Tell Me About Back Pain

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 10:30:25 AM
Author: laine
I don''t have the knock-you-down, threw-out-my-back kinda pain, but I have been struggling with back and neck pain lately (I''m 29, its fairly new for me, but back problems run in my family). Heat, ibuprofen, and the occasional muscle relaxant do wonders. Ice works better for some people, but for me, its definitely heat--the heating pad is my friend!


But, I also went to get a massage, and the guy told me my pelvis/hips are misaligned which is screwing with my back, which then screws with my neck, which then gives me headaches. So, I''ve been going to him for a few weeks now to try to get things straightened out. Chiropractors make me a bit nervous, and I don''t think its to the point of physical therapy, so this is working for me. The guy is at a spa, but he does more therapeutic massage, where he helps to guide me into alignment, in part by relaxing muscles that are tight. He''s also helped me focus on the parts of my posture that are making things worse and given me a few stretches to help. He''s definitely more than just a regular masseuse! Anyway, don''t know if that would be at all helpful to you, but its at least something to think about.


ETA: My mom tried acupuncture when her back got really bad, and that helped her a lot. Hope you start feeling better soon--pain is no fun!

laine - thanks for sharing your experience. I guess we must just be at that age where back pain starts to hit - I''m 27, and I''d never really had a problem before this.

The heating pad is my friend too - ice helped a bit for the first couple of days, but now heat + muscle relaxers + lidocaine patches are the best combo I''ve found to take the edge off the pain (plus lying down of course).

That''s a good idea about the massage - I think my gym might have it at a reduced rate for grad students, so I might have to look into that while I''m still a student - sounds like its really working for you!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 10:54:21 AM
Author: absolut_blonde
I''ve had sciatica for a few years now and my PT (who was amazing, worked with several Canadian Olympic teams etc) specifically told me to remain as active as possible. In most cases, resting does NOT help sciatica - it actually makes it worse.


Now, there may be a reason that your doctor told you to rest and certainly PS isn''t the place for medical advice so I won''t pretend to be an expert. But I will say that I never found regular doctors/GPs to be of any help with any sort of pain/injury issue - all I ever got from them was ''if it hurts, don''t to it''. Sadly, that really doesn''t solve anything.


But I digress... I''d highly rec seeing a good physiotherapist. The actual underlying cause for sciatica can vary somewhat-- for me it''s around my L4/L5-- and that will affect how it should be treated. Very often people have weaknesses in some areas and tightnesses in others that can really contribute too. For example, I have/had tight hip flexors and poor glute activation, which is very common in people with sedentary jobs.


A PT will evaluate you and create a program for you to do on your own. I found it really helped for me. My PT also gave me a list of exercises that I personally should avoid at the gym, which included seemingly innocuous things like back extensions (things that would be fine for other people). That was also very helpful.



And ditto the massage rec! I get a massage every 3-4 weeks and it helps immensely.


Mine still acts up once in awhile, but it''s mostly when I am tired/wearing improper shoes/etc. I do have to make a conscious effort to remain very active though, hence being a gym rat.

That''s good to know absolut - I had wondered about the active vs. not. The recommendation made sense to me only because it seemed like the pain came on after being over active for about a week (several hard workouts + long hike w/ DH + training large dogs with large equipment), and being active now seems to make it worse. I am eager to be active again as soon as possible though, and am trying to push my Dr. in that direction, however, given how much worse it made my back when I tried, I''m torn about what is the best course of action.

I definitely hear you on the massage though - I think I''m going to call around and see what I can find ASAP on that...

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 11:38:44 AM
Author: Pandora II
I''ve had chronic back pain for most of my life now but considerably worse since spending a month in hospital with pleurisy in 2002 when I was 30 and losing a lot of the muscle tone I had that was helping my back.


I have spinal stenosis (normally seen in over-60''s but mine is genetic and I got it in my 20''s) plus two herniated discs. I had surgery in 2004 and got about a 60% reduction in pain which was about as good as was expected - I see one of the only spinal neurosurgeons in Britain. Sadly a few months later one of the discs herniated again and due to the danger of too much scar tissue being generated and making the stenosis worse, my surgeon and I have agreed on no more surgery for 15 years and until I have had kids - he''s one of the pioneers of artificial discs, but they haven''t been around long enough and I''m too young for him to want to risk doing one, but they could be far better than a fusion which will just lead to problems at other levels. So finding a cocktail of meds was deemed the best option.


I''ve been to the Rolls Royce of in-patient pain management courses (which was useless) and tried just about every possible therapy out there - I will not go near chiropractors or osteopaths for a number of reasons (above all that no-one should manipulate your spine without access to MRI scans and x-rays in advance).


I now take tramadol, codeine and lamictal everyday (I''ve been on them for over 5 years) and although it works out as a morphine equivalent of about 50mg a day I have a normal life and very few side-effects plus they are very safe when used properly. I also use heat and acupuncture and very occasionally TENS. I also see a pain consultant and a specialist spinal physio.


It''s really important to take plenty of pain-killers and to keep active when you first get back pain. The pain-killers will allow you to keep moving the spine and that stops you getting muscle spasm. Muscle spasm makes everything far worse and sets up a vicious cycle of pain generating pain. You also hold your body in positions that are not natural and can create even more problems. Bed-rest for more than 2 days is a BAD move as it can make things a lot worse (sounds brutal I know but really is a good idea to keep moving.)


Acupuncture is very effective on muscle spasm, but won''t normally do anything for the underlying pain. A good physio (and there aren''t that many) can also help a lot with stabilising exercises.


Most back-pain resolves within 12 weeks with conservative treatment: painkillers, exercise, heat/ice, physio etc. Surgery should be a real last resort (here out of every 10,000 people that see their GP with back-pain only 1 will be a good candidate for surgery) as it can cause more problems and isn''t that effective unless the main problem is leg pain.


TENS can be helpful for muscle spasm and as a distractor, but it doesn''t cure anything.


I really sympathise as pain is awful - I saw my pain consultant this morning as I developed an inflammation at the T7 costovertebral joint in my back at Christmas and I can''t have any of the things that would help it as I''m pregnant. I''d expected the usual back problems I have to get worse in pregnancy and they''ve actually been a bit better, but I don''t think I deserved a new one! The consultant told me how proud he was of me and how brilliantly I was doing and how I only had 5 weeks to go and got a look to kill from me! We''ve now done a deal that he will inject the joint with cortisone after the birth if it''s still bad - I knew that would be all they could offer (the baby will be opiate dependant at birth so they''re not happy about adding/upping meds) but I still cried on the way home. I can''t stand up long enough to wash my hair in the shower anymore and my DH won''t take me out unless we have access to a wheelchair at the moment so I''ve been stuck at home and seriously fed up!


So believe me, I know just how bad you feel and I really do feel for you. The best suggestions I can give you are to try and find a pain-killer you can take and take it regularly according to the instructions (don''t wait for the pain to break through before you take the next dose if it''s past the time it''s due), microwave heatbags/hotwater bottles and ice, hot baths, gentle exercise and see if you can get some acupuncture - TENS is worth a try as well!


Good luck!

Wow Pandora, you''ve really been through the ringer. I''m so sorry - it sounds like such a miserable process.

I really really appreciate you being willing to share your experiences and expertise with me though. It sounds like even though movement seems to make it worse, maybe trying to move around at least some during the day is a good idea. I have been stretching, and I''ve not really lost and flexibility that I can tell, so I guess that is good.

I have a question about the painkillers though - I can''t tolerate any of the really heavy-duty ones - vicodin, codeine, darvocet, etc...as I just throw them right back up. That same is true even with more mild meds (such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and the new one the Dr. gave me - nabumetone) at higher doses after a day or two. So as of now, I''m limited to what I can keep down, which is basically tylenol and muscle relaxers. Is there anything else your pain experts ever suggested in the way of medication?

 

[stepcutnut]

AG-I am sorry to hear that you are so uncomfortable!

I have found that the most useful TX for my back/neck issues has been very regular Chiropractic care-I go in once a week for regular maintenance and more often if I have a flare-up. I don''t like taking meds. and find that less is more for my body! Also, keeping my core strong and sticking to regular exercise helps me. We replaced our mattress last year and that also did wonders for keeping my body happy.

Good luck

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 4/15/2009 12:14:05 PM
Author: AmberGretchen


Wow Pandora, you''ve really been through the ringer. I''m so sorry - it sounds like such a miserable process.

I really really appreciate you being willing to share your experiences and expertise with me though. It sounds like even though movement seems to make it worse, maybe trying to move around at least some during the day is a good idea. I have been stretching, and I''ve not really lost and flexibility that I can tell, so I guess that is good.

I have a question about the painkillers though - I can''t tolerate any of the really heavy-duty ones - vicodin, codeine, darvocet, etc...as I just throw them right back up. That same is true even with more mild meds (such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and the new one the Dr. gave me - nabumetone) at higher doses after a day or two. So as of now, I''m limited to what I can keep down, which is basically tylenol and muscle relaxers. Is there anything else your pain experts ever suggested in the way of medication?

If you are going with opiate based meds - codeine etc then they can make you very sick especially at high doses. I certainly wouldn''t try anymore than 8mg codeine if you''re not used to it. Some people also lack the enzymes needed to use morphine (codeine converts to morphine in the body) and so these meds will never work for them.

(I once OD''d my husband by mistake - he came off his motorbike and had messed his ankle up, so I rang my father for advice (he''s an MD) and he suggested I give him some of my codeine... I normally take 60mg at a go and so stupidly gave him the same forgetting that I''m pretty tolerant. Poor guy couldn''t speak for 2 hours he was so out of it! I still feel guilty!

)

I''ve tried most things out there at some point, but since I react well to the opiates I''ve tended to stick to them as they are pretty safe compared with many others and most of what else I''ve tried is stronger than what you are already having problems with - one''s I have found can be good are: plain old paracetamol (unfortunately I''m allergic to it, but it really does work well), amitryptiline (10mg max and it will make you feel pretty whacked out), valium (great on muscle spasm but only for very short term use - ie a couple of days).

To be honest, acupuncture would be my choice if you are having so much trouble with the meds.

You could always see what your doctor thinks about taking an anti-emetic at the same time to stop you throwing them up - or you could always go for the suppository route!

Unless things become really chronic I''d be worried about any doctor that wanted to start getting the heavy artillery or atypical meds out at this point, and I''d include amitryptiline there.

I''ve also had 4 epidurals and a load of nerve root injections - all of which gave me at most 36 hours pain-free, but I would definitely try them before trying surgery.

Really try and keep things moving - and yes I have wanted to punch doctors for telling me that, but it is true that it doesn''t help to rest things. See if you can see a physio who can check that you are moving in the right way and not developing protective movement habits that can exacerbate things.

(One thing worth knowing is that chronic pain tends to lower your pain thresholds as your brain becomes over-sensitised - not that that means that sufferers have pain levels that aren''t significant and that other people could ''live with'', but they don''t develop super-human tolerance to new pain - hence I''m being very wussy and am opting for an epidural asap when I go into labour to the suprise of lots of my friends who think I will find labour a piece of cake since I''m so used to sustained periods of pain - ha, the anaesthetist at the hospital is already my new best friend!

)

ETA: The chiropractor issue for me is a VERY long one, so I won''t go into it and I''m sure they work great for some people. IMHO you need BOTH an MRI and an x-ray before messing with someone''s spine. An x-ray alone does not give enough information.

 

[Courtneylub]

Date: 4/15/2009 1:16:18 PM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 4/15/2009 12:14:05 PM
Author: AmberGretchen


Wow Pandora, you''ve really been through the ringer. I''m so sorry - it sounds like such a miserable process.

I really really appreciate you being willing to share your experiences and expertise with me though. It sounds like even though movement seems to make it worse, maybe trying to move around at least some during the day is a good idea. I have been stretching, and I''ve not really lost and flexibility that I can tell, so I guess that is good.

I have a question about the painkillers though - I can''t tolerate any of the really heavy-duty ones - vicodin, codeine, darvocet, etc...as I just throw them right back up. That same is true even with more mild meds (such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and the new one the Dr. gave me - nabumetone) at higher doses after a day or two. So as of now, I''m limited to what I can keep down, which is basically tylenol and muscle relaxers. Is there anything else your pain experts ever suggested in the way of medication?

If you are going with opiate based meds - codeine etc then they can make you very sick especially at high doses. I certainly wouldn''t try anymore than 8mg codeine if you''re not used to it. Some people also lack the enzymes needed to use morphine (codeine converts to morphine in the body) and so these meds will never work for them.

(I once OD''d my husband by mistake - he came off his motorbike and had messed his ankle up, so I rang my father for advice (he''s an MD) and he suggested I give him some of my codeine... I normally take 60mg at a go and so stupidly gave him the same forgetting that I''m pretty tolerant. Poor guy couldn''t speak for 2 hours he was so out of it! I still feel guilty!

)

I''ve tried most things out there at some point, but since I react well to the opiates I''ve tended to stick to them as they are pretty safe compared with many others and most of what else I''ve tried is stronger than what you are already having problems with - one''s I have found can be good are: plain old paracetamol (unfortunately I''m allergic to it, but it really does work well), amitryptiline (10mg max and it will make you feel pretty whacked out), valium (great on muscle spasm but only for very short term use - ie a couple of days).

To be honest, acupuncture would be my choice if you are having so much trouble with the meds.

You could always see what your doctor thinks about taking an anti-emetic at the same time to stop you throwing them up - or you could always go for the suppository route!

Unless things become really chronic I''d be worried about any doctor that wanted to start getting the heavy artillery or atypical meds out at this point, and I''d include amitryptiline there.

I''ve also had 4 epidurals and a load of nerve root injections - all of which gave me at most 36 hours pain-free, but I would definitely try them before trying surgery.

Really try and keep things moving - and yes I have wanted to punch doctors for telling me that, but it is true that it doesn''t help to rest things. See if you can see a physio who can check that you are moving in the right way and not developing protective movement habits that can exacerbate things.

(One thing worth knowing is that chronic pain tends to lower your pain thresholds as your brain becomes over-sensitised - not that that means that sufferers have pain levels that aren''t significant and that other people could ''live with'', but they don''t develop super-human tolerance to new pain - hence I''m being very wussy and am opting for an epidural asap when I go into labour to the suprise of lots of my friends who think I will find labour a piece of cake since I''m so used to sustained periods of pain - ha, the anaesthetist at the hospital is already my new best friend!

)

ETA: The chiropractor issue for me is a VERY long one, so I won''t go into it and I''m sure they work great for some people. IMHO you need BOTH an MRI and an x-ray before messing with someone''s spine. An x-ray alone does not give enough information.

FYI, Amber, the paracetamol that Pandora is referring to is Tylenol. I''ve had helpful discussions with her in the past about medications and at first I didn''t realize paracetamol was the equivalent to Tylenol.

Pandora, I''m curious as to why you''re not on a hydrocodone instead of just plain codeine. Is there any reason for that? When I took Tylenol 3 (tylenol and codeine) it just made me really sleepy and moody. The hydrocodone is a lot less mg, but stronger than codeine.

 

[PaulaW]

Unfortunately, I feel your pain!

I sprained my back twice - once lifting weights and doing lying leg curls. I was using pretty heavy weight and mid-lift, a friend caught my attention and I twisted ever-so-slightly to say hi and tweaked it. I think I was 25 or so. I did physical therapy for a long time, but it didn''t really help.
The second time, I was rear-ended on the highway and aggravated it further - I think I was 28 or 29 at the time. I''m 33 now, and I''ve had on and off pain since the first sprain. I usually take advil for it and when it gets really bad, I take Mobic (sp?) which is a muscle relaxer. I find that if I stay consistently active, the pain isn''t too terrible. If I overdo it gardening or something, I feel it the next day pretty bad.
I''ve heard many times that once you hurt your back, you need to be pretty diligent about being careful. Unfortunately, that''s true for me.
I hope you feel better soon!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks Courtney! That''s good to know about the tylenol - definitely easy to get mixed up with the different names for stuff.

Paula - I''m sorry you''re still suffering. I''m really hoping I can get this healed and then try to strengthen the stuff around it and be extra-careful so hopefully it won''t happen again. Thanks for the good wishes!

OK, you all have convinced me to try some alternative options. Already tried a chiropractor and that didn''t help. So next stop, acupuncture - I have an appointment on Friday. Fingers crossed!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 4/15/2009 1:35:28 PM
Author: Courtneylub

FYI, Amber, the paracetamol that Pandora is referring to is Tylenol. I''ve had helpful discussions with her in the past about medications and at first I didn''t realize paracetamol was the equivalent to Tylenol.

Pandora, I''m curious as to why you''re not on a hydrocodone instead of just plain codeine. Is there any reason for that? When I took Tylenol 3 (tylenol and codeine) it just made me really sleepy and moody. The hydrocodone is a lot less mg, but stronger than codeine.

Hydrocodone is a combo med, mixed either with paracetamol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen, aspirin and sometimes anti-histimines. I can''t take paracetamol, ibuprofen is a really bad med to take on a long-term basis (and a real no-no in pregnancy). I prefer my meds to be stand-alone as it makes side-effects less of a problem. It''s very popular in the USA but not really over here.

24-hour sustained-release Tramadol is my main med and then I use the codeine to up the analgesic cover as I need. Because I have a range of different tablet sizes it means I can alter my meds on a daily basis so that I am only taking the minimum I actually need at any particular time.

On a good day I may not take any codeine at all, another day I may take 240mg, it all just depends. Because I can be taking large doses hydrocodone would not be suitable as I''d probably end up with an overdose of paracetamol in order to get the quanity of opiate I need.

I have used DF-118 (dihydrocodeine) in the past, but it only comes in two main tablet sizes. It''s also one that makes GP''s nervous as it gets misused as a street-drug so often and so I have to get Rx''s done more often.

It basically comes down to what you and your specialists are happy with and what works for your body. I''ve had consultants in the past who would much rather I take oxycodone, or methadone or even fentanyl - I''d be taking a much smaller quantity of a much stronger drug (Fentanyl is 100 times stronger than heroin) but they have far worse toxicity issues, a greater danger of accidental overdose and don''t give me the micro-control I have at the moment.

Geez, I sound like a total junkie!

 

[lulu]

I don''t think it really got bad until my forties. 2 herniated discs and stenosis. Over two years ago I had three epidural injections.

The first two did nothing. I did the third reluctantly and it worked. No sciatica since.. I''ll do it again when the pain comes back.

Anything to avoid the whole surgery thing.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 12:25:30 PM
Author: stepcutnut
AG-I am sorry to hear that you are so uncomfortable!


I have found that the most useful TX for my back/neck issues has been very regular Chiropractic care-I go in once a week for regular maintenance and more often if I have a flare-up. I don''t like taking meds. and find that less is more for my body! Also, keeping my core strong and sticking to regular exercise helps me. We replaced our mattress last year and that also did wonders for keeping my body happy.


Good luck

Thanks stepcut. I am normally a huge fan of chiro care, and my husband I both go to one regularly, but in this case, it unfortunately seemed to make it much worse, so I stopped going because I didn''t want to risk further damage

You are so right about the strong core and regular exercise though - I try very hard to be diligent about both, though I''m sure I''m not at always as good about it as I could be...

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 1:16:18 PM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 4/15/2009 12:14:05 PM

If you are going with opiate based meds - codeine etc then they can make you very sick especially at high doses. I certainly wouldn''t try anymore than 8mg codeine if you''re not used to it. Some people also lack the enzymes needed to use morphine (codeine converts to morphine in the body) and so these meds will never work for them.


(I once OD''d my husband by mistake - he came off his motorbike and had messed his ankle up, so I rang my father for advice (he''s an MD) and he suggested I give him some of my codeine... I normally take 60mg at a go and so stupidly gave him the same forgetting that I''m pretty tolerant. Poor guy couldn''t speak for 2 hours he was so out of it! I still feel guilty!

)


I''ve tried most things out there at some point, but since I react well to the opiates I''ve tended to stick to them as they are pretty safe compared with many others and most of what else I''ve tried is stronger than what you are already having problems with - one''s I have found can be good are: plain old paracetamol (unfortunately I''m allergic to it, but it really does work well), amitryptiline (10mg max and it will make you feel pretty whacked out), valium (great on muscle spasm but only for very short term use - ie a couple of days).


To be honest, acupuncture would be my choice if you are having so much trouble with the meds.


You could always see what your doctor thinks about taking an anti-emetic at the same time to stop you throwing them up - or you could always go for the suppository route!

Unless things become really chronic I''d be worried about any doctor that wanted to start getting the heavy artillery or atypical meds out at this point, and I''d include amitryptiline there.


I''ve also had 4 epidurals and a load of nerve root injections - all of which gave me at most 36 hours pain-free, but I would definitely try them before trying surgery.


Really try and keep things moving - and yes I have wanted to punch doctors for telling me that, but it is true that it doesn''t help to rest things. See if you can see a physio who can check that you are moving in the right way and not developing protective movement habits that can exacerbate things.


(One thing worth knowing is that chronic pain tends to lower your pain thresholds as your brain becomes over-sensitised - not that that means that sufferers have pain levels that aren''t significant and that other people could ''live with'', but they don''t develop super-human tolerance to new pain - hence I''m being very wussy and am opting for an epidural asap when I go into labour to the suprise of lots of my friends who think I will find labour a piece of cake since I''m so used to sustained periods of pain - ha, the anaesthetist at the hospital is already my new best friend!

)


ETA: The chiropractor issue for me is a VERY long one, so I won''t go into it and I''m sure they work great for some people. IMHO you need BOTH an MRI and an x-ray before messing with someone''s spine. An x-ray alone does not give enough information.

Wow, thank you so much for the detailed reply Pandora. I wonder if I might be one of those people who has a bad reaction to opiates - I know my mom is the same. Even at relatively low doses, the odds are better than not that we will almost immediately vomit them back up - sometimes with some blood for good measure, in my case

I''ve heard of them giving epidural injections, but it doesn''t sound like a long-term solution. I''m perfectly willing to power through the pain and keep moving - that''s sort of my personality anyway, I guess I''m just worried here since they don''t know exactly what is wrong and/or how bad it is, about making things worse. But I will for sure keep stretching and try some light walking, at least around the house - that shouldn''t make anything too much worse, and as you said, maintaining mobility is so important. I learned that the hard way after messing up my knee in a car accident several years ago.

I''m sorry you''ve had such a bad experience with chiropractors - what you say absolutely makes sense. I know the chiropractor I used to see in college actually did insist on imaging studies being done with serious injuries before he would touch you. At the time I assumed it was because of lawsuits, but what you say makes absolute sense.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 9:04:22 PM
Author: lulu
I don''t think it really got bad until my forties. 2 herniated discs and stenosis. Over two years ago I had three epidural injections.


The first two did nothing. I did the third reluctantly and it worked. No sciatica since.. I''ll do it again when the pain comes back.


Anything to avoid the whole surgery thing.

lulu - I''m so glad to hear you finally got some relief! It sounds like people can really suffer for such a long time with back pain, and the available treatments really seem like a gamble as much as anything else.

I''ve never had an epidural, but I''ve had mixed experiences with injections. I got cortisone after a shoulder injury in college, and it was horrible. I was in agonizing pain for weeks afterwards. But I think its because the injection wasn''t given well. I got injections in my knee of hyaluronic acid a few years ago by a really excellent ortho surgeon and those worked wonders - I think the skill of the injector comes into it quite strongly...

 

[swingirl]

Regarding my DH's surgery--when he fell on his back skiing he squished out the contents of the disc which ended up pressing against a nerve. When this was confirmed in the MRI it became apparent that nothing was going to change the location of the nucleus pulposus and the inflamed nerve was growing it's own scar tissue making the whole thing worse. In your case an MRI now and in the future might show whether or not it's just an irritated nerve or if there is something that is never going away.

When my DH had the ski accident he got an MRI within days and it showed nothing. But over several years slowly the pulposus leaked out and his pain and numbness in his leg got worse. The last straw was when we went to the hospital because I was in labor and HE had to sit down while I stood in line IN LABOR to take care of the insurance paperwork!!! Did I say I was in labor!!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 9:46:49 PM
Author: swingirl
Regarding my DH''s surgery--when he fell on his back skiing he squished out the contents of the disc which ended up pressing against a nerve. When this was confirmed in the MRI it became apparent that nothing was going to change the location of the nucleus pulposus and the inflamed nerve was growing it''s own scar tissue making the whole thing worse. In your case an MRI now and in the future might show whether or not it''s just an irritated nerve or if there is something that is never going away.


When my DH had the ski accident he got an MRI within days and it showed nothing. But over several years slowly the pulposus leaked out and his pain and numbness in his leg got worse. The last straw was when we went to the hospital because I was in labor and HE had to sit down while I stood in line IN LABOR to take care of the insurance paperwork!!! Did I say I was in labor!!

OMG Swingirl, I can totally see how that was the last straw - how horrible

I can''t even imagine...

That''s interesting that your DH''s injury didn''t really show up until later. I''ve certainly done plenty of things that could have caused an injury like that (several falls involving very large dogs and large pieces of Agility equipment come to mind...

) so I wonder if its some kind of delayed reaction to an earlier injury? Hmm...

 

[ilovesparkles]

AG - I am sorry you are having these issues! I have to make this post short and sweet right now but I will be back later! Where to start!?!?! I am an occupational therapist, and I have just hit the one year mark with an excruciating back injury. I have 2 torn discs and have done most things under the sun, not quite everything just yet. I will go into detail about that later.

FIRST: Before going forward with treatment (I skimmed through the thread so forgive me if this info has already been posted or provided). GET AN MRI! With and without contrast! X-rays can be useless if it is a small soft tissue injury. In my case, even the CT Scan was useless. Find a doctor that knows what they are doing, a family practice, general practitioner etc may only delay the process of getting better. Nothing against them, they just aren''t specialized enough. Find a physiatrist or Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation MD, or a spine specialist as I did.

SECOND: Shop around when it comes to a physical therapist, or if you would like to return to chiropractor work. Frankly, the PT will do you better. If you can find someone that specializes in the Spine, it will be better! You need to work on Core Strengthening. Occupational THerapists can specialize in ergonomics which some people were eluding to. This is the ergonomic set up of the work space to suit your bodies needs and proper body mechanics. This may be addressed by some PTs but OT specializes in it.

THIRD: I would inquire about synthetic opioids, this is what I take and they do not have the same side effects as the narcotics like Vicodin. Also, there are many different kinds of pain medications, you mentioned a muscle relaxant, this isn''t going to do much for you if you have a nerve injury. There are anti-inflammatories, pure pain meds, nerve meds, muscle relaxants, analgesics, and probably more.

I hope some of this helps! I am appealing my long term disability denial right now, so I can truly understand the pain people are or have gone through! I will be back to this thread, perhaps to share a bit of my story; its rather emotional and upsetting for me at this point. (most things have failed, but I am a complex case!) Hope you are feeling better soon!

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh AG,
I can relate. I don''t have back pain, but have suffered for years with a bad neck. Had neck surgery, herniated disks. The surgery went well, I went back to playing competitive tennis. That was what I lived for and surely didn''t want to quit. But my disks kept herniating, a degenerative disik disease so was side lined. Boo. I did the cortisone shots , they help to some degree. I only get them twice a year. I have pain every day. I go to sleep in pain and wake up in pain. It''s debilitating. Right now with all the rain, I am at 10. 10 being the worst. I try to keep my chin up. Complaining isn''t my thing. But inside, I just cry. I know I am not alone in this. It sucks.

I hope you find relief. HUGS!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 4/15/2009 11:50:21 AM
Author: AmberGretchen

Date: 4/14/2009 10:18:50 PM
Author: KimberlyH
I was in a major car accident when I was 20, and then several subsequent small accidents, and have had back problems since. The best thing I''ve done for myself is maintain a healthy weight and exercise to build the muscles up around the affected areas. When I was overweight I really struggled with pain and used meds to mask the pain. I still have flare ups since losing weight, but they are fewer and far less painful. Learning exercises, through PT, really helped but I am not so good about doing them as a preventative measure; I wish I had a much more consistent routine in that regard. Pain pills only masked the problem for me, and didn''t allow me to live what felt like a full life, so I avoid taking them as much as possible (It''s been about a year since the last time I needed to).

Kim - that''s so interesting that a car accident that long ago can have an effect. I have been in several car accidents in my life, including one when I was 16 when I got rear-ended by an 18-wheeler truck (which then fled the scene, after hitting me twice

), but I remember my back did hurt after that. It went away pretty quickly though, so I never thought it would be an issue again. I wonder if perhaps that is continuing to affect me now?

I hear you on the healthy weight - I know when I lost a bunch my knee especially got so much better. I''ve been pretty good about keeping it off - at least, I''d imagine the 5-7 lbs I put on over the holidays/job hunting stress in the Fall and am now trying to take off are likely to have been the main culprit here, especially compared to the 50 I''d originally lost and mostly kept off. But its a really good reminder to stay diligent about my diet, especially since I can''t really exercise right now...

Amber, I was in a small pickup going over 90 mph, accidentally veered into the dirt median, overcorrected to get back on the asphalt, spun out over 200 feet, rolled down an embankment and the vehicle landed on its'' roof; an off-duty CHP officer witnessed the accident, called 911, and told them there was no way anyone in the vehicle was going to make it out alive. I am a very lucky person. My spine is out of allignment as a result (amazingly, I walked away with only one cut on the top of my head, it came from ducking under the fence I''d plowed through, I didn''t duck far enough, the rest of my injuries were bruises and invisible). I was rear-ended twice within nine months of the major accident and that exacerbated the issues I was having. Surgery was offered at one point, several months post all thre accidents, but I said no.

Diet and exercise really did change my life; how cliche.

 

[luvmyhalo]

I haven''t read through the entire thread so forgive me if someone has already suggested this. About 5 years ago, I was in a minor car accident that left me with sciatica. Going to the chiropractor a few times a week helped a lot but the best thing for me was a portable TENS unit.

http://www.tensunits.com/whatistens.htm


I hope you are able to find some relief soon!

 

[ilovesparkles]

Date: 4/16/2009 12:47:18 AM
Author: luvmyhalo
I haven''t read through the entire thread so forgive me if someone has already suggested this. About 5 years ago, I was in a minor car accident that left me with sciatica. Going to the chiropractor a few times a week helped a lot but the best thing for me was a portable TENS unit.


http://www.tensunits.com/whatistens.htm



I hope you are able to find some relief soon!

TENS unit is one of the things that brings me some help as well! unfortunately for me the relief is short lived-only a few hours depending on the activity I am doing. But I went to the site that luvmyhalo posted and they do not accept HMOs. Just thought I would give you a vendor of TENS that does. They are probably one of the most widely used suppliers for e-stim and TENS unit devices.

http://www.empi.com/empi_products/obtain.aspx?id=380

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 10:30:47 PM
Author: ilovesparkles
AG - I am sorry you are having these issues! I have to make this post short and sweet right now but I will be back later! Where to start!?!?! I am an occupational therapist, and I have just hit the one year mark with an excruciating back injury. I have 2 torn discs and have done most things under the sun, not quite everything just yet. I will go into detail about that later.


FIRST: Before going forward with treatment (I skimmed through the thread so forgive me if this info has already been posted or provided). GET AN MRI! With and without contrast! X-rays can be useless if it is a small soft tissue injury. In my case, even the CT Scan was useless. Find a doctor that knows what they are doing, a family practice, general practitioner etc may only delay the process of getting better. Nothing against them, they just aren''t specialized enough. Find a physiatrist or Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation MD, or a spine specialist as I did.


SECOND: Shop around when it comes to a physical therapist, or if you would like to return to chiropractor work. Frankly, the PT will do you better. If you can find someone that specializes in the Spine, it will be better! You need to work on Core Strengthening. Occupational THerapists can specialize in ergonomics which some people were eluding to. This is the ergonomic set up of the work space to suit your bodies needs and proper body mechanics. This may be addressed by some PTs but OT specializes in it.


THIRD: I would inquire about synthetic opioids, this is what I take and they do not have the same side effects as the narcotics like Vicodin. Also, there are many different kinds of pain medications, you mentioned a muscle relaxant, this isn''t going to do much for you if you have a nerve injury. There are anti-inflammatories, pure pain meds, nerve meds, muscle relaxants, analgesics, and probably more.


I hope some of this helps! I am appealing my long term disability denial right now, so I can truly understand the pain people are or have gone through! I will be back to this thread, perhaps to share a bit of my story; its rather emotional and upsetting for me at this point. (most things have failed, but I am a complex case!) Hope you are feeling better soon!

Thanks so much ilovesparkles - I really appreciate you sharing your experience with me. Sounds like you''ve had a really rough go of it

I''ll definitely have to push for a specialist and a PT it sounds like. And an MRI.

I think the ergonomics are going to be a little bit more complicated - I''m a graduate student working in a lab, so ergonomics aren''t really an option, even if I could ask my thesis advisor about it without him laughing

But the good news is I can keep changing positions in lab, so I''m not sitting around for a lot of time at once, ever.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/15/2009 11:06:18 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Oh AG,

I can relate. I don''t have back pain, but have suffered for years with a bad neck. Had neck surgery, herniated disks. The surgery went well, I went back to playing competitive tennis. That was what I lived for and surely didn''t want to quit. But my disks kept herniating, a degenerative disik disease so was side lined. Boo. I did the cortisone shots , they help to some degree. I only get them twice a year. I have pain every day. I go to sleep in pain and wake up in pain. It''s debilitating. Right now with all the rain, I am at 10. 10 being the worst. I try to keep my chin up. Complaining isn''t my thing. But inside, I just cry. I know I am not alone in this. It sucks.


I hope you find relief. HUGS!!!

Oh Kaleigh that sounds so miserable, you poor thing.

I really wish there was better relief for you out there.

Thank you for being willing to share your experiences with me though - I appreciate it. HUGS to you too (careful hugs though, to avoid hurting your neck and my back

).

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/16/2009 12:47:18 AM
Author: luvmyhalo
I haven''t read through the entire thread so forgive me if someone has already suggested this. About 5 years ago, I was in a minor car accident that left me with sciatica. Going to the chiropractor a few times a week helped a lot but the best thing for me was a portable TENS unit.


http://www.tensunits.com/whatistens.htm



I hope you are able to find some relief soon!

Thanks luvmyhalo - do you know, is this similar to what they use in the chiropractor''s office? I had no idea they sold them for consumer use...

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/16/2009 7:52:33 AM
Author: ilovesparkles

TENS unit is one of the things that brings me some help as well! unfortunately for me the relief is short lived-only a few hours depending on the activity I am doing. But I went to the site that luvmyhalo posted and they do not accept HMOs. Just thought I would give you a vendor of TENS that does. They are probably one of the most widely used suppliers for e-stim and TENS unit devices.


http://www.empi.com/empi_products/obtain.aspx?id=380

Thanks so much ilovesparkles! Can you tell me more about how they work and your experience with them?

 

[ilovesparkles]

Date: 4/16/2009 11:52:44 AM
Author: AmberGretchen

Date: 4/16/2009 7:52:33 AM

Author: ilovesparkles


TENS unit is one of the things that brings me some help as well! unfortunately for me the relief is short lived-only a few hours depending on the activity I am doing. But I went to the site that luvmyhalo posted and they do not accept HMOs. Just thought I would give you a vendor of TENS that does. They are probably one of the most widely used suppliers for e-stim and TENS unit devices.



http://www.empi.com/empi_products/obtain.aspx?id=380

Thanks so much ilovesparkles! Can you tell me more about how they work and your experience with them?

A TENS unit is a little device that is attached to the skin via electrodes. Its not as scary as it sounds! A small wave of electricity or current is sent through wires into the electrodes that are little sticky pads on your back. It feels like a tickle or tingling sensation on the skin. Depending on the settings of the device, you can aim for different outcomes.
-One is to tire the muscles, if the muscles are too tired, they are less likely to spasm. This is a high intensity setting with a low duration time (10 minutes).
-Second, this is what I use, is for nerve pain. Long duration and low intensity, research shows this to be more beneficial with longer lasting results. The intensity is set low, tolerable tingling feeling, and it distracts the nerves from the pain you are having. Its like if you have a bad head ache, and you stub your toe, all of a sudden your head ache is worse. Only different because the tense doesn''t hurt, lol.

I have had some success with the TENS. I wear it twice a day for an hour each. The results like I said, last different periods of time depending on what I am doing. Usually I get some relief for at least an hour and up to 3.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions. And BTW, even if you are in a lab, there are TONS of ergonomic things you can do for yourself. Most importantly BODY MECHANICS!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/16/2009 6:54:16 PM
Author: ilovesparkles

A TENS unit is a little device that is attached to the skin via electrodes. Its not as scary as it sounds! A small wave of electricity or current is sent through wires into the electrodes that are little sticky pads on your back. It feels like a tickle or tingling sensation on the skin. Depending on the settings of the device, you can aim for different outcomes.

-One is to tire the muscles, if the muscles are too tired, they are less likely to spasm. This is a high intensity setting with a low duration time (10 minutes).

-Second, this is what I use, is for nerve pain. Long duration and low intensity, research shows this to be more beneficial with longer lasting results. The intensity is set low, tolerable tingling feeling, and it distracts the nerves from the pain you are having. Its like if you have a bad head ache, and you stub your toe, all of a sudden your head ache is worse. Only different because the tense doesn''t hurt, lol.


I have had some success with the TENS. I wear it twice a day for an hour each. The results like I said, last different periods of time depending on what I am doing. Usually I get some relief for at least an hour and up to 3.


Let me know if you have any other specific questions. And BTW, even if you are in a lab, there are TONS of ergonomic things you can do for yourself. Most importantly BODY MECHANICS!

Thanks ils - it sounds very similar to something they''ve used on my at the chiropractor. My back is actually feeling a little bit better today, so I''m hoping I won''t need something like this, but its good to know that such a thing exists.

I''m going to an acupuncturist tomorrow - I feel like I really need to focus on wellness in general, and especially with my joints - I''ve been very injury prone recently, and I''m not sure what I''m doing that''s stressing my system, but I think I need to figure out ways to try to avoid injury better than I have been. I''ll be starting a really demanding job in the Fall, and its super important to me to do well, so I have to figure out how to stay healthy so I can do that!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 4/16/2009 8:36:50 PM
Author: AmberGretchen


Thanks ils - it sounds very similar to something they''ve used on my at the chiropractor. My back is actually feeling a little bit better today, so I''m hoping I won''t need something like this, but its good to know that such a thing exists.

I''m going to an acupuncturist tomorrow - I feel like I really need to focus on wellness in general, and especially with my joints - I''ve been very injury prone recently, and I''m not sure what I''m doing that''s stressing my system, but I think I need to figure out ways to try to avoid injury better than I have been. I''ll be starting a really demanding job in the Fall, and its super important to me to do well, so I have to figure out how to stay healthy so I can do that!

How are you feeling AG; I have thinking about you and hoping you feel better soon. hugs.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/17/2009 11:50:01 AM
Author: Skippy123
How are you feeling AG; I have thinking about you and hoping you feel better soon. hugs.

Hi Skippy, thanks so much for asking

The mild improvement seems to be holding, so I think that''s really good news. I''m off to the acupuncturist today, and hopefully that will help even more. I''m definitely able to sit up and stand up much more without it being terribly painful, and there are longer breaks between the episodes of pain, so that''s a big improvement over how it was.

One thing I think I need to get on top of is figuring out why I''m so injury-prone (not in one place, mind you - I''ve never really hurt my back badly before this), and what I can do to help prevent it.

 

[Lorelei]

Glad you are feeling a bit better AG! Give the tuftyfeetie clan head bonks from me!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/17/2009 11:56:52 AM
Author: Lorelei
Glad you are feeling a bit better AG! Give the tuftyfeetie clan head bonks from me!

Thanks Lorelei! The acupuncture seems to have really helped, at least for the moment, but she agreed with everyone here - imaging is super important, so I called my regular doctor to see what we can do about moving forward on that.

I will definitely give lots of headbonks on your behalf, although I think if I start calling them tuftyfeetie anythings, Ms. Gretchen the Calico Princess Diva will be affronted