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Chronic Back Pain for Years
6 back surgeries (extensive cervical and lumbar fusions) with neurological complications. Left with chronic pain. Accident happened in Nursing career 1992 and worked with first fusions until 1999 (failed fusions). At my age, and as a former nurse educator, I never wanted to had to rely on medication/s for the severe pain. Having thoroughly exhausted exploring sites using non-pharmaceutical methods, using psychological methods, biofeedback, trying to accept my limitations, i.e., I still believe somewhere...out there...is hope. The strong medicine has caused gastroparesis, further complicating my health problems. They are too numerous to write and I will not focus on them. I am looking for "help" and guidance. If I can be of assistance to anyone throughout their trials, (perhaps similar to some of what I have gone through), I will.
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@vklittle61 @pfbacon Think of MFR like this. Think about kneading bread dough. You sink in and push, but when you push stop and hold it. What the therapist does is to feel the tension in the fascia when they push and they keep tension on it until it moves. They see which direction moves the easiest and sometimes they push against that first, and then change the angle when it starts to slide. It has to be a shearing action, and it isn't a hard push at all, you gently go to the barrier and hold it. There is a video in the MFR discussion where you can see John Barnes do this and explain it. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
@artscaping @pfbacon @qball2019 MFR has helped me a lot. I have thoracic outlet syndrome which causes one side of my neck and chest to be tighter. It's like living in a straight jacket. That was causing a functional scoliosis to develop and I have had physical breathing problems where one side of my chest doesn't expand as much as the other side. The functional scoliosis has been cured by MFR and is no longer evident on MRI. Now we can feel individual muscles in my neck which before were just a solid hard mass. I have better posture. I have less nerve pain in my arms that was coming from entrapment in the tight spaces where the nerves pass through. I have fewer headaches.
I also self treat at home with several things...small 3 inch balls, foam roller, Body Back Roller (hard wood roller, massages muscles next to spine), Davinci tool, webbing straps, Sacro Wedgie, triangular foam blocks, 3 inch hard foam dice from the Dollar store, and even a question mark shaped tool with rotating rubber knobs on it that came from 5 Below. With that I can push when my hands can't get into the right position. You can lay on the balls or blocks and also use a doorway to push up against. You learn by feel what your body needs and what to do. My therapist also gives me suggestions for homework. During my physical therapy for TOS, my spine problem became apparent, and I had to stop therapy and have spine surgery. I'm a couple years past that and back to working on TOS again in therapy. My spine surgery recovery was also better because of the MFR work I had been doing for a few years prior to it. The muscles were looser, and it was easier for my surgeon to retract my neck during surgery. Of course that all tightened from the surgical incision, but MFR loosens that too and breaks up the scar tissue. As it changes from day to day, I stretch out the tightness as it happens. I also work on my core strength and riding my horse is great for that. Once you get back to correct posture because your body can move properly again, building strength to keep it there helps maintain what you've gained.
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2 Reactions@jenniferhunter, @pfbacon, @qball2019, @lioness Good morning. Thanks, @jenniferhunter for that heartfelt explanation of MFR and the results you have had. I believe @lioness you now live in Long Beach. In Seal Beach...just down the road, you will find Sage Bodyworks and Wellness with an Expert level MFR practitioner.
And just south of that in San Clemente, you will find Lasting Pain Relief Center also with an Expert practitioner. In Laguna Niguel there is Sure Step Rehab Inc with an Advanced level practitioner. And just a few miles west in Newport Beach there is an expert MFR practitioner at Focus on Health a Physical Therapy Corporation. All have good ratings from patients.
Once you have experienced the way a restriction releases and you can enjoy painless movement in a formerly tight area, you will be encouraged. Sometimes there is some soreness with the release movements and then it goes away. Because the fascia is in layers, you may have another restriction in the same place at a later date. With a focus on body alignment, proper sitting, and the stretching and strength-building of gentle yoga, your treatments will last longer. And don't forget that cranial cradle which helps align those nerves at the root of all evil where they begin their journey down our body. Stay healthy and be safe from harm. Let me know if there are other places you would like me to research for you. Chris
PS for those of you wondering.....I also lived in Delaware for 15 years, in Redondo Beach for a bit and in San Diego for another 15 years. I just moved from Idyllwild after 20 years and too many fires.
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2 Reactions@artscaping Thank you Chris Idyllwild really got hit with fire recently know your glad your not there I will check out the one in Seal Beach 😎👍 thanks again have a good day
Small world! I lived in Los Angeles most of my life - I remember seeing fires coming down the hillsides of the San Fernando Valley all the way from my home in Palos Verdes. Before PV, I lived in Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Thousand Oaks, Pacific Palisades, and I have vacationed in all the other towns you mentioned. I will always be a Californian - it warms my heart just to see all this chat about my homeland. Re: MFR: There was a glitch with my appointment today, I went there for the MFR but it takes 1 1/2 hours and he only had 1 hour so I got a regular massage (which helps for a while), we will do MFR next time. Thank you all for your good advice and support! Peggy
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1 Reaction@pfbacon That must have been a disappointment for you Let me know when you have MFR I could see the fires from where I live closest it came to me in Long Beach When I don't see Palos Verde I know we are getting a heavy rain as it was this winter
Hi All!
It's been some time since I posted.
Thank goodness, since my 2 spinal surgeries, I haven't had to.
But I am getting a little worried.
The last 2 mornings I have been woken up by bad headaches.
These headaches are all too familiar.
That was how things started when I need surgery on my cervical spine.
The surgery was a success and the headaches have been gone since March 2018....that is until a couple of days ago.
Looks like here we go again......and I just booked a 3 week vacation that cannot be refunded.
Guess I'll mention it to the doc but just live with it until we after the summer.
And so it goes......................
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)
BTW...When I told my pain doc that I was having the surgery, he said HE felt that instead of C5/6, I needed the surgery further up. Who knows???
@grandmar Of all times ,right .I hope you can go on vacation ,but I wouldn't want to be miserable. Maybe Dr can give you something so you can go 😉 I hope so 😁😊👍
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1 Reaction@grandmar Ronnie, I hope you can get relief from the headaches. I have a very hard time functioning “normally “ when I have a headache that bad. Do you feel it in a certain place?
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3 Reactions@grandmar Ronnie, have you tried physical therapy? I have had cervicogenic headaches too before my cervical spine surgery and occasionly I can still get similar headaches. What causes them for me is a muscle spasm that moves the cervical vertebrae around and it rotates or tilts one or more levels that in turn affects the muscles attached that connect to the back of the head. My PT does myofascial release which helps a lot, and you can physically feel if there is misalignment. My PT can gently nudge them back in place and the headache stops. She also used to use a Dolphin neurostimulator on the nerve roots which helps pain by temporarily blocking the neurotransmitters that send the signals. I've become aware of catching this early and can stretch and prevent it. My thoughts are that by maintaining proper alignment, there will be less pressure on the other discs. A PT can give you a home program of things to do that can help and buy you time if you are headed toward more spine surgery. I had a fusion at C5/C6 a couple years ago, and I have thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) which makes one side of my neck and shoulders tighter helping to create the issues of rotating vertebrae. I'm in physical therapy for that and making progress.
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