3 weeks
Hi All,
Things are still good, I am improving slowly. I still have no pain in my left leg and just a little in my right. Legs are still tight but i am seeing the physio tonight and i hope we can get going on some good sessions, I have only had one session as she said i need time for my body to recover but i feel ready to rock 'n roll now. My stretching is getting better and i am now doing between 2-4 miles a day walking. My back is a bit stiff but again the physio and the pool with sort it out.
All in all i am still pleaseed with results.:dance:
I had a little drive the other day for the first time which felt ok, i do think i am going to have to get a different car, i have a sports car and its very low so i think i will change it to something like a Focus or an Astra:sleep:Oh well my back is more important.
@fitbird, I hope everything goes well with your op it can't be long now.
@Rod_1, Hope you are better after your blip the other week.
Olli;)
Reply Olli
Hi
I have been in very very bad pain at work for ten days. I have had two acupuncture sessions. Wow, what a difference. The first time she unlocked my back tension, the second unblocked my froont. This has had an incredibly profound effect. She gave me posture lessons and explained how my body has over the injury and op forgotten how to handle itself and be in balance. The day after I drank loads and loads of water which was strange. The bottom line is after the second session my back feels manifestly better; I had thought it was all going south and worrying loads.
The bottom line is to you and anyone else reading this is that I have seen the light and am utterly converted to acupuncture. I believe that for me it is the key to recovery and a swifter one too.
Basically I have been abandoned by both NHS and GP and told I just have to take the pain and am now being treated by a Chinese lady who has relieved teh pain massively. I would strongly urge anyone who is suffering with pain to really seriously consider its like a miracle and doesnt hurt.
Rod
Rod_1
HI,
Nice one, i am off to get some acupuncture tonight and a bit of a massage. I couldn't believe the difference when i first had it, it helped a lot when my back first went bad about a year ago.
There are a few different types of acupuncture do you know what type this lady is using on you???
The lady i see uses deep muscle acupuncture its a little different to the chinese acupuncture. The needles she uses are very long and she doesn't leave them in for very long other wise she said i would ache too much the next day. Iam not bothered as long as it has a good long term effect.
Olli
Hi Fireolli
Well it's the night before my op and i feel surprisingly calm about it all. I think I have resigned myself to the fact it's the only way forward and come what may i'll survive. This acupuncture sounds fantastic, I think i'll definately look up someone in my area that does it.
So pleased you are doing so well and really on the way to a full recovery. You'll soon be fighting those fires i'm sure!
Will come back in a couple of days when I've had the op to let you know how it went etc!
Bye for now and all the best to all
Fitbird
xxx
Fitbird
Hi,
Well i am sure all will go well and good luck:)
Saw my physio the other day and got some treatment, she said i am doing well am to keep going at a nice steady pace. I am now swimming as well i just do 10 lengths and some walking in the water, it does make me ache but swimming hits all the body.
As for pain i am doing well and i hardly have any pain now just a few aches.
I think the key is to do the exercises but don't do to much too soon. I was told no work for 6 weeks and no long sitting for about 4 weeks, i am following this to the letter and if it takes me a bit longer then so be it.:p
Take it easy for your first week or so and don't get to worried if you still feel a bit of pain your body needs time to get over the op and all the stress its been going through. I think i slept about 12-14 hours a day for the first 4 days my body was mashed, also the sergeon told me to take what ever pain relief i needed in the first 2 weeks before i started to cut the tablets down.
Good luck and keep in touch
Olli;)
4 weeks
Hi All,
@Rod_1 How are you doing? Have you got rid of that pain yet?
@Fitbird How did your op go?
Coming up to 4 weeks and things are still great. Doing a bit more about the house and walking faster and for longer. Swimming is good as well, i love to get into the water and get a good workout. As for the pain there is very little any more, My back aches from doing the house stuff but it will get used to it in time. I am driving as well which is good as i can get out and about a bit more. Over all i am very happy with the way things are going, if i keep going at this nice steady level i should be back on light duties in the next couple of weeks.
Olli
reply olli
Hi Olli
Sounds like things are going well. You have come a long way from the earlier posts!
I am walking upright and having acupuncture still. It really helps and frankly dont know how I would have got through the last couple of weeks without.
My work's health insurance covers me for retrospectuive conditions - so now I have a safety net.
I still get twinges - for some reason my left hand had pins and needles all day. Still the old leg remains sorted (fingers crossed)
The acupuncture lady now allows me gentle exercise now things have stabalised a bit.
Still get pain but it is manageable.
It will be a great boost to you to get back to the lads at work - I am pleased for you .
Hope fitbird os ok after her op??
Rod
Still waiting for my op - have been told it won't be until mid Oct at the earliest as I'm going on holiday in Aug and they wont operate within 6 weeks either side. I got a letter from the hospital last week saying they oculd operate within 3 and a half weeks, but then they found out I was on certain meds and said I need to be off them for a month before the op, so cancelled it. I was a bit annoyed at the time hey ho.
In the meantime, I've started noticing odd sensations down both legs. It's a warm feeling, as if I've spilt warm water on my legs. It happens on one leg at a time and doesn't go any lower than the knee. Only lasts a second or two but I wondered if it might be linked to my disc or not. Any ideas?
Wol
hi fireolli and all.
Day 5 following surgery and I feel ok. No pain to speak of really just achey. Turns out following surgery I have 2 spinal nerves in one hole where most people have just 1! Because of this I had double the amount of pain before surgery as 2 nerves inflamed. 1 was cherry red and very swollen and angry. It will of course now take 2 nerves longer to heal but was told it would not have got better without the op. Am doing lots or resting and pottering around the house when I feel like it.
What I find bizarre and quite disturbing is the difference of opinion surgeons and hospitals have following back surgery. I was not given any exercises to do and my surgeon said to do none and absolutely no physio!! He does not feel there is any need and physio can do more harm than good to spinal patients. It makes me quite cross as you want to do whats best but when the info given is different depending on the surgeon you feel at a lose end.
I am so pleased you are doing so well ollie and hope your great recovery continues.
I am going to try a short walk tomorrow, just 10 minutes or so and see how it feels. Have been told not to sit for a couple of weeks but lying becomes uncomfortable after a few days!!
I do have clips too but the scar is less than an inch long, lying on my back is very difficult with the clips and this also hurts those 2 nerves! Never realised how boring daytime tv is too!
Any way take care all bye for now
Fitbird
xxx
Fitbird
Hi,
Its great that you are feeling ok. I know what you mean about the clips but when you have them out it will feel great:).
When i came out of hospital i was only given 3 exercises to do and was told to walk about 5-10 min each day to make sure scare tissue didn't build up.
It was my physio who gave me extra stretching exercises but i have only seen her twice in 4 weeks. I think you will know what you can do. For example i went to a party last night and lasted about 3 hours before i started to ache too much but today went shopping with the wife and because its all slow walking i was aching after about 20 min.
I think for the first 2 weeks doing very little is ok but after that if all is ok i think you need to try a do things like longer walks, sitting for bit (maybe just at meal times). Also reducing the pain killers is good thing so you know how your body is feeling.
Keep in touch and don't over do it.
Olli;)
reply olli
Hi Olli
Just had a lecture from acupuncture lady along the lines of - proper walking slowly with rhythm is good, even a long one - walking and stopping (like in shopping ) is bad as it is stressful.
The clear moral of the story is men are not made for shopping............
Hope all goes well with you. Acupuncture is saving my life!!!!!!
Rod
Hi Olli
I am getting stiffer by the day. What were the stretches the physio gave you please? Was it a hamstring stretch and were you to do it lying, standing or sitting? I need to get my flexibility back soon so be very grateful for your help. Did massage help to relieve any stiffness?
Otherwise I feel good, get tired quickly but ok other than that.
Went for a walk yesterday to my local shops and felt great, feel I could do more but am so scared to do anything I shouldn't!
Rod, acupuncture sounds fab, gonna try it when my clips are out next week and that is a poor excuse not to shop!!!
Take care all
Fitbird
xxx
Fitbird
Ok Stretches,
Walk- 2 X 10-15min a day.
After walk,
Back Extentions: Lay on front and push your upper body up with your arms making sure your hips stay on the floor. Do 10.
Back Extentions: The same as above but do not use your arms try and raise your upper body with your arms by your side. Do 10
Leg raises: Still on your front with arms by your side. Raise your leg up one at a time not too high just a little bit. 5 on each leg.
Cat stretch: On all fours arch your back and hold for 10, do that twice.
Rolls: Lay on your back with knee's bent, slowly lower your knee's to the floor left and right. Do 10.
bridges: Lay on your back with knee's bent, pull core muscles in, tilt pelvis up (should fell your back muscles pull), raise pelvis up as much as you can and hold for 3 seconds then lower. Do 8
Bum stretch: Lay on back and bend one leg, put bent leg over straight leg as high as you can, hold knee and pull towards floor. Hold for 30 seconds then swap legs. Do 3 on each leg.
Hamstring stretch: Lay on back and bend one leg, Rest the other leg on the bent leg (You should now have a bent leg and the top of the other legs calf muscle should be resting on the bent legs knee). Try and straighten your top leg if its too hard it doesn't matter just do your best. Once you have it as straight as you can pump your foot backwards and forwards 30 times and then hold for a few seconds at the end. Do 3 stretches on each leg.
Thats it, hope it helps. You will be mashed by the end of it and maybe a bit sore but it has helped me loads so keep with it. Do this for a couple of weeks trying to do a little more walking and things in the house each day.
If you have any problems in understanding what i have written let me know.
When i get some more exercise's i will tell you. Yes massage does help. Get your legs and back massaged once the clips are out.
Keep in touch and take it easy.
Olli.;)
Edit: Do not do any stretches sitting down, its not good believe me.
Hi Ollie
Thanks for all those, I understand them all, they are all exercises I teach in Pilates so will have no problems doing them. Am going for a walk in a bit so will try some when I get back.
Clips out on Monday so looking forward to that.
I'm glad no stretches sitting down, that does put more strain on your back!
Any way I'm off for a stroll speak soon
Thanks again and keep well
Fitbird
xxx
i have just discovered this forum through a google search, trying to find out more info about help with sciatica. i have been reading for a while, have gone from floods of tears to feeling more hopeful than ever, and then back to tears again. it makes me want to share a little of my story...kind of self-indulgent, but it's been helpful to know i am not alone in all of this...
i 'slipped' the disc between L4&5 about 7 years ago, when i was 23 years old. i grew up doing a lot of gymnastics and dancing and the injury happened during a dance audition. i had a very stiff and sore back for a while, but no leg pain for a while. about 9 months later, i woke up one morning with an achy right leg. the pain went away with ibuprofen, but was around for about 18 months. finally got a referral through GP for an mri, which showed the disc bulge. got some physio and the symptoms went away.
about a year later they were back, although this time with numbness below my knee if i stood up for more than about a minute. got scared, got more physio and another mri. was offered surgery. symptoms went away and i said no thanks.
since then, had a couple of periods of leg pain and bits of physio, but have remained fairly active (although no more gymnastics) and managed to get married, buy a house and get a job etc etc.
in march 2008, i was watching tv, i sneezed, felt a twinge in my lower back and gradually since then, the leg pain has come back, along with loss of sensation in my lower leg and foot. for some reason, the pain is so much worse than ever before. ibuprofen did nothing, diclofenac did nothing, codeine took the edge off initially, but now does nothing other than make me sleepy. amitriptaline knocks me out overnight but does not affect the pain. physio is no longer appropriate as there is nothing i can do that eases the leg pain, or doesn't make it any worse. i have been off work for several weeks...the first period of absence i have had in my working life. i have had to give up all activities that i enjoy, have been walking with crutches for 5 weeks and now can barely walk at all.
i am supposed to be celebrating my 30th birthday in rome in august and really want to be able to enjoy it and at the very least, get there! so i am thinking about a nerve block injection, but would have to get this privately, as there is an 18 week wait for the pain clinic in the area where i live. any advice??
i am due to have a 3rd mri in 2 weeks time and will hopefully still be considered an appropriate candidate for surgery. but now i am worried...is it the right thing to do?? my husband and i desperately want to start a family, but it's impossible right now because of all the painkillers i am taking, and all the pain i am in. does anyone know how long after surgery it would be realistic to start trying for a family??
thanks for reading all this. it has been hugely therapeutic just typing it!
it has been so good to hear other people's success stories...i just wish no one else had to be in this position because it is awful.
wishing you all the best,
jess xx