Today was the second time this year I’d thrown out my back. The back muscle spasms are so bad it puts me in entirely different state of mind. It’s due to the amount of brain piercing bursts of pains I experience. Transferring from the floor to the couch almost had me black out. It only takes the slightest move to trigger the spasmed muscle(s). It’s like playing a game of Russian roulette but it’s your body movements. Cool huh?
Do y’all get this too? Why is it so fucking god awful painful? How do you handle your episodes?
Over the past 30+ years, I average an episode every 18 months. I’m currently in my 9th week of recovery from my latest episode and mostly past the crippling pain and now into that constant mild/medium pain and range of motion limitation that seems to never get better and lingers for months.
Of my nearly 2-dozen lifetime episodes, a solid 2/3 of them washed me over with such sudden and intense pain that I entered an hours long state of shock accompanied by cognitive disability and short term memory haziness. I don’t think I’ve ever actually blacked out, but I expect everyone responds differently.
I am not a doctor and am not qualified to diagnose your specific issue, but if you are suffering from herneated lower disc (my problem), then a mass of inner disc material is breaching your outer disc and putting direct pressure on a major nerve bundle…triggering the most intense pain imaginable.
My standard recovery is to immediately get a perscription for a round of Prednisone (powerful steroid) to quickly reduce inflamation and immediately get on a perscription for muscle relaxers.
Long term, when you are not injured or recovering, you can work on core strength and posture which is supposed to make episodes less frequent.
There’s also surgery option: three main types available. The most modern and least invasive is the micro-discectomy. My doctor (and all my previous doctors) always try to talk me out of the surgery for numerous reasons.
My dad has four slippers discs in his lower back. Got them from a work injury when he was 25. I was 4 then.
I never knew my dad not in pain. He tried surgery, twice. But neither took. That being said, the University of Washington has made huge strides in that exact kind of care. I would direct my father there if he were still around today, but since I can’t, maybe Udub can help you.
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University of Washington. This is good to know! I’ll poke around and see if I can find any recent work on this. Thank you!
First, thank you for comment. I couldn’t have explained this experience better myself. I’m so sorry you experience this. I don’t wish this upon anyone. (Except my mortal enemies but that’s a story for another day 😉)
And you’re right, It’s not only the pain but the intense state of stock as well as the hazy memory and speech.
Sounds like you have a solid recovery routine which is the same as me. I do find a few rounds of acupuncture also helps with inflammation and range of motion. I think im going to start taking Yoga classes along with my strength training. Here’s hoping this reduces the episodes.
And here’s hoping your last episode is truly your last one. 💜