I like to read books gentle hugs.

Yes, try to work your taking the muscle relaxer medicine so it isn't full dose when you need to drive. My medicines "kick in" within 15 minutes, and it's half life (when it begins to decrease strength) is about 1 1/2 hours.

I fully understand what your doctor is saying. By trying not to take the medicine you aren't getting fully relief which you need. It sounds like your muscles are not fully relaxing, and thus keeping the bones "out of place" or pulling them right back out once they are released in therapy. A few days of full dosing of meds might relax the muscles enough to where they don't do that.

In cases like this more education is good. It's tough hearing things doctors say and not fully understanding the whys behind them, at least for me it is.

I love my tens. When will you get yours back? Which works better for you, ice or heat? I use both, depending upon the situation. I have 4 different sized ice packs in the freezer at any given time. My heating pad remains plugged in by the bed. Use them! Schedule it into your day on a calendar or iPhone or something with an alarm, if you can't remember to do so (or have a tendency to think you don't feel bad enough to ...)

I learned the hard way about this kind of thing. But once I realized I just have to drop everything and do good self care, I suffer much less.

Hope you find relief soon.