A blatant plea for sympathy

[Inara]

Just saw this thread and am hoping your pain has settled down. Sciatica can be so unrelenting and debilitating. My orthopedic surgeon taught me a trick many years ago that can be very helpful. Take a tennis ball and put it inside of a long sock or stocking down to the toe area. Then grab the open end of the sock up at the top. Lean up against a wall on the side where you are experiencing the sciatica. Place the tennis ball between the wall and the hollow of your buttox muscle while holding onto the top of the sock to keep it from slipping away. Then using the wall, press your muscle into the tennis ball and move around thus massaging that muscle. This can help it release it's grip on the sciatic nerve. It hurts, but just in the way that having someone massage a sore muscle hurts. It is back related for sure, which also causes the butt muscle spasms that can clamp down on that nerve. I do this daily (twice broken back, too long of a story for here) and it really helps over time to keep it settled down. I follow with a hot bath. Acupuncture really helps me as do regular chiropractic visits and physical therapy. I know these are not affordable for many people if not covered by insurance. The tennis ball tip is sort of like being your own physical therapist. You can also have another human get the same effect by placing there elbow in the same spot in your muscle and massaging with that. My physical therapist does that but she knows how much pressure to apply.

 

My heart goes out to you, and HRH and I both send you lots o'love!

Edited May 14, 2016 by Inara

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Pain in the back or knees truly sucks! After two back surgeries, I am cured. This new knee pain I am babying and doing a good job of caring for it. My younger son Sean needed someone to help move him out from college. My ex was too busy, so I told him I would help, but my knee wasn't the greatest. He would have to " load me up", so I didn't have to bend.We did a fantastic job and got two cars loaded easily. He responded " NOT bad for a mother in her forties!" I told him to add five years. He was truly shocked that I was 55... I am taking that as a compliment. LOL Nancy

[Greywings]

How are you doing this week?

[Acappella]

Thanks for asking. So far so good. I had a little twinge when I was doing laundry and I had to bend down and reach into the machine to pull my clothes out, and when I got the central vac out to do a good cleaning, so I know it's not all better, but I haven't had to use the cane this week at all!

[birdhouse]

sssshhhhhh! Don't jinx it!!

 

lol Glad you're feeling better.

[Acappella]

Well I guess I pushed it too far. I had to pull weeds out of my garden before they got so deeply rooted I'd have to pull them from China! I took frequent breaks and did my stretches, but it still went out. Inara, I like the tennis ball trick. I actually have a massager that is shaped like a shepherds hook that allows me to apply pressure to the muscle knots in my back in an attempt to release them. It hurts like heck while I'm doing it, but it does work.

 

I guess I'm just going to have to treat my back gingerly for the forseable future. I have an MRI scheduled for May 31st, so hoping to get some useful information from that. Thanks again for your support guys. There's something isolating and depressing about severe, unrelenting pain, and reaching out here helped me through it. Having this happen on top of my Fibromyalgia really has gotten me down at times and coming on Greyforums and seeing a new response on this thread has cheered me up.

[birdhouse]

Really sorry to hear that. Any better yet (I hope)?

[Acappella]

It's deceptive. I'll be just around the house thinking it's all better but then I'll try to do something like gardening or walking a long distance and it goes out immediately. I tried to cut my lawn, which you wouldn't think of as a really physically taxing job, and it went right out. My neighbour finished it for me. I'm not in constant pain anymore like I was when I first started this thread, but I can't trust it. I feel very fragile.

[Inara]

Chronic pain and/or illness really can be isolating. It's hard when you're the person who always has to cancel out at the last minute, or just simply can no longer do things that you used to enjoy. Am so glad that you let us know that you are struggling. It can be hard to reach out and let people know when you are feeling rough. You're never alone here in our flock. Hope this wee note finds you having a bit better day today. xo

[Acappella]

Thank you Inara. You're right about chronic illness and how isolating it can be. I already deal with this with my Fibromyalgia: my back has made it worse. I had my MRI today. The technician was really nice and helped me find a comfortable position so that I wasn't in pain. Now I just have to call my Dr. and get in to see her to get the results. Hopefully it finds something that can be helped with physio or massage or something. My back went out again today while I was in a pet store playing with a baby grey they just got in. Those black eyes just suckered me in lol.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Acappella

[Acappella]

Well, I'm back where I started. I can't do anything around the house without my back going out. Dorian has been such a good boy for me. When I nap on the couch during the day he just plays quietly on his playstand. When I got down to switch out the paper on the bottom of his cage yesterday he came down and started preening my hair. I really do wonder if they can see auras around people and if they change when we're not feeling well, because on days when I'm really feeling rough he's so quiet and gentle. So is the cat. I don't know what I'd do without their company these last couple of months.

[Timbersmom]

Ugh. I sure feel for you. My sciatic nerve has been giving me fits, but not to the point yours has!

[Acappella]

Well guys, the long wait is over. I get to start physio tomorrow. The way it works here with health coverage is that physio used to be covered for low income and seniors, but a few years ago a Conservative government drastically reduced the clinics that were allowed to take clients under OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Program). So there's a waiting list for OHIP covered clinics. My back has been getting better on its own, slowly, but it's still really prone to going out. I hit a kind of a milestone today. I went into three stores and I didn't have to use my cane!!!!!! WhooHooo

[birdhouse]

Glad to hear it. But gee that's a long wait. Especially when someone's basically incapacitated. Hope your going to see some real improvement now!

[Acappella]

Well, it's like anything else, if I'd had the money I could have had physio right away. I guess I should be grateful that there are still some physio clinics out there taking OHIP patients. They don't have to. There's less money in it for them. I'm really looking forward to physio today. Even if they hurt me, it's another step towards getting better!

[katana600]

You are on my mind and in my heart today as you go to therapy for your back pain. Hopefully they help you get back on your feet and on the path to recovery. I am so sorry that you have suffered so long.

[Acappella]

Well, I had my first session today and it was lovely. Really, he hardly hurt me at all. Just did some gentle stretching, then some massage with an electronic unit called tens, then some moist heat. I'll see him once a week. He gave me some stretches to do at home this week, so I'd better go do them!

Edited July 14, 2016 by Acappella

[katana600]

Those daily stretches are important. Not only does it help you to be more limber and flexible, it makes you more mindful of your body signals. Concentrate on your breathing while you stretch. One of the things chronic pain does to us over time is to be tense. When we are in pain, the natural response is for our body to tense and immobilize the part that hurts. When it is sciatic pain, that tension starts in the brain and affects every body part. When or muscles are tense, pain signals get jumbled up and the pain becomes the prominent focal point which creates a cycle of more pain. Then we tend to hold our breath and here we go again. I kind of think of the stretching in the same way as offering Gilbert my love every day, even when it seemed futile, even when I couldn't see results. Just as a drop of water consistently dripped on a stone will wear it away, those stretches slowly slowly change your posture, your body awareness and strengthen your core. I am so happy to know your physiotherapy was lovely. Be kind and gentle to yourself.... and sing. Your singing still soothes my heart seven years later...

[Acappella]

Well, bit of a sad update. I went to therapy for six weeks and it really seemed to be helping. As a matter of fact it was helping so much he discharged me from the service . . . And last week it went out again. Just as bad as the first time. I can't even do my exercises because they're absolutely agonizing. I can't get back into physio for a month, but a month is better than 3 months so I'll take what I can get. What I won't do is let him discharge me before I feel ready like I did last time!

[Timbersmom]

How frustrating! Glad your wait time won't be as long this time anyway... God bless!

[birdhouse]

Oh no, not again. That stinks!!

[Greywings]

Pain is a lousy thing to live with, wishing you healing and relief.

[katana600]

As much as I hate that you have gone back to square one, I am hoping it propels your doctors to pursue other options to help you get better and stay better. Every time mine flares up, I think I will go for a study to see what has changed in spinal recuperation. Then, I am so grateful for the worst to be behind me, I tell myself "next time". Keep a diary. Sometimes you have to keep seeking answers while you are feeling great. Be a fierce warrior to get the help you need. Hang in there through the cycle! I hope you can take comfort from those of us out here sharing your burden. I wished we lived close to you so I have someone to share meals and help with Dorian. It is so familiar. Mine started with a wild water skiing accident. The moments before impact were exhilarating. Hahaha.. Disk removal, scar tissue removal, two spinal fusions and almost forty years later it is shifting and probably the motorcycle riding and a few other activities are flaring up the arthritis. Knock wood, it has been five years since it took me out the last time. I have always steered clear of opiods because of the risk of addiction. Recently I have found that Aleve (naproxyn sodium) has been helpful, but again, for chronic pain we have to weigh long term usage. Do your doctors try steroids to help during the acute phase?

[Acappella]

I've had steroid injections twice, once in my hand when I was a teen, and two years ago into my knee. Each time I reacted badly with extreme pain that dwarfed the pain I'd gotten the injection for. My doctor figures I'm allergic to the injections, so no steroid shots for me! My back is still bad. I'm fine around home, but out running errands I'm soon reminded that it's there. I'm getting good at driving the motorized shopping carts that many stores have. Those things turn on a dime - very impressive lol!

[Acappella]

Well, it's gone out totally again.  I was at the point where I could do household chores and grocery runs of up to three stores without the use of a motorized cart, then last week I was bending over the counter chopping up veggies to put in the crock pot for chilli, and when I straightened up it was out.  The good news is that my income has gone up a little, so I can afford a little massage or acupuncture.  I was calling around to clinics in the area yesterday but I guess they don't work on Saturdays.  Hopefully I'll get callbacks tomorrow.