Re: Bad Disk

[Chris Paus <paus@micoks.net>]

Ah, Connie, you have reached an expert! Not only do I suffer migraines, I
also battle a bad disk, L-5.

Mine came from building fence. My husband rented a 2-man, gas powered post
hole auger. Not wanting to look like a wimp, I helped him drill about 20
holes in one day. By the end of the day I couldnt' move. I spent a whole
summer in therapy, on pain pills, etc. We could have hired someone to build
the fence for the amount of money we have spent on my back!

An MRI revealed a herniated disk with a piece of disk fragment pressing on
a nerve root. So,you see, I can sympathize.

Here's waht really works for me...ibuprofen, exercise and ice. If the pain
gets really bad, the doc gives me som Torodol, but I prefer not to use it
if I don't have to.

Get yourself to a physical therapist. Once that person works you over well,
do the exercises RELIGIOUSLY. If I get lazy, my back starts hurting again.
I have to do the exercises every night. And don't do exercises some well
meaning friend tells you to do. Every back problem is different and
requires some specific moves. Other moves will make the problem worse. 

My well meaning, but know it all brother in law had me do his exercises
when we were visiting. Until then I just had disk pain. AFter his
exercises, I had shooting pains down the back of my right leg and my right
foot and toes went numb. The therapist said Bill's advice was the exact
wrong thing for me to do, it stretched the disk out more!

After a few weeks of therapy and rest, begin to ride again, gently. Wear a
good-fitting back brace. If you have any magnet thingies for horses, put
that inside your back brace. I've also gotten through some competition by
keeping a cool gel ice pack on my back. I've sewn a pocket inside my back
brace adn put one of those gel pack thingies in there. The coolness lasts a
couple of hours. At the vet check, I exchange the warm one for a cold one
from the ice chest.

There is hope. You will be able to ride again. But you will have to be
careful. Don't do stupid things like I did -- bought the wrong horse who
bucked every day for three months and then reared up and fell over
backwards on me. That certainly did not help my back at all!!!

You will learn to do what your body tells you. I can move about 10 square
bales of hay or pitch 3 wheelbarrow loads of manure and then I have to
quit, or I will be aching for a week. Learn to do heavy jobs in small doses
or get someone else to do them for you. I save really big jobs for when my
son comes home from college.

Don't take muscle relaxers if you can help it. My own personal feeling is
that that you need good strong muscles to support that weak disk. If you
keep the muscles relaxed and flabby, they will not support it.

I've also discovered a wonderful product made by the mentholatum company.
It is called "pain patch." it is a flexible bandage with a menthol coating.
They come in a box of about 6 bandages. You put the bandage right on the
sore spot. It really helps. I use one on every competitive ride.

I also visit a chiropractor regularly, but do not go when I'm in intense
pain. I think the therapy first, then chirporactic after the back pain
subsides, is the way to go. If all else fails, there are cortisone
injectinos. I have not had to resort to those yet.

GOOD LUCK.

chris paus
At 02:21 PM 3/5/98 -0800, Connie Hoge wrote:
>The lowest disk in my back is bad.  Not just bad.  Very bad.  Feels like 
>I'm being stabbed with a knife when I adjust to gait changes.  After a Dr. 
>visit - I was given Prednisone for a few days, then to Ibuprofen, at 600 
>mg. 3 times a day.  No riding for 2 weeks at least.  Seems there might be 
>nerve involvement - I'm sure of that - so if I don't get relief, may talk 
>someone into an MRI.
>
>Has anyone had this problem?  I've been taking glucomide (sp) sulphate 
>since last Oct.  No results so far.
>
>Any suggestion would be appreciated - after all - I live to ride!
>Connie H.
>
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