[LBP]

yes weight bearing movement like walking or ellipitcal is very good. Don't push it but bed rest is bad. It's important to keep as much core muscle strength to support your back. Just listen to your body and watch your posture.

Are you driving while on the Fentanyl patches? I went from Vicodin, to Percocet, to Fentanyl Patches to Morphine pills to deal with increasing pain when trying to return to work post 2 level ADr ...I didn't realize how "fuzzy" I was on these serious meds and I hit a parked car. So I had to seriously re-evaluate the situation. I tried all those hard core meds and they didn't really help. I had better success with a combination of Vicodin and an anti-inflammatory called Relafin. I was surprised how much the anti-inflammatory helped rather than uping the narcotic levels.

I'm not fixed, but I'm trying hard to get off the serious meds. I spent too many years uneducated about my pain and lying in bed as much as possible to minimize the pain. I really didn't do myself any favors. The trick is to learn how to move and exercise in healthy ways for your back and do as much therapuetic exercise as you can tollerate. You probably need PT to help guide you...and if your lucky enough to find a really good pilates instructor...you could try private pilates sessions but things need to be modified in order for you to get good results. I've discovered that there are a lot of pilates instructors who are unable to adjust and accommodate people with back issues, but if you find one, they are priceless.