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I went almost 39 years never having spent any time as a patient in a hospital, being admitted to the emergency room, or being diagnosed with anything more serious than the flu. Doctor told me yesterday I have degenerative disc/bone disease. I'm going to join the millions of people who are forced to make high-risk/low-reward medical decisions about back problems.
My years of back problems have become serious the past 4 weeks. I started experiencing tingling in my hip joint and now if I stand more than 10 minutes my right thigh feels like someone's taking a torch to it. It's getting progressively worse.
Doctor says I have immense bone pressure at the L4/L5 that's causing the problems. He said the unusual shape of my body -- severe truncular obesity, which means almost all of my weight is carried in my chest and stomach -- is the cause. The common solutions are:
- Steroid injections (which I've never met a person who said it works)
- Tense units/massage therapy (which I've never met a person who said it works)
- Surgery (which is about 50/50 either working great or ruining a person's life, like my wife)
- Nothing
I'm opting for option 4 right now. Started on Vicodin, which I dread because I have a thing against opiates, and am in a race to lose 100 lbs. before I develop a chemical addiction. I need to get down below 240 and then reassess my options.
Getting old sucks!
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Sorry to hear it. I suppose there is no getting around the weight loss part now, but I know many who used massage therapy, accupuncture, and even yoga to vastly improve the health of their back.
Be wary of surgery and extra wary of the painkillers (sounds like you already are.)
Be wary of surgery and extra wary of the painkillers (sounds like you already are.)
It's a necessary evil at this point. Ultram/Torridol make me ill. I'm conceding this for now because I've lost the ability to function normally without them. However, I refuse to take on the mind set that this is pain management. It's a temporary solution.
It's a necessary evil at this point. Ultram/Torridol make me ill. I'm conceding this for now because I've lost the ability to function normally without them. However, I refuse to take on the mind set that this is pain management. It's a temporary solution.
The term "pain management" also bugged me. Temporary would be how I would look at it as well.
I have degenerative discs in my neck (cervical) and had all those problems last year with pain and numbness down my arm. One doctor recommended surgery (no, thanks) another wanted me to take mega-doses of anti-inflammatory for 3 months (no, thanks).
So I just waited it out - after 4 months of inactivity (nothing that would put strain on my neck like sit ups or certain movements) pain is gone! Did a lot of hot/cold therapy and massages as well and still do - to some extent.
Also went to a physiatrist (specialist in pain management) who gave me those tips.
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Yeah, I got some Cardinal Kool-Aid but I didn't add the sugar!
My (female) cousin has been doing yoga for about a year and she says on her last doctor's appointment she "grew" an inch. The doctor said this was due to a natural decompression of the spine through yoga.
If you have cable there are shows in the morning on FitTV all about yoga, just Tivo them and do them at your leisure. My wife and I did this for a while
My (female) cousin has been doing yoga for about a year and she says on her last doctor's appointment she "grew" an inch. The doctor said this was due to a natural decompression of the spine through yoga.
If you have cable there are shows in the morning on FitTV all about yoga, just Tivo them and do them at your leisure. My wife and I did this for a while
Y'all are piquing my interest. Always thought of yoga in the New Age-y sense, which is sort of a cultural determent to me. Never thought about the health benefits. I'll see if I can fire up the DVR for one of those shows. I'd also like to grow an inch! I've always been a hair shy of 6 foot tall. However, 6-1 is my listed NBA height.
I'm sorry to hear about that, Gad. Losing weight has to be your first priority; need to get the strain off your spine.
Yoga & tai chi are great for you too. Massage therapy I have heard has worked for several people I know. I would definitely give it a shot--just make sure they understand your condition & they are qualified to work with it.
Gad, my wife has had lower back issues and has had a discetomy (3 years ago) for a bulging disk. Last year she started to suffer some more and began some intense therapeutical massage ("rolfing" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolfing). It nearly made her cry during the sessions, but it did wonders for her. She found a gal that she liked - and was trained in the structural integration massage - at a nearby Massage Envy (local day spa), and the sessions were 90 minutes each.
The yoga is also a very good idea, but it can be difficult for larger people. This I know from experience. Just take it slow - it is quite beneficial but takes a while and a lot of practice and patience and stamina to get it.
Best of luck to you as you try to get healthy.
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"Well, the website is the brain-child of my brain-child, Ryan. It is my brain-grandchild." - Michael Gary Scott
Yoga is awesome. Hard, but I always feel great when I'm done. I'm usually not one who comes away from a work out saying "doesn't that feel great?!" ...no, it usually doesn't, but yoga feels different, IMO.
__________________ America cannot have an empire abroad and a Republic at home.
I went almost 39 years never having spent any time as a patient in a hospital, being admitted to the emergency room, or being diagnosed with anything more serious than the flu. Doctor told me yesterday I have degenerative disc/bone disease. I'm going to join the millions of people who are forced to make high-risk/low-reward medical decisions about back problems.
My years of back problems have become serious the past 4 weeks. I started experiencing tingling in my hip joint and now if I stand more than 10 minutes my right thigh feels like someone's taking a torch to it. It's getting progressively worse.
Doctor says I have immense bone pressure at the L4/L5 that's causing the problems. He said the unusual shape of my body -- severe truncular obesity, which means almost all of my weight is carried in my chest and stomach -- is the cause. The common solutions are:
- Steroid injections (which I've never met a person who said it works)
- Tense units/massage therapy (which I've never met a person who said it works)
- Surgery (which is about 50/50 either working great or ruining a person's life, like my wife)
- Nothing
I'm opting for option 4 right now. Started on Vicodin, which I dread because I have a thing against opiates, and am in a race to lose 100 lbs. before I develop a chemical addiction. I need to get down below 240 and then reassess my options.
Gad, I can sympathize with your problem. 20 years ago this Cinco De Mayo, I became victim to a badly herniated L4 disc. I was 35 years old at the time. I had been moving some heavy industrial equipment, which I had no business doing by myself, and then spent the next few days sitting on a shop stool hunched over a work bench. All of a sudden I could not get up, I was in excruciating pain and could not stand, walk, or sit. I had to crawl to move around.
After seeing Dr DeBruin, I began getting better fairly quickly. In about 4 weeks, I went back to work although I still could not sit very long, and had to stretch my back constantly. I could not sit comfortably for long periods for almost a year.
Today, I am pain free, very flexible, and my back is stronger. I walk, run, and bike with no problems. I have recently given up 15 years of sedentary Information Technology work and gone back to a more active job driving a truck, loading and lifting products.
I still see Dr DeBruin every 8-10 weeks, and have absolutely no problems as long as I don’t stretch out treatments too far apart. We did an X-ray about a year ago, and found my disc is only about ¼ as thick as normal, yet he believes it won’t ever cause me chronic problems, as long as I maintain treatment. Dr DeBruin is a fantastic guy; I don’t see any reason why he could not help you. Sciatica is a minor version of the same thing I think (I’m not the doctor), it results from pressure on the nerves extending from L4.
Tell them Lee Imler sent you. I actually look forward to treatments like you would to getting a massage. There is no pain involved.
Mods, I don’t know if endorsements are allowed, but I’m hoping this info can help Gad.
dreamcastrocks--My Hero!!
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