Should I have back surgery or work on weight loss or get the corti shots?
Mу back pain first ongoing 7 years ago. I wаѕ playing racquetball fοr tһе first time іח life (though I played tennis аחԁ οtһеr sports), аחԁ I quickly learned tһаt I сουƖԁ חοt play fοr more tһаח 3-8 minutes. I wουƖԁ attempt tο return a serve аחԁ abruptly mу back wουƖԁ lock іt up. It wουƖԁ take forever tο walk асrοѕѕ tһе campus, tһе pain wаѕ very intense, аחԁ I wουƖԁ bе half paralyzed. Anyway, I ѕtοрреԁ playing. Tһе pain аחԁ lock-ups came now аחԁ tһеח over tһе years. At ѕοmе points іח time, I wουƖԁ literally bе unable tο ɡο, apart frοm bу dragging mу body along tһе floor wіtһ tһе strength οf mу arms. I’ve bееח confined tο bed fοr 3 days аt a time. Anyway, a year ago, I finally wеחt tο tһе doctor. I һаνе a pinched nerve аחԁ a ton οf arthritis (more tһаח tһе doc һаѕ еνеr seen іח patients 2x mу age). Hе suggested a corti shot, аחԁ/οr back surgery. Tһе surgeon һе sent mе tο wаѕ a joke, I never ԁіԁ ɡеt tһе shot. I’ve bееח οח pain-killers fοr tһе past year now – I ѕtοрреԁ taking tһе
Anti-inflammatory meds shortly аftеr being οח tһеm. I ԁο חοt Ɩіkе putting drugs іחtο mу body, аחԁ аftеr being dependent οח tһе pain-killers fοr nearly 3 months, I finally сυt down οח those аחԁ rarely υѕе tһеm now. Anyway, numerous ppl һаνе tοƖԁ mе tο ɡеt tһе shot. Others swear bу tһе surgery. I judge tһаt іf I lost weight аחԁ strengthened mу back muscles
Aחԁ, I аm 5’4 wіtһ аח extra 100 pounds аt a whopping 230 pounds
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If you are overweight….I would take the diet option first. Your pain will be significantly reduced. Also I would question for a cortisone injection as they are really effective for pain relief. They do hurt as they go in but the relief can last a excellent length of time and these can be repeated. At least these injections would help you to get through till you lose some weight.
Arthritis is a crippling pain so I really empathize with you.
I hope you get some relief soon.
Best wishes
you can do surgery.
weigh loss needs to come 1st
Of course, weighing less will help everything, but you may be putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. You wont be able to lose the weight unless your body is able to do some form of exercise.
There is a rather safe form of exercise for people with arthritis. Swimming. There’s no pressure on your joints and you wont be compressing your spine. I’d join a local community or county pool or YMCA and do a waist deep water exercise program. See how it goes, but it’s not a cure by any means.
The problem with cortisone shots is they don’t usually last and are sort of the last stop before trying surgery. As for whether or not the arthritis will return, that depends on what you have and what the function of the surgery is. Swimming is the first activity most people are allowable to do after any surgery.
I’m sorry the surgeon you went to see wasn’t helpful. Surgeons tend to be very hard to communicate with; they are very detached and not used to considering regular patients because their lives revolve around technical operations not human interaction. I suggest you try considering another one and write down a list of questions to take with you.
Be persistant. If he or she isn’t able to answer all of your questions to your satisfaction, let them know you’ll be making another appointment or be calling. The more you know about what’s happening with your body, the more a doctor will be keen to listen to you. It shows a right desire on your part to heal and follow treatment plans.
Best wishes for you.
I am a Spine and Pain Management specialist. The treatment that will work the best for YOUR shape up depends upon YOUR specific diagnosis and the severity of YOUR diagnosis. There are at least 25 different sites of pain generation of back pain. You must completely disregard what worked in another person, because it is extremely unlikely they have the same problem as you. “Arthritis” is not a specific enough diagnosis. A pinched nerve in one person may be quite different in another because of a variety of factors. Even when you have two individuals with essentially the same diagnosis/problem there are multiple other factors in seminal what works best for one versus another. SURGERY SHOULD BE THE LAST OPTION!!! Do NOT have surgery unless: 1) you have lost control of your bowel or bladder functions and/or 2) you are experiencing PROGRESSIVE weakness of your legs/feet (numbness.
doesn’t count).
You must find someone who is knowledgeable, someone whom you trust and someone who provides you with options and assists you with making the best choice. Do not be “forced” or “frightened” into a procedure. Avoid opiate medications— apart from in some very unusual cases, this should be viewed only be a temporary option.
The solutions that typically work are a combined program of Physical Therapy, NSAIDs, fluoroscopic guided spine injections (which can be useful in diagnosing and treating the problem). The problem there are wide variations of the quality of PT/rehabilitation and in physicians who perform injections. Unfortunately it is very hard for a lay person to spot the Excellent from the Terrible and Hideous.
Finally, unless you are extremely obese, it is unlikely your problem will be solved by “losing weight”.
What State do you live in…I can try to refer you to someone appropriate.
Excellent Luck
i guess everybody would suggest u try losing weight first. i don’t know whether it will improve your back situation, but at least it will improve your heart situation and appearance situation and it will make for the doctor simpler to reach this spine of yours
HI there dear. I have been through the kinds of things that you are talking about for most of my life. My situation may be a bit different from yours in that I have a congenital abnormality in my spine and have a fantastic deal of arthritis from an dreadful car accident that I was in when I was 18. Added to that fact is that I have an autoimmune disease that affects all of the joints in my body.
Point is, I know where you are coming from.
You are the only one that really knows what you are capable of doing. If you reckon you can lose a substantial quantity of weight then of course that is going to help alot. Even if you choose to have surgery later, losing the weight will help you with the surgery. No matter what you choose to do, losing weight will be a benefit. My physical situation is such that it is nearly impossible for me to lose weight, I take so much prednisone and my range of motion is so restricted at this point that moving is very painful and hard. If you still have pretty excellent movement I would do what you can now to lose the weight. It will get harder the worse you get.
I would recommend the shots as I have had SO many of them. Some have not helped at all and others have been a huge help. Bear in mind that it can take as much 6 weeks to really see an enhancement. They will help with the pain and that will make it simpler for you to exercise and lose weight.
Make sure that you go to a reputable pain management clinic. Really. Shop around and get advise from doctors that you do trust, have them give you referals. One thing to consider that I have always done, I have them give me what is called conscious sedation when you have the injections. I would never have them with out the sedation. You are only out for about 5 minutes but you never feel a thing. The doctor will be around afterwards to see how you did and do not be worried to question for pain meds. Even if you do not use them, you may very well need them later.
Have any of your doctors mentioned prednisone for the inflamation and the pain? It is a bit of a double edged sword. It will help substantially with the pain but it has dreadful side effects so use it very cautiously if at all.
I was on 60 mgs of it for quite some time and I went from a size 6 to a size 16 in about 6 weeks. Now I also have diabetes and vasculitus as well as high blood pressure and problems with my other joints. I have to have both knees replaced and before I can do that I have to have surgery on my right shoulder . It seems that when one thing starts, pretty soon everything is a problem.
Try to take one thing at a time. Try to lose the weight if you can, that will be helpful no matter what you do. Try the shots, they can be a Godsend. If the shots give you enough relief you may be able to avoid the surgery entirely. If I could have avoided the surgery I certainly would have.
Each shape up is different and what works for one person my not work for another. Try the least invasive procedures first. I would try the anti-inflamatory drugs again as they can truly be beneficial. Of course you are the best judge of what is best for you but try to keep all the options open and do not close your mind to any of the things that will help.
I want to say one more time that the shots can really help with the pain and you may want to consider them again. They will buy you some time before you have to make a choice about surgery.
Get all the information you call. Read what you can and learn all that you can. Your doctors will always appreciate the fact that you are well informed. That way you will know what questions to question.
Take care!
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Lady Trinity~