Back procedure

Nathan said:
My neighbor uses one of those[the inversion table] for his back problem(on the job injury) that he's hesitant to have the operation for.
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Did it help? My son used one for a "blown disk" he got when he was a construction foreman. He was fine after about a month.

That inversion table was the best purchase I've ever made aside from this computer.
 
Murrmurr said:
Did it help? My son used one for a "blown disk" he got when he was a construction foreman. He was fine after about a month.

That inversion table was the best purchase I've ever made aside from this computer.
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I believe he said it did, I don't think he uses it currently, kinda like his treadmill and elliptical, turned into a high priced clothing rack.
 

While we're on the subject of estranged family members on the other thread.. did I ever tell you Frank.. that my back injuries were initially caused when my father broke my back when I was 15 years old ?... one of his tempers, lashed out at me kicking over and over again, until I could no longer stand..
 
hollydolly said:
While we're on the subject of estranged family members on the other thread.. did I ever tell you Frank.. that my back injuries were initially caused when my father broke my back when I was 15 years old ?... one of his tempers, lashed out at me kicking over and over again, until I could no longer stand..
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I'm so sorry that you had to endure such horrible treatment from your father, @hollydolly 🌷🌹🥀
 
hollydolly said:
While we're on the subject of estranged family members on the other thread.. did I ever tell you Frank.. that my back injuries were initially caused when my father broke my back when I was 15 years old ?... one of his tempers, lashed out at me kicking over and over again, until I could no longer stand..
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No, you've never mentioned it. Or I didn't see it. I guess it shouldn't surprise anyone that spinal injuries usually turn into spinal disease decades later and just keep getting worse and worse. And they effect your health in ways you wouldn't think are related to spinal injury and disease, but they are.
 
Nathan said:
A guy that just started up in our class at the gym was talking about wanting to do Yoga, as he has some kind of back problem. I printed this chart for him to follow:

View attachment 239809

My favorites are the Cow, Cat and Child's pose. Years ago when my doctor sent me to a physical therapist for my back, these 3 Yoga poses were what he recommended.
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We've talked about this before and I forgot about Child's Pose. That one and Cow do the most for me. And normally, the relief lasts for hours, but for the past 5 months, nothing helps. I wish my surgeon would just go ahead and slice me open because images do a pitiful job of showing exactly what's going on and seems like my "medical team" isn't hearing me. Plus, honestly, today it feels like the pain starts on the left and right *here*, but yesterday it was the right and slightly higher, know what I mean? So I get even more frustrated when they ask "Where does it hurt?"

I'm just so freakin fed up. And I've been mostly perched on my butt for all these 5 months, and now my legs feel weak and wobbly when I do get up to do what I can. Plus my weight still isn't up where it should be. I'd like another 15-20 pounds but I'd be happy with 10 (for now).

Don't like to dump but I'm just so exasperated. It'll pass, though.
 
Murrmurr said:
We've talked about this before and I forgot about Child's Pose. That one and Cow do the most for me. And normally, the relief lasts for hours, but for the past 5 months, nothing helps. I wish my surgeon would just go ahead and slice me open because images do a pitiful job of showing exactly what's going on and seems like my "medical team" isn't hearing me. Plus, honestly, today it feels like the pain starts on the left and right *here*, but yesterday it was the right and slightly higher, know what I mean? So I get even more frustrated when they ask "Where does it hurt?"
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yes referred pain... like when you have a toothache, and you think it's coming from a certain tooth on the right when in fact the problem is the tooth on the left
 
Nathan said:
Is there a specific procedure under consideration that has a decent likelihood of bringing relief?
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In my opinion, surgery has the only likelihood of great, permanent relief. I'm not sure if my surgeon just doesn't want to risk it because of my age, or if he just keeps forgetting we've been taking the "conservative approach" for over a year now. This new pain is only half a year old, but if he'd have already corrected the collapse, these symptoms probably wouldn't even have developed. I'm sure they wouldn't have.

I hate to go with another surgeon. They're all excellent, but he's the excellentest. Seriously, he's kind of phenomenal. I'll go with the injection for now. It's getting close to the holidays; not a good time to be scheduling major surgery; and when the injections work, it's freaking awesome! But I'll be another year older next year, and if age is the issue with this guy then I will go with one of his colleagues.
 
Alligatorob said:
Best of luck with it, sure hope it works out for you.

Let us know how it goes, back pain is all too common amongst us. I have it, but not too bad or too often... yet...
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I sometimes wonder, if I hadn't fallen off that cliff 30 yrs ago, would I have any back pain at all today?

I probably would. It is indeed very common in people over 55. And if not for that fall, my complaints probably wouldn't be taken as seriously as they are. It drives me crazy that old folks are Rx'ed meds as soon as they say "My back hurts." I honestly think there's more to lower lumbar pain than anyone knows. When there's a common problem, there's a common cause. It's a shame that spine studies lost funding - something like 5 years ago.

An aside: I've donated my dead body to the university medical center.
 
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Nathan said:
Sorry for being nosy, what is it that they will be injecting? Cortisone?
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Yes, that and an anesthetic and an analgesic. It's a nerve-numbing, inflammation-calming cocktail.

The main concern with it is that nerves heal themselves, they regenerate and/or re-route, so after a few of these cocktails, the nerve can become a bundle of nerves, and that's not good. Not good for doctors, that is, because not everything will be where it's supposed to be, or used to be.
 
Murrmurr said:
Yes, that and an anesthetic and an analgesic. It's a nerve-numbing, inflammation-calming cocktail.

The main concern with it is that nerves heal themselves, they regenerate and/or re-route, so after a few of these cocktails, the nerve can become a bundle of nerves, and that's not good. Not good for doctors, that is, because not everything will be where it's supposed to be, or used to be.
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Oh, should have mentioned, one of the chemicals that numbs the nerve actually burns it, so that's why the nerve would have to heal itself.
 
hollydolly said:
yes.. and I've had that 3 times.. each time it worked for less time.. The first time it lasted for several years.. the second time.. 18 months.. the third time it barely lasted more than a few weeks.. The surgeon said there was no point in having any more..
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I had the same experience; 9 months the first time, 21 weeks the second time, and about 6 weeks the third. Plus, between the 9 month one and the 12-week one, I had an injection that didn't work at all, so they figured they missed the target and did a re-do. (I have a spinal birth-defect that probably caused it to miss)
 
My wife has had life long back problems which surgery has solved, but now she has more steel in her back than the Golden Gate Bridge. Not a problem until she goes through a metal detector at the airport. Oops, gotta find a woman to pat her down. An explanation or note from a doctor doesn’t work.
 
ElCastor said:
My wife has had life long back problems which surgery has solved, but now she has more steel in her back than the Golden Gate Bridge. Not a problem until she goes through a metal detector at the airport. Oops, gotta find a woman to pat her down. An explanation or note from a doctor doesn’t work.
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All my hardware is titanium, which doesn't alarm detectors.
 

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