Not sure what's next

[Justin]

Anyway, no, I have not tried Toradol injections in any capacity. I will ask my pain management doc about them next week. How do they differ from Trigger Point injections, if you know? I started physical therapy again last week, and I think I am really going to like this lady. We are completely focusing on my core, all from a "static position" perspective. She seems to be bringing some new concepts to the table, and I'm jazzed about that.

Thank-you for the well-wishes. I am trying to maintain a positive, can do attitude. Some days better than others. I am glad to hear that you are currently experiencing such low levels of pain. Always terrific news! I hope you enjoy a blessed holiday with you and yours. Best, Cindylou

Hi CL,

It's great to read that you started physical therapy again and it sounds like your therapist has a lot to offer. Your post had me thinking and I'd like to share a few thoughts / observations over the last few months.
_____________________
Unfortunately, for many Spine Patients, there will always be a level of pain that they deal with on a daily basis.

Many patients come in the clinic and ask what they can do to take their pain away for good. I always tell them that having spine issues is a life-long commitment and that physical therapy is not only to be done when prescribed by a physician, but that the techniques that are learned during their therapy sessions need to be carried over and incorporated into their daily routine. I know that really sucks...doing therapy daily is tough...I know it firsthand. However, it is one of the most effective ways to reduce one's pain.

The hardest part, even for me, is to remember that physical therapy doesn't stop when your "8 to 12 weeks" of prescribed therapy are done. It is just "one of those things" that we, as Spine Patients, must assimilate into our lives--just like "putting up" with pain & finding ways to "cope" with pain after all of these years.

Good luck and don't let pain get the best of you. Take things one day at a time and remember to enjoy the "small" things in life.

BTW: I was thinking that we could start a support forum similar to the "Weight Loss Forum" that would help SPS Members log their daily activities that would serve as a place to help motivate one another...just a thought. Let me know if this sounds good and we'll make it happen.

[mmarsh]

CL et al

My own personal routine, that I've been doing every day for over 30 years, is to stretch while I read the paper and then take my walk. The length and speed of the walk depends on my overall pain level. I try to do at least 2 miles. It can take up to 45 minutes or longer if I'm really feeling poorly. In the old days I could do 4 miles in an hour. Those days are gone, but I refuse to NOT walk at all. After a surgery, I'll begin again by walking to my mail box (a 2 house length) and add a house each day. It is a simple way to regulate my distance. If I have significant pain after any particular increase, then I don't add a house the following day. When I'm feeling better than right now I also do a "back workout" that works the small abdominal muscles and the paraspinal muscles. All of us must be hyper-aware of maintaining as much physical strength as possible. I can count on one hand the number of days I don't stretch. I have to be so ill as not to get out of bed! It's just my life, so instead of wishing it weren't, I do it.

Justin- I think it would be a worthwhile section of SPS to have an exercise site. I'd love to hear more specifics about the "bounce back" thing Hooch talked about.

Best to you all.

[Justin]

CL et al

My own personal routine, that I've been doing every day for over 30 years, is to stretch while I read the paper and then take my walk. I can count on one hand the number of days I don't stretch.

mmarsh, my hat's off to you. You reminded me that walking is one of the best exercises for Spine Patients. Even with my busy schedule, I try to get a good 30-45 minute walk in each day.

Justin- I think it would be a worthwhile section of SPS to have an exercise site. I'd love to hear more specifics about the "bounce back" thing Hooch talked about.

I think the Exercise / Rehabilitation Forum would be a great addition to the SPS Forum. I'll have it up and running in the next couple of days.

[KBear]

mmarsh, my hat's off to you. You reminded me that walking is one of the best exercises for Spine Patients. Even with my busy schedule, I try to get a good 30-45 minute walk in each day.

My friends and family pretty much hate going places with me because I take some of the farthest spots in the parking lot at stores. Figure the extra steps are good for me (just one of the small things I do to try and increase my walking).

[Cindylou]

Thank-you all for such solid advice. I've got to go to bed,,,,I'm just nodding off here, but will respond to this more thoroughly then. Again, many thanks...........CL (definitely love the exercise forum idea. Let's do it!)

[Hooch]

Gday MMarsh,

I take a similar approach to it, using exercise, endurance\strength and optimal biomechanics to reduce or maintain static my overall pain levels, but really the main reason is to increase and maintain my function by unloading and stabilising the lumbar spine as much as possible. Less pain, more function, what's there to lose?

If you're interested in it you could buy spinal stabilisation by Jemmet and ultimate back performance by McGill, tho a lot of the concepts are somatic and are very difficult to learn from a book. Clinical pilates incorporates most of this stuff, but they tend to start even their beginner classes at a level that can break down the symptomatic and deconditioned back.

Cindy I'm glad to hear you're doing the PT, hope you get a few useful tricks from them.

Chris.

[mmarsh]

Chris

I know what you mean about the exercises being difficult to incorporate with a book, but it's always interesting to see knew things. Thanks for the recommendations. I'll see what I can find out through those books.

CL

Glad you're starting PT. Don't be shy about asking questions when you don't completely understand something or if it's uncomfortable, tell the PT. Make sure they give you stuff to do at home. It's important to carry on after you're done.

Justin

Thanks for the attagirl! It's not really a choice the way I see it. I want to be healthy and the best way to do that is to stay as fit as possible.

KBear

It always makes me laugh when I see people drive around the parking lot forever looking for a closer spot. God forbid they should actually walk anywhere!

Missy

[SemperFi]

CL,
Toradol is an antiinflammatory medication and the oral version does very little for me but the injection really helps a great deal to unlock my worst spasms. It is not someone one would get on a regular basis however altho at one time I think I was getting an injection every month or two. Now I try to get one only every 4 months or so PRN.

Basically what I have best incorporated into my lifestyle is walking and I started out just doing a little each day and building up over the years. My back really stopped bothering me with walking and actually bothered me when I didn't walk! Unfortunately my feet took up where my back left off re pain and I developed a condition known as posterior tibial tendonitis in both feet. So I no longer can walk endless hours. Still I try to walk every day as much as I can tolerate w/o reaggravating the tendonitis in my feet. Some days it's very little. I'm so used to going with the flow where painful conditions are concerned that overall while I was depressed at the height of my tendonitis I knew that eventually I'd be back walking and my mental outlook was good. A long duration with my back condition has taught me patience.

Good luck with your plan of action and have patience with yourself.

[Cindylou]

Thanks everyone. Thanks SemperFi for the Toradol explanation too. I just got home from p.t., and although my p.t. didn't know anything about Toradol, she recommended I get some trigger point injections right after our session, so I asked my PA about the Toradol while she was giving me the trigger point injections. She said she uses it sometimes, but not nearly as often as the marcaine/steroid injections because the ingredients in Toradol are very hard on the liver and stomach, maybe intestines too? and should not be taken with a history of blood clotting or stomach ulcers, of which I have had both. Okaaay. But at least she had heard of doing it like you were referring to....apparently it's just not used as often, and that could just be my clinic. I don't know for sure. I did get about 6 of the Trigger Point injections today, on each side bilaterally, of my spine. My right low back side where the muscles were so tight, she couldn't even get the needle into the muscle. She said the medication just kept spilling out on top of my back. She kept trying and trying and said her finger was beginning to hurt from pressing down so hard on the needle, on my back. lol I can be a little hard-headed, but never knew I could be a "hard-back" as well. She then tried a different tactic which was successful. Yay! I laid there for maybe 20 minutes with a huge ice pack on my back, and it felt so good, I could just feel myself starting to drift off. lol She told me I was her last client for the day as she was taking half the day off to Christmas shop, and as I laid down on the table, she turned the lights off, closed the office door behind her, and I hollered back, "hey, don't let the staff forget about me in here!" I sure didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night still laying on that table. She also told me if that muscle on my right, back side didn't let up by this Friday she wants me back in her office and she will consider a Toradol injection at that point. Hopefully, it won't be necessary, but you never know. So especially thanks for that tip. Cindylou

[KBear]

That is crazy that the needle wouldn't go into the muscle.... wow, you must have been way stiff. That's funny about konking out in the office. I actually had a friend get locked into a pediatricians office, his kid got a shot and they had to wait 30 minutes to make sure there was not a side effect. Well, both kid and dad fell asleep and the staff forgot about them, they woke up in the lunch hour and had to find someone who stuck around for lunch to let them out. Hope the injections give you some good relief.