All You Folks With Back Problems; Some Questions...

[HarryWeezer]

Looks like we've a lot of folks who have/ have had back problems. I'm looking for advice.

 

I posted that I was having MRIs on all three spinal sections. The result: two herniated cervical discs, a thorassic fracture, and a herniated lumbar disc. However, none of these issues is putting any pressure on the spinal cord and the surgeon told me this morning that because of that, surgery is not warranted and would do me no good. He suggests a pain management regimon.

 

My lower back doesn't bother me much unless I do heavy physical labor. I pay for that for 4-5 days and that it's back to normal. My upper back bothers me most every night, and on occasion the pain is very severe, very sharp and across my upper back. This is largely because I sit at a computer all day, and most evenings.

 

So, what to do about it. I have a sister addicted to pain meds for this very reason. She now wears a morphine patch. And so, I am not going to take paid meds - short or long-term.

 

Otherwise, he suggests cortisone shots. I hear from different people that they do a lot of good initially, but you have to keep coming back - which I can do, but I'm not interested in doing it every other month.

 

Questions:

 

- If you have similar back problems and have had the shots, how long do they last before you need another treatment?

 

- How long have you been taking the shots; did there come a time that you didn't need them anymore?

 

- Doc. said that as we age, our back "stiffens" and at some point, he expects this pain to go away. Any of you old farts go through this, and then have the pain just disappear?

 

- Any other pain mangement advice other than the shots?

 

Thanks for listening...

 

Harry

[DEEJAYKEG]

I sympathise, Harry. I had a disc go in my upper back, a couple of years ago and, like you, found lying down flat in bed very painful.

It drove me to the doctor seeking some form of pain relief eventually (I thought I had pulled/torn some muscles but I was also getting

referred pain in the top of my left leg above the knee). He prescribed an anti-depressant drug that has been found effective for nerve

pain too. Though the dosage was way below what a depressed person would take, the damned things knocked me out at night, sure

enough, but I found I couldn't truly wake up the next day! I was walking around in a sort of foggy state and there was no way I could drive

in that condition! I stopped taking them, of course.

 

I had a short course of physiotherapy to strengthen my core muscles and I was right again after about six weeks.

 

My mother-in-law had the intraspinal injections to treat arthritis but found them ineffective and the specialist doesn't propose trying them

again.

 

Sorry I can't offer any advice that would be of practical help. The words "posture", "weight" and "exercise" seem to come quite readily from the lips of

doctors treating back pain ...

 

Good luck and keep smiling!

[SCooBY>XI<]

Have shrapnel in my lower back --and beside one of my shoulder blades , from an IED --docs thought at the time it was too close to my spine to operate and remove so left it in --though fun at airports ,I have been really lucky so far it only itches every now and then --particularly when pressure/barometer changes eg... storm coming in .

 

Got hit by a moron on the free way --rear ended my ford F-250 and totaled it -- He was on his cell phone and did not apply his brakes --we were stopped due to an accident in front of us blocking traffic --estimated speed at impact was 80mph ---Got a new truck out of it and 1 ruptured and 2 herniated discs in my lower back (5 through 7 if your looking at an MRI or lumbar spine chart ) -- severe pain and sciatia --eg.. nerve damage numbness back of left leg .... I refused drugs for the pain as I am one that does not even like taking aspirin (my drugs of choice are nicotine and caffeine ) --what finally worked for me was --decompression therapy , where they put you on a machine that literally stretches you (and your spine ) over time --all computer monitored of course -- it allows your body to --re-inflate the discs to a certain extent and relieves pressure that may be causing pain on the nerve endings --- took 4 months --- I have been pain free for 3 years now ..

 

Check in your area for spine/rehab/pain management or sports /rehab they may be able to point you in the right direction --mine was covered fully by my insurance .

[WiZiD]

There is a non-narcotic med called tramadol...work wonders....but you need a script..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

[WiZiD]

I have one of these. When my back goes out I wear it for a few days and my back seems to get better. As suggested to me do not wear it all the time or your back mussels will depend on it.

http://www.toughweld.com/products/3217-proflex-2000sf-high-performance-back-support?gclid=CMfNmqbJ4K8CFUJo4Aod4CwR_g

[BigPapaDean]

- Doc. said that as we age, our back "stiffens" and at some point, he expects this pain to go away. Any of you old farts go through this, and then have the pain just disappear?

 

Harry I thought you were the old fart! and yes I have an answer to your question. Just shut up quit whining and be a MAN! Actually I was told this very same thing a time or two. Bro I was just kidding you but all kidding aside a bad back is one of the reasons I got on disability! I feel for you and I also do not like meds as that can start you down the wrong road period! Try rubbing so topical stuffs on such as "blue stuff" or a number of others. I learned that alieve was not conducive to lower bp so my Dr took me off and put me on some better stuff (meloxicam) which is a low risk and inexpensive way for me. I pray you can rather find and answer speedily too as its not fun to be in pain and nothing can be done about it.

[Giggles]

Harry I really do understand this ....I have the shots done myself.

I have had the shots 4 times already. I have to have it done again. The only reason I have to have it done againis because I took a pretty bad fall and messed my back up again ( DUMB ASS) ... I have had them last for as long as 1 yr and as short as 6 months .... The other thing u can do is have the Dr give you a script for Tramadol....It works very well. The biggiest part of my problem is my chest size does not help anything Plus diskes that are messed up in my neck and upper to midd. back.

[PimpedOutPete]

Looks like we've a lot of folks who have/ have had back problems. I'm looking for advice.

 

I posted that I was having MRIs on all three spinal sections. The result: two herniated cervical discs, a thorassic fracture, and a herniated lumbar disc. However, none of these issues is putting any pressure on the spinal cord and the surgeon told me this morning that because of that, surgery is not warranted and would do me no good. He suggests a pain management regimon.

 

My lower back doesn't bother me much unless I do heavy physical labor. I pay for that for 4-5 days and that it's back to normal. My upper back bothers me most every night, and on occasion the pain is very severe, very sharp and across my upper back. This is largely because I sit at a computer all day, and most evenings.

 

So, what to do about it. I have a sister addicted to pain meds for this very reason. She now wears a morphine patch. And so, I am not going to take paid meds - short or long-term.

 

Otherwise, he suggests cortisone shots. I hear from different people that they do a lot of good initially, but you have to keep coming back - which I can do, but I'm not interested in doing it every other month.

 

Questions:

 

- If you have similar back problems and have had the shots, how long do they last before you need another treatment?

 

- How long have you been taking the shots; did there come a time that you didn't need them anymore?

 

- Doc. said that as we age, our back "stiffens" and at some point, he expects this pain to go away. Any of you old farts go through this, and then have the pain just disappear?

 

- Any other pain mangement advice other than the shots?

 

Thanks for listening...

 

Harry

 

Hey Harry

 

I can give you some insite on steriod ( cortisone) shots. Im a clinical supervior or a radiology department and we do those injections all day. Drop me a PM and I can answer any questions u may have.

 

Pete

[drunksniper]

I have two damaged discs in the lower part of my back and went through hell, lost my job and was bad for about two years almost.

I have found exercise your inner core muscles and lots of swimming, you will reap the rewards eventually. i do not suffer much now even though my discs are damaged i can do physical work now, and have learnt to use my inner core muscles which people dont use hense the back problems in the 1st place.

[pitbullpete]

Yoga is actually good therapy for bad backs.

[little_old_man]

I too suffer from occasional back outages but suffer through them with over the counter drugs until they go away. People I know who are about my age have gotten amazing results from losing just a little weight and practicing yoga. Something about stretching the back muscles decreases the damage. The next time I'm laid up for a week I'll probably seriously consider yoga.

 

My wife takes one fentanyl patch every three days to manage damage to her neck from a bike accident over 20 years ago. She suffered with horrible pain for many years until she found a doctor that would manage her pain. Surgery wasn't an option in her case because it might not have helped and the risks were huge. It's not easy finding a good pain management doctor. Many won't just prescribe continuous drugs for fear of getting sued, while others care less and you wind up addicted.

[ChknFngr]

yep exercise, stretching, can do wonders.

and dont forget to take pauses, if ur back is painful because u sit too much at your pc, maybe its because u are sitting the wrong way

u should try to find the good ergonomic position, orientation for your monitor, your chair and all.

its not that easy and sometimes we chose the position we find the most comfortable, but it may not be the right one.

 

my phisical therapist did wonders, and with only a few seances he got me back on foot.

and yes i didnt want to take any meds or anything because, i really dont trust meds, specially for pain.

cortison and all, fuck it. just smoke some weed and the pain is gone too.

the only thing he gave me was bee's venim and that was awesome, i loved it, it just burn ur back like crazy and u feel way better.

 

i also bought a back cooler, its like the thing Wizid posted above but plugged, it get real hot, it helps so much to ease the pain when u feel it.

 

also if u have the money, dont hesistate to buy a real ergonomic chair, it totaly change my life, and my back isnt hurting that much now that i have a good chair.

Edited May 2, 2012 by CHKN

[WolfTiS]

Another thing you might want to check into Harry is an inversion table. You can pick them up new for around $125 and up. My dispatcher had bad back problems for years and could hardly get around. After using the inversion table for a while most of his pain has gone away and he gets around real good. Do some google serches for inversion therepy and check it out.

[MrBubbles]

P.S. Comment from Wizkid, " There is a non-narcotic med called tramadol...work wonders....but you need a script..".

 

Tramadol is an opiate based drug, heavy narcotic. It is also given to emergency room patients to calm them down. Take two of those babies, you won't care if your on fire. I use to take these for work related hypertension. Thank goodness that is behind me.

 

Bubbles

[MrBubbles]

Harry, I'm dealing with multiple health issues. I do too have upper and lower back problems. I've already had to have my c4 and c5 fused together. I just got back from my surgeons office a little bit ago. Currently we are trying to resolve herniated disc between c5 and c6. This has been an issue for me for years, but I'm still hoping to avoid surgery. Doesn't look good however, I did get an steriodal injection last week, no change.

 

I'm feeling as if someone is trying to rip my arms off, hurts like hell. Very hard to cope. I can't take opiate drugs anymore, if I do, my chronic pancreatitis shows its ugly face.

 

I take Mobic once a day, it is non-narcotic and is very helpful keeping inflamation down, more so than all of the over the counter anti-imflamatory drugs. Does require prescription.

 

Steriodal injections work great.

 

I also take cannibas, a lot, no more than what my Rheumatologist says is safe, but my wife would argue otherwise. It's not the best for pain, but it puts you in a better frame of mind to deal with pain. A big plus for me, is that it deals with my nasheua.

 

Excersise/ physical thearpy. Each year I spend at least 45 days in physical thearpy. This last round was for my right shoulder.

 

Bubbles

[TheLastColdBeer]

Feel for ya Harry. Talk to Pete, he probably has the best answers. I sat on a bulldozer seat for ten years (along with chasing cattle, fixing fences, and row-crop farming). My chiropractor kept me functional, but occasionally things would crash. Treadmill and walking are the only long term things I can recommend. Stay limber, the pain & deterioration is more evenly spread across the vertebrae. My wife is a transplant patient, and has been on steroids for the last twenty years. That has played havoc with her ankles & feet. Many stress fractures. She has no choice, but as a pharmacist, could also give you advice.

[HarryWeezer]

Lots of great advice. Thanks very much!!!

I'll be taking some time to explore these options and educating myself on pain management. Quickly apparent is to get back on the treadmill and drop some poundage.

 

Thanks again all...

[MikeB]

Break out the ole bong

[drunksniper]

I too suffer from occasional back outages but suffer through them with over the counter drugs until they go away. People I know who are about my age have gotten amazing results from losing just a little weight and practicing yoga. Something about stretching the back muscles decreases the damage. The next time I'm laid up for a week I'll probably seriously consider yoga.

 

My wife takes one fentanyl patch every three days to manage damage to her neck from a bike accident over 20 years ago. She suffered with horrible pain for many years until she found a doctor that would manage her pain. Surgery wasn't an option in her case because it might not have helped and the risks were huge. It's not easy finding a good pain management doctor. Many won't just prescribe continuous drugs for fear of getting sued, while others care less and you wind up addicted.

No wonder you got a bad back carrying that gun