Sciatica, degenerative discs, lower back pain
lucillle
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jrb451
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Lower Back Pain
Comments (5)I think the emphasis should be on strengthening your abdominal muscles and your buttocks. If you strengthen those muscles you put less of a burden on your lower back. And you definitely need to stretch your lower back. But you have to be very careful not to overdo that -- best to get a book written by a physical therapist that can walk you through the steps -- what to do and what not to do. And you need to get in the habit of stretching your back GENTLY every day. If you are prone to lower back problems -- if you have had them on more than two or three occasions, and they made you very uncomfortable -- you should also get some guidance on simple things we usually don't think about, like how to sit and get up from a chair or from bed, how to get into a car without twisting yourself in such a way that you put extra stress on your lower back, how to bend down to pick something up (bend you knees and keep your back straight). Lower back problems are very very common. It's one of the prices we pay for being upright creatures. But you can reduce their frequqncy and intensity by following the rules. If you go to webmd.com you might get some hints on the kind of books that might be helpful. Or just browse around in you public library or a bookstore. Good luck....See MoreSciatica!
Comments (23)Darren........tell me more about that product. Devorah.....I think you might have told me about some exercises awhile back, but I forget. About a month ago, I began having really bad aching legs (mostly the left one). I decided to go to physical therapy for it instead of MRIs, surgeons, etc. Its helped a little, but I still have to take tylenol most of the day, and nighttime is usually awful. I finally called the doc and told him I'd have the MRI, but it needed to be an open-sided one, since I'm very claustraphobic. Unfortunately, the spine doc there said it had to be the closed one. They could give me a sedative, but I just can't do it. I'm thinking, no matter what they might find, the treatment will probably be close to what I'm getting now.....which is strengthening and stretching all the muscles in my leg and hip, lower back, and abdominals. I get alot of pain in my hip, where sciatic usually starts, but then I just get cramps/aching, spasms everywhere down my leg (rather than that shooting sciatica pain). Did you ever have an MRI? Was it a closed tube? What exercises do you do that helps so much? My knee doc said I have "piriformis syndrome" which is sciatica, but from being squished by the piriformis muscles, rather than pinched coming out of the spine.........but without an MRI, we'll never know for sure. My physical therapist has been gently massaging the area, and boy does that make it hurt the next day....but then it feels better for a few days. I have fibro, which really complicates everything, since my muscles always hurt. I'm thinking you have fibro too, right? I guess I'm feeling like a big wimp for not going through with the MRI....but right now, I just can't do it.....even with sedation. But it comforts me somewhat knowing that I'm probably doing good things for my muscles, etc. Sorry for rambling....See MoreDegenerative Disc Disease - Numbness in Face
Comments (51)I want to thank everyone and am so glad I came across this forum too. I was diagnosed with DDD back in 1999. after being injured wrking with a child with emotional and physical disorders (god bless) they did not understand I was injured again after having surgery a disc fusion at c5-c6 which resulted in a second fusion at c6-c7. I have a bulge at c7 and at c3-c4. I am considering if I need to have another surgery I will look into the new laser surgery. I have also been diagnosed with DDD iny lower back I fell at a local store back in October in which resulted in my lower back issue and an increase in my neck and shoulder issues. I too began having numbness in my left face after the fall. I too was afraid it was a stroke and was chked for blockage and found non it seemed to slowly let up some to only increase. I am getting ready for another MRI. I have pain radiating down my arms and have arthritis in my neck back shoulders arms and hands now. I do have nerve damage in my left shoulder as well as a loose shoulder joint. I so miss wrking with the children but to high risk for me. I did apply for disability back in 2000 was denied I thought I was not ready to consider myself disabled. again I was told I needed to apply so I tried again in 2005. in the meantime I started a home business/hobby to help take care of my family. I had children at home back then. again I was denied. my doc told me I needed to apt again so I have in and applied only to be told that I was being denied and that I no longer had any disability available to me. apparently if you are not wrking they have the right to start subtracting your disability that you wrked and payed in. where it goes I do not know. Here I thought I was being a strong and good person. my advice to those of you in this same health direction don't Waite, apply. this only seemed to get worse unfortunately and as many of you said. others do not understand the daily pain we go through. and for those of us that want to fight and live, we def pay for it at the end of each day. My husband is a saint. massages me every night to help Eliviate the pain. the headaches I get are deabilitating I either end up with shots or taking a heavy med that knocks me out. some days I'm not sure what scares me more. I want to thank everyone for sharing as well as allowing me to express. it's def a lonely ace to be when those around you do not understand. I don't look for sympathy I just try to find answers and be my own advocate . I too have tried pt several different times and only find that it aggrivates and inflames . I wish you all much strength and support through this. it's sad there are so many of us with this diagnoses and unanswered questions. I am glad however that I stumbled upon this sight. Sorry for the long text! I hope this helps even one person not to end up with no support or no disability. If you would like to talk let me know and I will be happy to share my emai! I wish everyone my best! <3...See MoreDoes anyone else have back disc problems?
Comments (10)This is my story. I have gone thorough the same things, was in so much pain could not walk, sit, lay or even eat, lots of numbness. Did not want to keep taking pain pills and was scheduled for back surgery on the following Monday. I literally crawled out of bed to my desk and in grabbing stuff the phone book fell open at my feet to a page for a local chiropractor(also neurological specialist). I had never been to one in my life but at that point was willing to give it a try, since it seemed to be my sign. I called and the doctor answered(it was closing time), I was in tears and told him my situation. He said can you get here now? I called my husband to come home and take me there (I had to lay in the back of the suv). That was on the Friday afternoon, he saw me evaluated me and looked at my mri and xrays I brought with me. He put the tens machine on my back with heat for 10 mins or so then he put me on the decompression table, he said this will be your miracle. After that he did some work on my back and told me to come back Saturday to do it again and he would meet me back at his clinic after church on Sunday, we wanted to get as much in as possible before my Surgery scheduled on Monday. He told me I would start to feel improvement with in about an hour after the decompression. He was right, I went back each day and by Monday I was up, walking, had very little pain remaining and called to cancel the surgery. We continued a few times a week till I was ok to only go every few weeks. I have continued to go have decompression sessions every few months now and I can tell when it is time for me to go, and I am back pain free, no pain drugs, and did indeed find my miracle. Decompression is truly a miracle. I do not know where I would be today if that phone book had not fallen at my feet. But I sure do thank which ever of my guardian angels sent that to me. I bought my own tens machine so anytime I begin to feel any twinges I sit with my tens on for a while which helps till I go have decompression. I have several other people that I suggested trying decompression to and they have had incredible success also. the science behind decompression is sound, it is very similar to traction. Now there are a lot of physical therapy facilities that use decompression. When I moved here one of the first things I did was find an office near me that had a decompression table. there are many sites that can explain spinal decompression if you google it this is just one. This is an FDA approved non-surgical option. What is Spinal Decompression Therapy?...See MoreZalco/bring back Sophie!
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