Question/Info...Back Health...Opinions/advice Welcome!

[mytmousemalibu]

Since we have such a diverse member base here and chances are im not the only fish in this pond, thought i'd get your guy's/gal's take/advice/info :hug:

For those of us or close to us, to perhaps benifit from one another, i'd like to share my situation with you and maybe find some good awnsers and help! Now ill start off saying, im not out to grind my ax or gather sympathy from you guys, cause i know theres folks out there far less fortunate than myself and im thankful for what ive got

Since about 18ish or so, ive kinda had back pain issues. Nothing real severe at the time, just some what frequent back pain, i never really gave it much though, kinda attributed it to my lifestyle. We here a few years ago, after increasing pain and frequency of it, it kinda struck me that this just isnt right, somthings not correct. So after some visits to the doc and some anti-inflamitorys and exersices to do, not much improvment came. So i was x-ray'ed and found a narrowing (likly "bulged/herniated/slipped" disk)between my vertibrae in my lower lumbar and found i have light/moderate scoliosis. And the whole time, nothing in over-the-counter pain relief helped, even in exessive amounts. So at that point, i had been prescribed a narcotic pain killer to numb me up when i hurt enough to to cause secondary issues, like beeing unable to perform at work. And I have managed my prescriptions very well, and done so for over 2 years now as the same, no addiction issues or anything. My pain level has stayed fairly normal for the 2yr and doing well. Here in the last 5-6 months things started to change. Now worse pain, more frequentlly, and so on.At times severe enough to almost bring me to my knees! Not even double or triple dose of Oxy would phaze it. Now over 2yrs from my initial x-rays, its gotten a good deal worse. After more X-rays, I now have narrowing in my T-Spine, C-Spine and L-Spine. Thats lower/middle/neck that have disk issues now. The one in the center on my back, causes pain below my shoulder blades and into my chest making breathing hurt and every so often, it will pop/crack in there and if feels better, but its a contenious cycle. I've now been diagnosed with Degenerative Disk Disease and arthritis in my spine aswell. My scoliosis shows no changes as of now. Still enough curvature where there could be some bone rub in there though. So now a change in meds again (I wear through them and they become ineffective) and on a steriod, im doin ok, lil better, gettin my ambition again to do things. I have to be alot more careful about the physical things i do, and unfortunatly cant lift much, that really agitates my back. It still hurts pretty much 24/7 but manageable for now. Doc hasent deemed MRI's or surgery needed at this point yet. Ive watched my dad suffer from a back injury that he got while on the Fire Dept. and We now share a common affliction that is basically permanant damage that we have to live with. Crappy part is i started on it early:spit: Im gettin close to 27 here in January 30th.
I even already had 2 colon polyp's removed a month ago! I feel relived bout that, maybe overted our family cancer history, my uncle passed from it @ 25 when i was little. Anyhow...

So im after some advice from you guys:hug: For you guys in the same boat, what do you do for relief?

I have a number of aids, that help, but nothing magical. I somtimes use a back belt, the pressure feels good somtimes. Somtimes Icy-Hot or a heat pack/pad is good too, but that has its limits. I even bought an Inversion Table! It locks my ankles and i flip over and hang by my legs, kinda helps straighten/strech me out and lets fluid get back in joints. It does give decent temporary relief but its a big piece of equipment that i cant take around and do get head blood rush on it:rofl:

Just wondered if theres anything that works good for you guys that i might be able to try? I'd be welcome to some more relief! I could use it! I know that my days as an auto technican are numbered, that jobs too hard on me and i have no idea what to do after this, that stresses me out and gets me down, thats the last thing i need!

I appriciate your input and advice, i see you all as a big family of friends and glad to share my story with you all!

Thanks!!!!

Chris:thumb:

 

[ripmf666]

We would have to meet for dinner to talk about this. I take atleast 8 oxys and 4 valume to get thru a 10 hr shift

 

[mytmousemalibu]

That sucks Henry, I know the drill Well since your in KC now that might be a distinct possibility here sometime:thumb: Aside from it always beein nice to meet fellow members:hug: I know my schedule right now is pretty busy but Im always up for a trip outta here for a bit!

 

[ripmf666]

Yea i'm working 4 10hr shifts and were working 3 out of 4 fridays and next week were going to 10 1/2 hrs shifts.

 

[mytmousemalibu]

Thats alot of work! We've been real busy too. Think our schedule is booked up pretty solid. Think about 2 weeks in advance! And a good bit of it is big jobs. Kinda a mixed blessing One thing that gets my back PO'ed is leaning over fenders and such to work on the engines, and its inavoidable. And older BMW's have forward tilting hoods and that makes it real fun working on the front of the engine Being 6'1" exacerbates the issue.

 

[paint94979]

Acupuncture could help... Physical Therapy fixed the issues I was having in my body. Just as a suggestion Medical Marijuana could also relax your muscles and joints resulting in less pain.

 

[paint94979]

also if you are overweight that can make things MUCH worse, you should try and strengthen your core to take some of the stress off your back as well.

 

[SIKDMAX]

Medical Marijuana

This.

 

[mytmousemalibu]

:rofl: Im sure medical MJ would help, but on the other hand, I have never smoked or anything before, and the only drugs ive taken are perscribed. If i were prescribed it, i would give it a shot However, I am allergic to cigarette smoke, the nicotine i think? But not sure if that has any bearing or not? Im a tad overweight. Im a decent size frame guy, im @ 195lb. And its somthing im trying to bring down again. At one point i was 165lb for some time, before i was diagnosed. Stress and steroids and such didnt help that any. Never tried acupuncture, I'll look into that

As physical therapy goes, I really wished i could. My finances are pretty tight and even with health insurance, its gonna cost me alot. It also would be a challenge to find time to go. I cant afford to leave work for it. So i kinda hafta PT myself. Not trying to stare the gift horse in the face or anything. If needs be, guess im gonna hafta make sacrafices to make room

I appriciate your advice guys
I'll take all i can get!

 

[tinman22]

most probably wont agree but a GOOD chiropractor can really help with the pain. my current chiropractor isnt as good as id like but he does help me maintain and is in my budget. my first chiropractor must have been a majician because he was able to get me in really good condition after a few months when I had my motorcycle accident.

 

[paint94979]

MM can be take in edibles(s) or even a tincuture its like a spray that you shoot in your mouth... very effective

 

[Pondsy]

Chiro can't solve the degenerative issue I'd imagine, but I 2nd the recommendation. Most insurance policies cover the treatments (less co-pays). I've had a bad back since I was 9 (illegal kick to the back in a martial arts tournament). Just dealt with it going out 3-4 times a year until I couldn't stand up after a day of body surfing. Doctor's told me I needed surgery and would be on pain meds for the rest of my life. that was 10 yrs ago and my back had never been better. Chiro had me fixed up in 2 months and with monthly check-up, it almost never goes out (unless I don't get enough sleep). Couple that with exercises to strengthen my gut, lower back and legs. It's been a blessing.

Might be worth a trip to a chiro to see if they can "alleviate" some of the pain associated with your condition. They don't work for everyone, but when they do ....

Good luck man - wish ya the best!:thumb:

FWIW - I can work on my car long either. If I do, it takes forever to stand up straight again!!:rofl:

 

[TrentNell]

If you find an answer let me know :rofl: I gave up on the pain killers , yes they help but at one point i still felt the pain but was just out of it enough to not care , it wasnt for me . every now and then it gets bad enough for me to get some from the doc but i dont like living life through " foggers " . So I just suck it up . My condition is no were near yours though ( bad disc for me ) I can say when i stopped wrenching for a living it got a bit better since i know have a desk job

 

[mytmousemalibu]

All great info guys! Keep it comin! :thumb:

I, like a number of back pain sufferers, have strayed away from chiro just from the usual rumors and advice from doctors and such. So I havent tried it, partly because i dont have any feedback on local places and heared the usual horror stories of it and I just didnt have it on my list. If it has work aswell as it has for some of you, perhaps i should reconsider

Thanks for the info Nick, i had no idea you could spray it! The one thing on that is, here locally a while ago, a local crook MD got caught handing out large doses of pain killers and since that, MD's are real stingy and cautious about who gets what now, and frankly makes me nervous to ask. Dont wanna loose ground

I really try to get by and suck it up as long as possible before i decide to take a pill. Living in a drug haze all the time does get old. Somtimes Ill put up with it if its not terrible. More so now than before, if i start to feel it flareing up, i'd better take a pill at the first signs or it might not numb me out, and that sucks. So theres a fine line there.

I need a desk job, but man thats not me, im a physical person, I like beein out there and using my hands but might not have a choice eventually.

 

[Pondsy]

I really try to get by and suck it up as long as possible before i decide to take a pill. Living in a drug haze all the time does get old. Sometimes Ill put up with it if its not terrible. More so now than before, if i start to feel it flaring up, I'd better take a pill at the first signs or it might not numb me out, and that sucks. So theres a fine line there.

I need a desk job, but man thats not me, I'm a physical person, I like beein out there and using my hands but might not have a choice eventually.

I damaged the nerves in my middle finger (due to cold exposure) when installing the outside doors on my house a year ago. Blood vessels kept hemorrhaging at the tip of the finger and the whole tip turned black - pain was 1000x worse than smashing it with a hammer!! I was in the hospital for 2 weeks while more than 10 "specialists" tried to figure out what was going on and NOTHING they tried alleviated the pain. All they could do was knock me out so I slept through it.

Who saved the day?? A frickin cosmetic surgeon!! He shot my hand full of Botox of all things. Botox gave the nerves time to calm down, the vessels relaxed and everything went back to normal (other than that one finger being more sensitive to cold than the others). Mention it to the physician. It's relatively new and was a case of first impression for my doctor. All the other "specialists" told the plastic surgeon he was nuts and told me I shouldn't do it. Now they are all in on the study for the journal! Damn glad I didn't listen to them. The others wanted to amputate my finger to solve the problem b/c they couldn't figure it out. WTF

It wouldn't be a permanent fix, but could provide some relief in spurts (a month to 3 months at a time). Since it's for pain relief rather than vanity, it's also covered by insurance.:thumb:

 

[Dozerboy]

I've had back problems my whole life first went to a Chiro in my early teens maybe earlier. My pain isn't as bad as your but its constant and there are times I bend down and can't get up. I gave up on Chiro early on my bio dad has gone almost semiweekly forever and I don't want that. The best thing I ever did was exercises to strengthen my stomach and lower back almost daily.

 

[fast03]

Sorry to hear you are going through this. JMO but I have had continuous back pain since I was 20 and I am now 45. 3 degenerated disks, arhtritis, etc. BTW I ride a mountain bike, ski and play fairly competitive softball. First is to get off the pain killers they mask the pain that is trying to regulate your activities. Second strengthen your core and stretch alot hamstrings especially. Find a good PT and really work at it. When I finally found a good one the excercises (very mild, you would be amazed. Not things like crunches or sit ups) showed how weak my core was even though I was not large. Lastly, drink lots of water and eat healthy. Also chiropractors are great to help you maintain spinal health. I know this sounds like preaching, but I was in your shoes(falling to the ground in pain and not being able to go to work) I had pain killers and cortisone right to the nerves. Since I started this regimen I have been way better. I especially like the bike riding, very low impact on the back with the right seating position. Good luck I hope you can get some improvement so your life is better.

 

[stacks04]

x whatever on the chiro. i love my guy, only does whats needed and it works. i have degen disc also and it doesnt help that issue, but helps keep things in line. when i was in my early 20's even 18-19 i went for headaches and thats when i got him to look into my back. no headaches in 8 yrs and minimal back pain. every now and again i get crooked and i can feel it, i will get a migraine daily for a few days and/or neck pain, he twists and turns and in a day i am good as new. my back was rated at 12%disability in 2001 when i was 21 y/o. now i rarely have pain. my gut doesnt help matters now either.

 

[mytmousemalibu]

Thanks for the kind words fellas, that dose mean alot:hug:

I guess i should start doin some local research and ask questions about our local chiro clinics to see if theres one that stands out with good feedback. Its encouraging to hear you fellas havin great success with chiro therapy.

And ya, the painkillers are like a bandaid on a broken leg. I gotta be carful about them in so may ways. And like i said, I try to stay off them as much as possible, dunno if i can tolerate weening off them entirely, it would be nice. I try to get through the day long as possible without. That brings up another point though. The times that i hurt the worst are during typicaly later on in the afternoon/evening which is par for the course. But often when its at its worst is at night, and that throws a big wrench in the works. Then i cant get good rest cause im rolling around hurting (awake or not) and not sleeping or relaxing. Dosnt matter what i do, i cant lye comfortably. That just carries over to my day and ends up a contenuous cycle. Been some time since ive slept well. Vary rarely do i wake up refreshed and feelin pain free, maybe a handful of times a year if im lucky as I progress. As time goes, I've gone from mild discomfort in my lumbar to now...any one of the 3 sections of my back can hurt pretty bad. If my lower is flared up,besides pain in the lower spine, it usually makes my butt and legs hurt some, somtimes a radient pain or throbbing all the way to shooting pain. My center disk pain makes my chest hurt and hurts to breath, with a deep poping/cracking. And it sometimes can make my arms sore and weak.
My neck area, simply feels like a sore neck but also might be what gives my instant severe headaches? And one other odd thing ive noticed now is that i have a shaky sensation. Its all over and bout all the time. Dunno how to describe it, like a high frequency vibration kind of. Its not my pulse, way faster. When my pain is up, i can also have a parkinsons-ish deal in my hand.

It has gradually taken my drive away to do thing I used to. I'd had my truck finished along time ago if it wernt for this crap. Havent gone golfing in forever. Did go to the driving range this summer but i paied for that afterward. Used to take road trips to car shows, concerts and stuff, but now i cant stand riding in a car for long, my 45min daily commute is enough. Last i really went anywhere was Houston early in the spring and that ride was 9hrs of tourture. Thats why i came to you guys for some help, i wanna get back to life, cause this sucks.

One of the guys i work with, his wife is a PA on a very good nerosurgion (sp) team. Nervous system/brain/spinal MD's. Id like to have them if i go that route some day. Anyhow, The lead guy, Dr. Dickerson, tells his paitents, " I cannot fix you".... "But I can make your life better"

I would be on Cloud-9 if I can be "better". I know theres no cure or fix. Its damage im stuck with for life, but theres gotta be "better" out there:thumb:

 

[SmokeShow]

dang man. I know you aren't posting this for sympathy but I feel real bad for you. I wish you the best.

I'll keep you in my prayers bud


Best of luck.