7 months post-op and pain is back

[deppmann]

Hello all. I haven't been around much since I started to fel better after my Charite in June '05. All was going just as expected for me with an IMPRESSIVE drop in pain levels and healing as scheduled. My surgeon had me do 2 months of P/T (after 6 weeks) and I did great! I lost about 20lbs and felt pretty strong again. I have yet to go back to work (I'm a W/C case and am having all sorts of problems with the insurance co and my former employer). My problem is the past week I've been having what seems to be a very familiar pain in my low back. It's scary because having had back pain for a few years before my operation I know this feeling all too well and am nervous about what it would mean. Should I be going back to the doc for tests? My last appt with him was in December and my x-rays showed perfect placement. Could this be facet pain I'm feeling? The only way I can describe the pain is it feels like someone has their fist shoved into my low back all the time...almost like a pressure-type feeling (but painful as well). The only thing I've been doing differently is holding my newborn. Could she be causing this? I've tried very hard to lift her properly and not to twist or bend wrong. She's only 2 weeks old and not even 8lbs yet.

Any advise or suggestions are welcome. I am very nervous about the way this feels and have no clue what I should do. I can't really see going back on pain meds with my child here. Just when you think the worst days are behind you.....

John

[LeeK]

I'm so sorry to hear you are not doing well! I really don't think holding your newborn had anything to do with it this far out, since you've been careful about how you bend or twist.

Personally, I would go back to the doctor. With it being Workers Comp, everything has to be noted and documented. I wouldn't leave any holes for their lawyers to worm around in or twist/distort things. You won't be able to settle your case or return to work, it would seem.

I made the mistake in the very beginning of my injury (not WC) of taking the drs. advice that it would "get better, give it up to a year" and didn't go back when I knew in my gut something else was wrong--but NOBODY believed me, so I thought it futile to go back.

Unrelated, I'm sorry...but I think you really need to go back to the doctor and MAKE sure they document it (as well as treat it). I hope you are requesting copies of your medical records as you go, so you can make sure they aren't messing up your medical records? Just a thought...a lesson learned the hard way for me.

I REALLY hope it is nothing to worry about and you are feeling better soon! Congrats on your newborn child!! They grow up so fast, try to savour every moment. I know it must be so hard and distracting with the return of the pain and the fear you are feeling.

[Alastair]

Hi John,
well I don't understand about the workers compensation because I live in the UK. My suggestions would be to go back to basics a little bit, try ice packing/heat where the pain is, or maybe a tens machine if you have used one in e the past. This sounds like something muscular


Just drawing your attention to something that you probably haven't noticed but that has happened. You say you've lost 20lbs in weight, which is brilliant, also your ADR and your physical therapy seemed to have worked extremely well. It sounds to me as if your body is just getting used to a change of posture. There is an item in the FAQs about looking after small children after ADR which was done for me by a doctor who had ADR. It's here

http://www.adrsupport.org/private-cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cg...t_topic;f=6;t=000078

I would not anything major at this point. If you have to go and report it because of your American WC then by all means do so, but it sounds as if your ADR has been a big success and this is just a glitch.
Best wishes,
Alastair

P. S. It sounds as if you could do to try out my Chinese waiters exercise. Wait until you get this cleared up, and then e-mail me because I can't attach it to an e-mail from here.

[Jim M2]

To me it sounds like another level is acting up.

I strongly suspect I have trouble with post-ADR L5S1 facet pain. It's not the same pain as pre-surgery. Stooping or lifting small things (like infants) dosen't bother me now like it did before ADR. What bothers me now is motions associated with extension of the lumbar.

I hope it's just a temporary pain.

[luvmysibe]

Greetings John,

I am about a month behind you in my recovery. For the most part I feel stronger and more active each day. With the increase in my PT and daily routine, I have had some muscular flare ups and spasms. Having massage therapy, stretching, and soaking has helped aleviate even the deeper pain.

When speaking with my PT he mentioned that the complete recovery from ADR takes upwards of a year because of relearning and implementing proper body mechanics. There may be very minor changes in your posture or motion that you don't even realize that could be contributing to the discomfort. Some of the deepest and smallest spinal muscles can cause tremendous pain if they are weak or are not used to a particular movement.

If you haven't tried less drastic strategies give them a shot: ibuprofen, ice/heat, stretching gently, soaking, massage, check your body mechanics, rest for a day.

Hope this helps!

[mmglobal]

Alastair, many cudos for the post on dealing with small children... GREAT POST!

John,

I can't tell you how many times I ran down to my doctor's office saying, "get me xrays now!"... only to find, a few days later, that I had panicked for nothing.

If you have the sudden or rapid onset of new symptoms, by all means, go get an x-ray done to make sure the prostheses are OK. Hopefully your new symptoms will fade and you'll kick yourself for overreacting. But, I do encourage everyone to react to thier new symptoms. If they are not serious, wait them out to make sure it's not just a normal, temporary issue. If they seem serious or of they don't go away after many days... get thyself to a doc and get them looked at.

Good luck! Keep us posted...

Just my 2 cents....

Mark

[Harrison]

John,

I am also an official member of the panic club...many of us become members on our journey through recovery!

I recently had an aggressive chiro adjustment, which I believe led to a disc protrusion at L1-L2 (found in an MRI, by chance). This is working its way back to normal, but after 6 weeks of discomfort and panic.

My "theory" is that my lower thoracic was hypomobile (stiff) and the adjustment introduced mobility that the spine was not used to because of my ADR -- 19 months ago!

Whatever the case, it takes many, many months for our new spine to settle into equilibrium. Try to be patient, but do make your brain feel better by communicating with your doctor!

PS: Folks here seem overly sensitive about facet issues; more on this in a few weeks.

[deppmann]

Thank you all for the input. I'm probably overreacting and may just be more sleep deprived than anything else but I think we've all been in this situation. With what we have to go through to get to this point and then talk ourselves into thinking that we may have somehow reversed the good that had been done is enough to dive the anxiety levels way up. I will give this "new pain" a few more days and see if it's just my back's way of saying slow down a bit. If it persists then I'll go to my doc and see what he says.

John

p.s. thanks to Alastair for the tips on children and ADR-great info that will save me lots of pain!

[Smack_Adams]

One more thing, John.

A hearty mazel tov on your new baby girl. I wish you all the good health you need to enjoy her.