein a very fine wire can be inserted into the disc and then heated -- this helps to shrink the bulging disc back into place.  There are also some synthetic disc materials that are being used nowadays.  Just like bariatric surgery, make sure you do a lot of research before proceding with spine repair.  I ended up doing the only thing I could -- most surgeons freak out when you have more than two levels damaged.  My recovery has been hellish, but I'm getting back to a fairly regular life.  Back pain really sucks.