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Pain in buttock, outer hip and hamstring
Bones, Joints & Muscles | Last Active: 8 hours ago | Replies (45)Comment receiving replies
Help me cut out the sugar 👍 I already cut out as much salt as possible. I have a lot of osteoarthritis in my spine, feet , neck and some disk degeneration plus minor scoliosis. Hurts all the time, have trouble sitting,standing & walking but I force myself to walk a minimum of a mile a day ( having a dog helps). I declined spinal surgery except for a joint replacement on a big toe due to a huge larger joint making it nearly impossible to wear shoes. My primary doctor says losing weight will help ( I lost 10 pounds by cutting out carbs but gained back 8 because I got lazy). It is imperative to lose weight if you have spinal problems so I’m back on track now. I have my wellness visit in 2 weeks and I’m dreading the holidays because of the refined carbs I know people will be forcing on me. Good luck. Keep checking those food labels.
Replies to "Help me cut out the sugar 👍 I already cut out as much salt as possible...."
Hi again mydogsbestfriend,
I forgot to mention one thing, sleep position. I sleep on my side and switch between left and right. I put a memory foam pillow between my knees and keep my knees slightly bent . This keeps the spine straight and takes pressure off the back.
I also have a yoga bolster that I place behind my back, and then have another pillow to rest the arm I'm not sleeping on.
It's quite a production, but very helpful and makes sleeping easier.
Joe
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Hi mydogsbestfriend,
I will say this - you are very honest and fighting the good fight. I have the same problems you have. my lumbar spine is held together by a strong core. But I have stenosis, scoliosis, listhesis (one disc sliding ahead of the one below), degenerative arthritis, degenerative discs - sounds like you do too.
I've had two bouts with sciatica and a ruptured disc. I only had surgery once - lamintomies at S1, L5, and L4. That was 10 years ago. I had my knees replaced in 2022. I used that as motivation to get back to the gym to get my legs strong pre-op and to keep them that way post-op.
I lost 30 lbs this last year - a combination of cutting a LOT of sugar and taking up spinning. You might want to try spinning. Just sit relatively tall to keep your lumbar spine in proper position. Try a class, it's fun. And people in spin class are focused on their workout. So there's no reason to be shy.
As for sugar - it was really one thing - a can of coke I drank every night - that was the culprit. I stopped that and along with the spinning, the weight came off. And sugar contributes to inflammation and so makes arthritis worse. And I did cut back on candy and other products that had a lot more sugar in them than I knew.
There is probably one or two things you're eating that are adding most of the sugar. Cut those out and you'll almost certainly lose weight. Great job on salt!
I don't pretend to know your situation. Other than rampant arthritis, I have never really struggled with weight. I realize how fortunate I am. But I am 5'10" tall (I used to be 6'1"...... until my lumbar spine collapsed) and 190 lbs and dropped to 160 lbs in a year.
Your walking is an excellent form of exercise. You sound like you have the will to get better and I believe in you.
All the best, and thanks for sharing. I hope some of this helps.
Joe