Quote:
Originally Posted by Harrison
Eskimo,
What an eloquent introduction – thank you for sharing your struggles. I have a few questions for you, when you get some time:
- What have you taken for pain meds this year? And in the past few months, have you tried – and cycled through – any anti-inflammatories? Various classes of NSAIDs? Natural anti-inflammatories? Have you noticed if any are more effective than others?
- What are your pain levels? Does it vary in accordance to your circadian rhythms? Better or worse in the morning?
Of course, as you know, these pains could be your spine’s way of adjusting to the new biomechanical stresses introduced by your new hardware. I hope that’s the case!
In the meantime, can you treat yourself to some warm baths and massages?
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Hi Harrison,
I haven't been using NSAIDs except for the two weeks after the flare in May. I guess I'm one of the people who feels inflammation is the way the body tries to repair itself so long as it has gone to an extreme. I was off all pain meds about a month after surgery. Right now I'm taking Lyrica 150 mg at night to help with sleep.
The pain is at its best in the morning and probably at its worst at the end of my clinics. It tends to improve a bit again in the evening. Mechanically, it is at its worst when flexing, especially from a standing position. I find I need to brace myself with my hands when I bend forward on my thigh - makes me wonder if it is weak core and biomechanical adapation sometimes.
It will tend to flare up if I've been sitting for awhile (30 mins or longer). I do find sitting in seats with good lumbar support helps alot and can tolerate this much better. If I slouch while sitting it hurts quickly. Ditto for couches.
I just got some oblique views done today to get a glimpse of the facets: L4/L5 looks good to my eyes but L5/S1 is quite hazy unfortunately. I'll have to see what the radiologist thinks. I might go on to have a SPECT CT done just to have a better look at the facets and what is happening metabolically. I also have colleagues who are spinal interventionalists who can do medial bundle branch blocks of the facets. If the facets aren't the problem and core strengthening doesn't solve it I think I'll have to have the L3/4 disc looked at again. I'm not sure how much signal void the Mavericks will cause - I'll have to speak to one of the MRI radiologists about it. If it can't be visualized, I'll probably have to go on to discogram again at L3/4.