DDD / Lumbar - Try Physical Therapy?

[stars]

Jim - I'm sorry your pain became another kind of pain. It sucks so bad. I can't imagine having something like this for years, much less a decade.

Maria - You hit the nail on the head re: chiro. He does alleviate my pain, but I had no one making me do exercises correctly. My $$$ has been sucked out by the chiro. I am skinny but not in good shape AT ALL. In fact, i would say I'm borderline anorexic. I know my body. I know that I have not worked out in a year due to work and stress, etc. When i don't work out I lose muscle tone. To me, this is the whole reason this crept up so fast on me. I was weak, and I kept trying to do it all. Lift kid, move stuff, etc. So, I am glad i let it surface at 33. Now, I just have to get really strong and hope you all +Drs will guide me.

PT is helping me a TON. Thanks for all your advice. I was off this site for a few days. I really REALLY appreciate it. I didn't know who to talk to. I was feeling sooooo depressed.


Week 1:
Evaluation: Pain is in the center. Not going down my legs. (Stated my hips were weak as well as my core).
1- Presses (similar to Cobra in yoga). I started slow and moved up to 10/hour while i was at work. Pain went down from a 4/5 to a 2/3. Hooray! Pain also moved.
2- Traction
3- Stem / heat

Week 2:
1- Presses
2- checked out to see if my SI joint might be an issue (1 out of 5 hurt..so he said it prob wasn't that).
3 - Pushed around on my vertebra and sacrum.
4 - Pressed on sacrum while i did my presses. (He said my sacrum is tilted...so he's trying to nudge is back).
5 - He added pelvic floor exercises as well as core.
A. Pelvic Tilts B. Bridging C. NS w Ball Adduction D. NS with Theraband Abduction


I am to do those 4 exercises a few times a day. I already feel better. I was able to pick up my kid a few times this past weekend.

Currently, My pain is a 1/2.

[Maria]

So glad to read that your pain is that level! Seems like PT is helping you quite a bit.

Yeah people can be super slender and be way out of shape. Most doctors I've seen in the past were so pleased that I was very slender and made it sound like everything was great because of that one factor going in my favor. I do know when it comes to surgery it does help if someone is on the slender side vs. heavier or going towards obese. Especially if one is having surgery in the abdominal area and there is a lot of excess fat there.

I'm sure you have a quite a bit of reconditioning to do though at least you don't have to lose weight ... maybe gain a bit but not lose!

Glad you can pick your kid up correctly and keeping the pain in check so far. Hoping it continues this way for you! Thanks for the update! Maria

[Melissa]

My 49 year old brother had lower back surgery June 13 for a herniated disc. He was scheduled to have the surgery one day and go home the next. Then we were told the dura membrane was nicked. Otherwise, the doctors said the surgery was very routine and uneventful. He has been paralyzed since the day of his surgery. He has regained urine and bowel control; he has feeling in his quads. However, no feeling in his buttocks or from the ankles down. What is going on?

[mmglobal]

Melissa, I responded to your post on the thread you started.

Stars, that is awesome about your low pain levels.

I agree with Maria that chiropractic manipulation like 'cracking your back' can be very dangerous for spine patients. I don't understand how they can risk it as many of us have mechanical instability that could be aggravated with that kind of force.

Mark