I'm sorry I haven't been updating my blog. I've had a lot going on in the last few weeks; the move, crazy business with a friend who was in trouble, and now back problems.
I suspect the back problems were due to a new walking regimen I started. I had only been walking a few days, but my back was probably the first group of muscles to start screaming while I was on the treadmill. I would only walk 5 minutes at a time, but I guess that was enough to tire them out and cause them to start spasming. It hasn't gone completely out and the doctor has me on amrix, ibuprofin and vicodin, but that doesn't seem to be doing a damn thing. It helps the pain, but it isn't correcting the problem. He has scheduled me for an MRI next tuesday so he doesn't want to give me the meds I think will really help (mobic and skelexin have always helped in the past) because he doesn't want to skew any results the MRI will pick up. In the meantime, I can barely walk, going to the bathroom has become an almost impossible feat since it is extremely difficult to get up and down from a seated position, and I'm truly terrified of what will happen if my back goes completely out. I can't help but worry about the fact that being in bed or in a recliner all day is only further reducing my activity which will lead to more muscle strength lost, etc. I'm scared to death that this may be the injury that puts me in bed for good and I'm pissed at myself for screwing off this last year. I had back trouble even when I was at my thinnest and fittest, but I know that the weight I have on my body now is only going to make dealing with it that much harder.
I found some exercises that I've started trying to do in bed (for my back) so I'm hoping maybe that will help. If anyone has any other ideas, medication that might work, etc, I'm WAY receptive to anything you might share.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
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6 Comments:
Hey, glad that you are blogging again. I was just at the gym the other day when a trainer passed by towards the end of my workout and told me that holding onto the bars on the treadmill doesn't allow for a natural arm swing. It can lead to more stress on the back and end up with back pain. I know you must be going through some tough times, carrying the weight around led me to so many hurdles, and setbacks and medical problems. Doctors like to tell you to lose weight but at some point you're just fighting to move!
I think you need to try deep breathing exercises. I lost 20 lbs one summer taking a ballet class for beginners ( I was 28 and fat!) and we did 30 minutes of laying on the floor just deep breathing and it really did help!
I don't really know much about back pain.
I am praying for you though.
I hope the doctor can fix what's wrong soon.
I highly recommend abdominal contraction exercises, if these aren't part of the regimen you've started already. A few years ago when I herniated a few discs in my lower back, my chiropractor recommended these (along with a few others, but these helped the most by far).
Lay on your back, knees bent so your feet are flat on the floor. Tuck your hand into the small (lumbar curve) of your back. Using your abdominal muscles, push the curve of your back as flat as you can, pushing against your hand. Do not use your feet as leverage to push, you should be using your abdominal and back muscles only. Hold for a few seconds then relax. repeat.
I've continued to use these exercises whenever I can to keep my back muscles strong. These are really important if you're overweight, because our lumbar curves tend to be very pronounced. They are simple and quick, and you should notice an alleviation in pain almost immediately. When I first injured my back, I would do these about once per hour. My muscles reminded me when it was time to repeat. Now, I do them most mornings, as a preventative measure.
You can do these in bed, so long as you are laying flat (not in an awkward position due to pillows or bedding). I used to do them at work too. I'd slip into an empty conference room or office and lay down on the floor and
A naproxen a day helps too.
Hope these help! You are so inspiring!
Hope your back will be feeling better soon! My mom has been struggling with a slipped disc that's pressing on her sciatic nerve and she can't really walk at all. She has tried everything and now has to have surgery.
Take care of yourself and let us know how you're doing!
Glad to see you back. Maybe a chiropractor perhaps if you could get there?? Not sure, but I'm so sorry you're in pain. :(
Take care of yourself!
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