Posts Tagged ‘Medicines’
Two Weeks of Sleeping on the Floor – Trying to Get Comfortable During Severe Back Pain
When the pain of a sore back becomes nearly unbearable, what works best to control it? Here are a few different techniques I am trying, to make myself as comfortable as possible as I struggle to recover from a severe case of sciatica, in which my last lumbar disk has herniated and hit my sciatic nerve, making everyday life, well, really difficult.
After going to my orthopedic doctor, I tried physical therapy. It felt good in traction, when the body is pulled to take the pressure off the spine. Little did I know, that the next day, my whole body would go into major spasms. Being practically paralyzed from the pain, I knew that if I didn’t do something to help myself, then I’d most certainly end up in a hospital bed. With limited insurance, I decided to fight going, until exhausting my options. I called the doctor, and he changed my medicines to new ones, since the former kinds didn’t have an effect on the pain whatsoever.
Now, on muscle relaxants, narcotics and steroids, the pain subsides some. The only place I can find comfort is on the floor, as my bed, couch and recliners aggravate my spine right now. It is so touchy that I have to be careful how I get up, walk, turn, and I cannot bend or twist at all.
With a slab of memory foam on the floor, and a sleeping bag over top of it, the back pain forces me to work my computer from the floor. Not being able to sit up hardly at all, I am propped up by pillows only slightly, with a wedge under my knees and another behind my back for firm support. If I lie still, the pain subsides somewhat. Other people would have given up and gone to the hospital, but I am being gentle with my back, in hopes of recovery. I gave myself a time limit, if there is no improvement in two Weeks, then I will go to the hospital as the doctor advised. I don’t recommend this for everyone, but when money is tight and work must be done, for me it’s worth a shot.
The steroids seem to be helping. I am now able to do more than a few days ago. I can sit up a little longer, and walk to the bathroom without doubling over in severe pain. I can get up just enough to get my food, and and feed my cats. They are concerned and sleep at my side at all times, wondering why their normally energetic owner isn’t moving much.
I have stopped physical therapy for now, to avoid more strong muscle spasms, my body is too touchy right now. Thank goodness the pharmacy has someone deliver my medicines to me. I have bottles of different meds all over my desk. It looks like a pharmacy in here. I take pills to sleep, for the pain, to relax muscles, and to keep calm during all of this. I am mellow as a marshmellow. Slowly, there is improvement. The floor is quite comfortable, and when I tried to sit up in my recliner, I realized that I’m not ready for it yet. It is a long and slow process.
Every so often I talk to my doctor, or one of his nurses. I avoid seeing friends much and rest most of the time. Work has been difficult, and I’ve had many days off (though I work from home, it is hard to work on the phone and use the computer efficiently). Thank goodness my bosses understand. As I lay here on my back, surfing the net from a horizontal position, I am learning a lot about dealing with lumbar spine problems, spine anatomy and what not to do to make the condition worse. Surfing orthopedic supply sites, I shop for a tens unit (muscle stimulator, to help control the pain) and all sorts of contraptions meant to help with back pain. I have already bought a few supplies meant to help my back, such as a hand held massager, massage recliner, back belt, ice packs, wedge pillows and memory foam. How glad I am to have them, they all have gotten quite a bit of use lately and make the situation more bearable with their convenience. Using the massage chair or the vibrating massage wand can aggravate the swelling in my back if used too much so I just use them briefly as needed. I apply heat then ice packs.
I’m doing gentle leg exercises to keep my muscles from wasting, too, when I get a momentary reprieve from the pain. Slowly, steadily, there is improvement. The pain is there but there is light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. It is a slow process, and I am encouraged but impatient.
So far, so good. I have new appreciation for my spine. Carelessly twisting, bending and otherwise abusing my back on a daily basis has probably gotten me into this position so now, newly learned habits will get me out of this mess. No more contorting my spine into a pretzel as I fall asleep on the couch in front of tv. Those days are over. This is an unfortunate but necessary learning experience. Take care of your spine and get it checked, it never hurts to be preventative, than come in later with a bad case of back trouble. Some conditions aren’t preventable, so if you get one of those, read up on the condition so you know what to expect from your treatment. It will make the whole situation less scary, the more you know.
Carolyn McFann
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/two-Weeks-of-sleeping-on-the-floor-trying-to-get-comfortable-during-severe-back-pain-126032.html
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Chronic Back Pain And Morphine Pumps
Constant and unbearable back pain over a period of time is chronic back pain. Over the counter medications to treat this type of condition, will just give you temporary relief. Painkillers can not level the back pain area. They can suppress it for a while and give you the joy you sought for, fort a short duration. Then you are back to square one- back pain!
What will you do now? This time, you have decided to get rid of this depressing pain, once for all. For the last more than six months, you are not responding to any medical or surgical care. What could be the reason for your chronic pain? It may be due to an old injury, completely healed, but showing its ugly face again. The God forbid, it might even be due to an impending cancer attack, not yet detected by your doctor!
This information is for the people who love statistics. An estimated $ 100 billion a year in medical costs, working days lost, and compensation paid to the workers suffering from back pain. Well, such is the pain budget of USA.
Desperate situations lead you to desperate remedies. Whether the remedies are worthwhile, it is altogether a different matter. Even after multiple surgeries, even after taking all sorts of medicines, when the pain still persists, you indeed cut a sorry figure about yourself. You become cynical and develop depression. In such a situation, if someone gives you the idea of spinal pumps and stimulators, and tells you the related success stories, you are bound to consider that option as well.
In the final stage of the chronic back pain, when it becomes unbearable, you suffer from loss of appetite, nausea, Constipation and severe lethargy. This is mainly due to the medication of painkillers you have taken over a long period. As a pain controlling exercise, there are instances when the patients have taken 300 milligrams of morphine per day, to get relief.
Now the same stuff, morphine is taken in a different manner, but the quantity is drastically reduced- just one milligram per day. This is done with the help of intrathecal spinal pumps.
The medicine reaches the spot where it is exactly needed. The medicine is given by implanting surgically a pump under the skin of a person’s abdomen and running a catheter to the correct location in the spine, in the pain giving area. The medicine thus, provides instant pain relief and the dose of medication is reduced drastically.
As on date, chronic back pain sufferers, admit that they are benefited a lot, with morphine through pump method. In the times to come, you will hear more opinions about the utility of this system.
Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/chronic-back-pain-and-morphine-pumps-57202.html
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Relieve Back Pain With The Right Posture
The modern lifestyle has been responsible for making people increasingly suffer from back pain. The work stress and other work-related pressures significantly affect the back in the most adverse way. There are several medical techniques that are suggested to relieve back pain.
However, the easiest and one of the most effective ways of curing back pain does not involve the use of medicines. Only the proper body postures can do the trick of removing back pain. In fact, proper body postures ensure that people not only get cured of the problem but also never even suffer from it.
Posture Techniques
The body posture is extremely crucial in order to eliminate back pain. The first and the basic factor that needs to be considered is that the individual must keep the position of the back straight while working or while doing tasks like reading, writing, sitting etc.
A straight back ensures that the spine is erect and free from any problems that can crop up due to improper back positioning. Another very important factor is to provide support to the back to keep the back in the perfect posture. This support can be provided by using proper chairs or by hard pillows and cushions and several other ways.
It is not just the working or the sitting postures that need to be concentrated upon. Even the way a person sleeps can cause back pain. Thus, it implies that people can also gain by improving sleeping postures. Sleeping on hard mattresses can help to relieve back pain in a considerable way.
There are several devices that can be used to maintain a proper back posture in order to eliminate back pain. There are specially designed lower back wraps that can be easily tied around the lower back. These wraps can be very useful maintaining a straight back and also reduce back pain if an individual suffers from it.
Similarly there are lumber supports that can be tied around the back for a better back posture. There are also methods like tai chi and Yoga that can ensure that individuals never sit with a curved back. People can overcome the problem of back pain permanently with the help of Yoga and tai chi techniques.
Thus, maintaining proper back postures would mean freedom from any back pain medicines and complex treatment. These are simple techniques and can be easily followed by people of all ages.
Paul Hata
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/relieve-back-pain-with-the-right-posture-530708.html
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