Back pain...

[Western]

End of last year, I finally was diagnosed with Stenosis. After several years of light to moderate and sometimes severe pain, it was nice to find out what it was. It is a PITA, literally, when your lower back gets messed up.

Good thing is Doctor said at this point it is manageable, I.E. no surgery, that was probably one of the biggest factors in why I neglected to see a surgeon sooner. I have heard SOO many horror stories about back surgery, but the surgeon said
"those day's" are pretty much over with all the new technologies now.

Treatments right now are an occasional "stretching" (totally awesome) Steroid injections, (haven't done that yet) and of course the "knife" ( don't want to).

Last 3 day's been laid up and all I did was take the wife fish'n:thumbsup: Better today, actually got out and watered the flowers.

I am only a "hard" 48 years old, doc said I have really overworked my back and he see's that more now day's in the younger folks, used to be nothing to grabbing 2 square bales and head for the trailer.

Word to the wise::: Take care of your back and pay attention on how and what you lift, it "aint " worth the drama to be a tough guy when you start getting older.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Good luck with your back...Have you tried a chiropractor? My mom (who has back trouble) is always telling me to watch when lifting things. Guess I should listen. I guess that's what we have FEL's for. Also, a nutritionist told my mom that he would never get back surgery unless he was going to be in a wheelchair the rest of his life. I tend to agree...

 

[retiredmgn]

Word to the wise::: Take care of your back and pay attention on how and what you lift, it "aint " worth the drama to be a tough guy when you start getting older.

Sissy (says nelson as he downs a muscle relaxant to counteract a day of splitting and moving firewood).

It's good to spread the word. It's tough to get the word 'believed' by testosterone fueled young guys. I recall some warnings said in my direction. I never payed attention. Did you?
Just don't understand these young guys. Ya think they'd listen to us.

And the circle goes round and round...

Nelson

 

[YesDeere]

I see people lift things wrong every day. I take the time and tell them how to lift and why. All I ever get is "ok man whatever". So then. Whatever. I'm 36 now and feel pretty good. Back has been strong so far. But I was Harped on as a young man how to lift properly.

 

[bp fick]

Baled hay as a youngster, over and over and over again. Onto the wagon, and up in the lofts. Literally thousands and thousands of heavy bales. It about crippled me, to be honest.

Yup, I pay the price for that today, no doubt. I've learned my limits and how to rest and stretch. I intend to avoid any surgery for a long, long time. Hoed the garden today. Slow and deliberate, lots of breaks, but after 7 hours, I called it quits. I am bushed and very stiff. Tomorrow's another day.

 

[dmccarty]

I messed up my back a few years ago tiling a $%^&*( bathroom. Had one foot in the tub. One out. I was spreading the sticky stuff when I reached too far back and too fast. I heard the pop.



I said this is going to hurt. It did a few days later and got worse and worse and worse.

Ended up in the ER at 0200 on a Sunday morning. Waste O Time. They thought I was there to get pain drugs which was exactly what I need. The gave me a script for 800mg of over the counter meds and sent me home. Where was I going to get meds at 0300 in the morning.

After getting to an MD and being drugged out of my mind, which at least stopped the pain, but did not fix the problem I went to a bone cracker who did fix the problem. Hurt the back again in a car accident and went back to the bone cracker. Much better than missing works due to being drugged at home in bed. :thumbsup: Amazing what ice packs will do for you pain wise.

I never thought I would be one THOSE people with a bad back but I am.

Be careful with the back. You only have one. If you mess it up YOU will pay for it in money and pain.

Later,
Dan

 

[Bird]

I know there used to be lots of horror stories about back surgery, but the last few people I've known who had back surgery say they wished they'd done it sooner because it stopped their pain. I think there's been lots of improvements in techniques.

I guess the same could be said for chiropractors, but I'm still leary of the bone poppers. Way back in the '40s one of my great grandmothers went to a chiropractor. He broke her hip and she was a bedridden invalid the rest of her life. Now it is possible that she had undiagnosed bone cancer that had something to do with the hip breaking so easily. And then in the '50s one of my grandmothers went to see a chiropractor and after he worked on her, he had to call an ambulance to come get her at his office and take her to the hospital. Maybe someday, but for the time being, there's just no way I'd go to a chiropractor. However, my younger sister used to have back trouble and said her chiropractor was the only thing that helped, so who knows.

My wife started having back trouble about four and a half years ago and went to an orthopedic spine specialist. He sent her to physical therapists in 2007, which helped some, but not enough. So she went to a pain specialist twice in 2008 for injections in her spine in his office. Then in 2009, he had her go to a surgical center where they could put her to sleep to do the injections, then once again in June, 2010, and in January of this year. The injections helped a great deal for 4 to 6 months until this year. The one in January didn't help much. So in the last month or so, she's had a bone density test, x-rays, and MRI. Pretty serious osteoporosis, as well as arthritis, so they've put her on Actonel (that's the one Sally Fields advertises on TV), sending her to physical therapy 3 times a week for 4 weeks, and this Thursday back to the surgery center for another spinal injection.

The orthopedic surgeon said he didn't think surgery was necessary YET.

However, my wife has a brother who turned 74 last month. He was in the army 10 years and was kicked out on a medical discharge in 1969 or 1970 because of severe arthritis in his back. He's walked stooped over as long as I've known him. But he was always a hard worker and alway held a pretty good job installing and maintaining communcations equipment. But he ate aspirin by the handfuls until it ate through his stomach and he nearly bled to death one night in 1993. So his doctors tried every medication imaginable for years, and finally a little over a year ago, they did surgery to burn the ends of nerves to block the pain. He said the pain was worse than ever for a day or two after that surgery, but NO PAIN since. He's very happy that he had the surgery.

 

[Western]

I've tried chiropractors, that is who referred me to a spinal surgeon. They did the MRI thing and several X-rays and found the nerves pretty quickly with the swollen tissue, also a slipped disc.

Ibuprofen works on the normal day, cold packs work real good as mentioned, for a time.

I will consider the surgery route if I get a few more "episodes" like this last one. I am hearing allot better results with the current surgical procedures. The surgeon said that in my case, a surgery 20 years ago would have opened up my back and went on a "sight seeing" mission, now day's it's a small incision and much less invasive, almost "micro" surgery. Makes sense that this would have a better outcome.

I like the sound of burnt up nerve endings I have heard the shots are a temporary relief and not sure I would want to go that way, but it may be a reprieve.


As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not indestructible, but you couldn't have told me that till I got into my 40's. I used to like being "sore", made me feel like I got something done.

I am blessed though, it could be worse and for me it's just a quality of life issue that can be dealt with at this point. I wish I would have had some one telling me to "take it easy" when I was young, but back then us farm kids where the FEL.

 

[caver]

Two micro surgerys on the same disc and it helped me both times. I was back to work in a couple weeks and full duty in less than two months.

 

[mmurphy]

I am 48 also. have had back problems since I was 35. Started doing so called proper lifting, and now my knees are screaming at me!!!

When I was a teenager, I thought all them old people were just whining! I was hoping I would have been old before I had to start in.

Now the only thing I have to look forward to is, being that grumpy old man that growls and cusses at everyone when they walk by.

 

[20 20]

Be very carefull of chiropractor's, with some back issues they could easily cause more harm then good. Chiropractor's are okay for the day to day type sore back but if you have a real problem they could make a mountain out of a mole hill{so to speak}

 

[jinman]

I think chiropractors are great for those of us who have muscle spasms that don't go away easily. I once was in the hospital with severe spasms for almost two weeks. Finally, the ortho surgeon closed his office door and put me on the exam table where he did an adjustment. He said that some in his profession looked down on such things, but he was convinced that was what I needed. Within two days, I was free of pain.

Now, I find my back is stiff for the first half-hour every morning when I get out of bed. If I do a lot of lifting, it may be more sore than normal, but the lower back pain and tightness normally go away within the first hour after getting up as I surf through TBN. Maybe TBN is my therapy.:thumbsup:

 

[Western]

Two micro surgerys on the same disc and it helped me both times. I was back to work in a couple weeks and full duty in less than two months.

That's what I'm leaning towards, thinking I better do it while we have insurance, not sure what will happen with Obamni Care.

MMurphy, I know just what you mean, wear out one tire trying to go easy on the other one.

Jim, you just need more caffeine brother!!

 

[mmurphy]

I think chiropractors are great for those of us who have muscle spasms that don't go away easily. I once was in the hospital with severe spasms for almost two weeks. Finally, the ortho surgeon closed his office door and put me on the exam table where he did an adjustment. He said that some in his profession looked down on such things, but he was convinced that was what I needed. Within two days, I was free of pain.:thumbsup:

I just came back from my chiropractor. I trust him more than the main stream Drs.

I was having chest pains a few years back. Went to a Dr. told him what was going on, and after lots of money spent and no relief, decided to let my chiropractor know about this problem. He laughed and said he has helped a lot of people before spending hard earned money on tests that 80% of time shows nothing. 8 dollars on copay later, went several months with no chest pain. Now if I have that pain I let him know, and he takes care of it every time.

 

[foggy1111]

I went through a summer of bad lower back pain last summer. Debilitaing. Could not do much. And had severe pain down my leg and it was not getting better with chriropractic last summer. My chrio was concerned as the pain was down my leg....not a good sign. He lacked the right MRI and x-ray equipment to do a good diagnosis.

My MD made an appointment with a lower back specialty clinic. I had a herniated disc. After MRI and injections to isolate what needed to be done......I had surgery. No pain....no issues......immediate releif. Healed up and good as new.

I think back surgury has MUCH better results these days than in the past due to new technology. MRI, dyes, etc etc. They can see the issues that need corrrection much better today.

With the same back problem.....I would have surgury again in a heartbeat. :thumbsup:

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I wish I would have had some one telling me to "take it easy" when I was young, but back then us farm kids where the FEL.

:laughing::laughing::laughing: :thumbsup:

 

[riptides]

I think back surgury has MUCH better results these days than in the past due to new technology. MRI, dyes, etc etc. They can see the issues that need corrrection much better today.

Different planet. One of the kids had surgery to fuse some vertebrae, one day in hospital, up and walking the next day. Real-time images of screws going millimeters into bone.

On a different note, have had back go out, sneezing, checking air in tire, and just stepping wrong. Attribute it to old age. Takes longer to get the muscle to relax. Have seen specialists to "strengthen my core"........

 

[Western]

Well has been "OK" for the last several months, only get aggravated when doing allot of bending over. BUT Friday morning I get out of bed, get half way to the coffee machine and BA-MM!! felt like some one drove a chisel in my lower back.

Not the same spot as normal (Sciatic) but lower. Obviously a pinched nerve since I can lean a certain way and get some relief. Had my 12 year old niece over on Saturday, she says "You walk like and old man" I'm like DUH, compared to you every one is old:laughing: Anyhow, this morning, as I "crawl" again to the coffee pot, "snap"?? the pain diminishes to just really sore:thumbsup: YEAH!!

Don't know if it's how I slept Thursday night, but we're looking at beds now (JIC) But if this happens again, I'm asking for the surgery, it has become a literal PITA. From what my Spinal Surgeon said, it is almost a "microscopic" type surgery now, so the recovery is quick. Dunno, but I'm about ready to "roll" the dice.

 

[firedog]

Well has been "OK" for the last several months, only get aggravated when doing allot of bending over. BUT Friday morning I get out of bed, get half way to the coffee machine and BA-MM!! felt like some one drove a chisel in my lower back.

Not the same spot as normal (Sciatic) but lower. Obviously a pinched nerve since I can lean a certain way and get some relief. Had my 12 year old niece over on Saturday, she says "You walk like and old man" I'm like DUH, compared to you every one is old:laughing: Anyhow, this morning, as I "crawl" again to the coffee pot, "snap"?? the pain diminishes to just really sore:thumbsup: YEAH!!

Don't know if it's how I slept Thursday night, but we're looking at beds now (JIC) But if this happens again, I'm asking for the surgery, it has become a literal PITA. From what my Spinal Surgeon said, it is almost a "microscopic" type surgery now, so the recovery is quick. Dunno, but I'm about ready to "roll" the dice.

I was there about eleven years ago. Herniated disc at the L3 or L4. Sometimes would feel like somebody hit me in the back with a baseball bat, and if you felt a sneeze coming, hold on to something tight because it would take you to your knees.
I had the micro-disection/laminectomy. It's where they remove the lamina "cap part" of the bone and trim the disc area that is putting pressure on the nerve. It was outpatient surgery and I was back to work in two weeks. I still have numbness/weakness in my left foot, but that's from the nerve damage. If you have any nerve compression, it can result in permanant damage if you let it go too long.
If it comes down to fusion surgery (and I've had a two level fusion C6-C7) consider an artifical disc. There is some really new stuff out there that just wasn't available when I had mine done.
Best of Luck.

 

[sfloggie]

My time with back pain is everyday due to farm work, football and then Special Forces. I am 80% VA with degenerative bone disease, herniated neck and back plus other stuff.

I use a device called the Back Revolution purchased for about $350 out of CO. It allows me to hang upside down and stretch my back..the relief is at once and stays a long time. I only hang about 30-40 seconds. I do not do any of the exercises except the side stretches.

Long Old video, but informative:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P74diF0tQY&feature=related]Back Revolution - YouTube[/ame]

Newer shorter video:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqeAMByv6j4]The Back Revolution - YouTube[/ame]

This device is also great as it grips behind my knees. I have bad knees from football and the Army so I can not hang with something holding my ankles. This behind the knee grip is great.

In case of surgery, I have a great friend who is a neurosurgeon in Oklahoma CIty, DR Christopher Barry. However; he told me to not do surgery. Chris is also a farmer and rancher extraordinary with his wife Robin (former medi-vac pilot).

I hope you all do well and have a good day,
Jim