Originally Posted by stonedstooge:
I've had several epidurals over the past 20 years with some helping greatly, and others not so much.
Concerning the arthritis, a good anti-inflammatory seems to help with the pain (I take Meloxicam). I ran out of it for 3 days last week, and immediately would wake up with pain in my spine and fingers. Once I got the script refilled, those pains disappeared within 2 days. Make sure and request an anti-inflammatory from your doctor. Made a world of difference in my case.
The neurologist's PA said to get portable neck traction & do 5-10 pounds 2 x per day & take 800 mg ibuprofen 3 x per day until I am seen next week.
Just picked up the traction contraption over lunch. Interested to see what it does. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mike in SW-MO:
The neurologist's PA said to get portable neck traction & do 5-10 pounds 2 x per day & take 800 mg ibuprofen 3 x per day until I am seen next week.
Just picked up the traction contraption over lunch. Interested to see what it does.
It'll try to make you look like Harvey Williams [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mike in SW-MO:
The neurologist's PA said to get portable neck traction & do 5-10 pounds 2 x per day & take 800 mg ibuprofen 3 x per day until I am seen next week.
Just picked up the traction contraption over lunch. Interested to see what it does.
Make sure you are drinking a crap ton of water. Taking that much ibuprofen for and extended time is hell on your kidneys.
Being well hydrated will help clean it out of your kidneys. [Reply]
Find a place with cold swim lanes and hot tubs. Take ibuprofen before you go. Get into the cold lanes and swim a few laps, whatever stroke helps stretch the problem area for you. Since your issue is upper body you can even just walk while stretching your shoulders, arms, etc from one side to the other. Then get out and soak it in the hot tub, letting the jets hit it and doing arm motion exercises while doing it. Then back out and repeat and go home to rest.
I had an L4 L5 herniated disk a long time ago, went through chiropractor, didn’t help but one day in the two months I did it. Went to physical therapy and was stretched out every morning, given stretches to do at home, and given electro therapy and massage. Nobody, not my doctor, not the chiropractor and not the physical therapists told me what I put in this first paragraph, not one. I had a membership to Lifetime Fitness, same gym I hurt my back to begin with, so I decided to just go and swim since it was the last thing outside of shots and surgery that was presented to me. My back healed from the low impact motion and exercise in less than two months. Not saying it will work for you but if you’re being told, or not told, the same things I was, this will cost you far less to at least try. [Reply]
I have been dealing for several years with a cervical spine herniation and a lumbar herniation. One think I've noticed is that my neck responds much better to physical therapy exercises than the back--with my neck, I can get pain relief quickly with certain exercises (mostly, resistance, like wrap a towel around the head and push back on it with the neck).
As for surgery, if they think they can do something to trim a portion of the disc that's pushing on the nerve, go for it. If they start talking fusion, that's a whole other kettle of fish. Cutting away something that's pushing on the nerve usually works. Fusion is riskier, sometimes makes it worse.
If injections work, but don't last very long, you could consider a procedure to burn the nerve roots. That usually lasts longer. [Reply]
Originally Posted by penguinz:
Been in a few car wrecks. Played soccer, goal keeper, at a high level through college and had lots of collisions with other players the ground and one time a goal post.
Lots of other stupid shit kids did in the 80s that should have probably killed us...
Nothing recent I can think of.
Same here. Goalkeeper in indoor soccer for many years. My body is wrecked from it. Have 3 MRIs scheduled for next week.
Originally Posted by manchambo:
I have been dealing for several years with a cervical spine herniation and a lumbar herniation. One think I've noticed is that my neck responds much better to physical therapy exercises than the back--with my neck, I can get pain relief quickly with certain exercises (mostly, resistance, like wrap a towel around the head and push back on it with the neck).
As for surgery, if they think they can do something to trim a portion of the disc that's pushing on the nerve, go for it. If they start talking fusion, that's a whole other kettle of fish. Cutting away something that's pushing on the nerve usually works. Fusion is riskier, sometimes makes it worse.
If injections work, but don't last very long, you could consider a procedure to burn the nerve roots. That usually lasts longer.
Won't be fusion. It will be disc replacement. Supposed to keep flexibility same as natural disc. [Reply]
Originally Posted by penguinz:
Won't be fusion. It will be disc replacement. Supposed to keep flexibility same as natural disc.
I would have a long talk with the doctor about that. I haven’t looked into it in several years, but the first artificial discs were sometimes spotty in performance. In fact, they used to say that many of the ones that were successful actually wound up turning into fusions (the bone grew back through the disc and immobilized the whole joint).
But the artificial discs have gotten better and (I think) it’s easier in the cervical level than the lumbar level because it doesn’t bear as much weight. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rasputin:
Oh **** I hope it went well
I had to get three before my back surgery
the first one didn't work
oh ok doctor get another one
second one didn't ****ing work
get another one well that' didnd't ****ing work either.
sorry but that shit hurt and I ended up having surgery like I knew I needed with or without MRI I knew my back was ****ed.
I hope your epidural works and I'll pray that you don't need a disk replacement. Seriously I hope and pray the epidural works for you.
I hope it works. Should have a better idea in the next few days. Fortunately my doc isn't going to make me keep getting them if it didn't take. She said if the first doesn't work then do the replacement and virtually guarantee relief. [Reply]