severe spinal stenosis and travel

I fly to and from Germany with spinal stenosis and spinal bifida. Going is 9 hours and returning 10-11 hours if we hit a jet stream. If you do not get up walk around you will get very stiff and have a hard time getting up.
So get up occasionally walk around.

wow! that’s about the same as from vancouver to japan! may i ask what grade your stenosis is? mine being “severe”, i’m worried about doing further damage, but a girl’s gotta live too! good for you for getting out there and travelling. also wondering what symptoms you are dealing with with the spinal bifida? thank you for responding! you give me hope! 😊🙏🏼

I was a road warrior in the last 10 years of work before retiring. I flew every week to a different city and then drove all week visiting doctors and hospitals. I paid dearly for ignoring my body. If you can go first class or business class depending on where you’re traveling to enables you to lay down. That saved my back traveling to Italy many years ago. I will no longer fly due to the requirement of sitting too long. If you’re just recovering from a flare up I hope travel is not to soon. Also consider what causes your flare ups and do you have a plan to deal with a flare up where you’re traveling to? I had a contract with Massage Envy and made sure I used it in my travels when working. I also bout a seat cushion from Sojoy company that folds in half and has a carrying handle so I’d be sure to be sitting on a supported bottom not a concave hole in an airplane seat.

thank you for your input. all excellent things to consider. i will have access to a lot of massage so that’s good. and i don’t plan on over-extending while there. but your question about what triggers a flareup is a good one. i will contemplate all of these points and also look into those cushions. thanks again. 🙏🏼

A wedge cushion that helps avoid the tucking of hips caused by “bucket” seats, as per the Gokhale Primal Posture method.

thank you! now i will look up the gokhale primal posture method! much appreciated!. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Last year my husband booked a trip to Africa from Florida to Africa. We flew 1st class
so I could try to sleep with L5 pain and buttocks pain. Sleeping with back and buttocks
pain is non existence. (I used a cane to walk). Fast forward, I overcame a drop left foot, have multiple
spine issues, beginning of osteoporosis
can walk w/o a cane for 1 + mile and have taken up Pilates. Never stop trying! It has taken
my body over 14 months of recovery ( I have had 2 epiderma's, PT ,s and always exercise & stretch
every day. (Quit all those drugs they were throwing to me last year 3 months out. Did not feel
like myself and were forgetting important dates). When I feel really hurting a take a Tylenol
maybe one every other day.. For me, I have lived a healthy life (now 79) and my goal is to get
to play tennis as I had done almost 1.5 yr ago. Stay focus, work hard, your body is a nice machine and
with time will try to get you back. I am first of 7 siblings, (lost 2 already), parents passed
when I was 32, so it has been a hill to climb. My motto is, I can do this, and the drive to believe I can.
Hopefully I can play some tennis late this summer...Never stop trying.

wow! great story! good for you! yes, i’m working hard every day. i’ve just learned more from a previous responder suggesting the gokhale method (and a seat cushion). we have to be proactive. i certainly can’t afford a first class ticket but will be exercising while in my seat to try to keep my body from freaking out. i can’t walk far at all but getting stronger every day! i lost my 26 year old son a few years ago so i know deep loss. one thing it teaches us is you have to get strong or you get taken out. i guess that goes for all the big stuff life throws at us. have fun with that tennis! best of luck!

Hi fifi!

I can't respond directly to your question about traveling with spinal stenosis. Looks like you've gotten good advice from other travelers.

I'm 70 y/o, male, and recently dropped my weight from 190 lbs to 160. That took a year, cutting out refined sugar, and a lot of spinning and core strengthening in the gym. And I was in pretty good shape even at 190 lbs, but still weighed too much for my height.

I have spinal stenosis, scoliosis, listhesis (one vertebra sliding ahead of the vertebra below), osteoarthritis and spurs, and degenerative discs - all in my lumbar spine. My surgeon tells me I'm avoiding the need for spinal fusion because of my strong core muscles. The weight loss just happened when I prioritized cardio exercise, specifically HIIT sessions 5x week on a stationary (ICG) bike.

I did have surgery about 10 years ago - laminotomies on S1, L5, and L4. The disc at S1/L5 had partially ruptured. The surgeon drilled holes in the backs of those three vertebra, removed the ruptured disc material, and "sanded" down arthritic spurs inside my spinal canal to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve from stenosis. (Before the surgery I had symptoms of sciatica - pain in the back of my legs, inability to stand for long.). Recovery was very short thankfully.

If I fly anywhere, I bite the bullet and pay for first class. On domestic flights that provides mostly more leg room. On international flights on bigger planes the FC seats should flatten out like a bed.

All the best to you. Focus on core muscle work everyday, the exercises are pretty easy - I also suggest working with a physical therapist or a trainer with a degree in kinesiology at a good gym.

Finally, use ice on your lower back, never heat. The ice will reduce inflammation - the heat will make inflammation worse. You can also ask about a cortisone shot - epidural - to reduce inflammation in the short term, 1-3 months. I would stay away from chiropractors, but that's just my personal preference.

That's all I got fifi! I wish you all the best. I'm familiar with the pain produced by stenosis. No fun at all - so please support your lumbar spine by keeping your core strong. I know you will!

Joe

Wow Karen you are doing great! Tennis at 79? Why not?

I'm 70 y/o and very active - in the gym everyday, work with a trainer and do a lot of HIIT work on the stationary bike. I've gone from 190 lbs to 160 lbs in the last year and feel just great.

I had both knees replaced (2022) and that went well. I have to get my right hip replaced in January, but haven't had to slow down much.

And I agree with your approach on pain meds. I stick with Tylenol for pain, and Alleve now and then for inflammation. Voltaren Gel is also very good for arthritic joints.

So glad to hear about people like you, doing so well at 79. Almost everyone can do this - but - they have to do the work.

"Get obsessed and stay obsessed!" - John Irving

Joe