This month marks 5 years since my last surgery, an L4-L5 discectomy which followed a L5-S1 Laminectomy and an L1-L2 Schwannoma removal in 2011. Along with degenerating discs and spinal stenosis, my recovery has been long, on-going and something I need to work on every day.
One of the most common related issues with back pain is the inability to get a good night’s rest. But before running out and purchasing a pricey adjustable bed, there’s a few simple adjustments one can make to get back to some quality zzzz’s. And a knee pillow, for those that sleep on their side like I do, was the perfect hack.
Of all the items I’ve reviewed for this site, without a doubt, it’s the long handle shoe horn that I use most often. And as you can see by the photo above, it’s within hands reach of my hallway shoe bench…ready for action.
Due to popular demand, I bring you 5 more stories of people who have recently undergone back surgery and are well on their way to recovery.
For back pain caused by inflammation, I abandoned using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory meds years ago after reading up on how bad these pills were for my stomach. It’s been well researched and reported that prolonged used of Ibuprofen can lead to heart problems and intestinal bleeding. A safer way to use anti-inflammatory medication is to use it locally, applied directly to the skin on the areas of the body where inflammatory pain persists. There’s lots of different creams on the market, but the one I’ve found to be most effective are Salonpas patches. These stick directly to my back and on days where I’ve been sitting for long periods of time and can feel that burning sensation caused by inflammation, I apply a patch and within 15 minutes can feel it working.
In late May of 2015, I distinctly remember laying on the floor of my condo watching Youtube videos on my iphone. I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t really move without horrible nerve shocks shooting down my right leg into my ankle. And while I lay there I just kept watching self published videos of people recovering from a discectomy. These videos gave me some comfort in knowing that surgery could stop the excruciating Sciatic pain I was enduring. So, I would like to thank these five people who took the time to tell their story of overcoming herniated disc pain through surgery.
I just passed the 6-month mark of my L4/L5 Discectomy so I thought now would be a good time to discuss my progress. Just a quick recap before getting into how things are today: In early June 2015, during a routine tying-of-the-shoe I badly tweaked my lower back. By the next day, a crippling Sciatica had set-in which confined me to a bed for weeks. Luckily, I had an up to date MRI so an Orthopedic surgeon quickly diagnosed a herniated L4/L5 and I was wisked off to the operating room for a lumbar Discectomy. Fast forward six months and here I am, resting fairly comfortably typing out an update.
For every operation I’ve had, I’ve encountered an unforeseen complication like numbness in my foot or inflammation around scar tissue. For every pill there’s been some side effect especially pain medication that alters digestion and forces my liver to work much harder than it should. For every therapy there’s been some muscle soreness or overstretched ligaments. I’ve come to the conclusion that the best I can hope for are back pain remedies that keep most biological systems in check, and that’s how I came to acupuncture.
Something I use daily (along with Tumeric in my smoothie) to naturally fight inflammation. It’s important to use fish oil with a high EPA of 500 or more as this is the inflammation fighting element.
Every time I purchase a well reviewed (4 or 5 stars) product on Amazon, my faith in humanity goes up a notch. Seriously though, when a group of well meaning people come together on a forum to honestly critique a product, it cuts through the clutter of generic advertising pitches and testimonials to get to the truth which is – does this thing work or not? The Miracle Ball really does reduce muscle tension especially in the hip flexor region, where I need it the most! Read More
