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Thuasne Lombastab lumbar belt
Hello, I have been diagnosed with Spondylolisthesis between my L4 and L5. The doc recommended that I wear a lumbar belt, so I purchased one Thuasne Lombastab.
Does anyone have any experience wearing the exact same belt? If so, can you share your experience?
I wore it only once, for about two hours. While wearing it, I drove 10 mins each way and walked about 3 miles in a relatively flat area. After I got back home, I took off the belt. I started feeling more pain on my lumbar area, as well as tingling on pretty much all of my toes. They lasted for about two days before things got a little better. Prior to wearing that belt, I never had tingling on my feet or toes.
Fast forward to three weeks after wearing it, I now started to also feel numbness on my left hand, tingling on my ring finger and pinky of the same hand. I got a full spine MRI done the other day. Found out that I also have issues on my C1 - C4 - things such as: bulging, stenosis and hernia nukleus pulposus (HNP).
Is it possible a lumbar belt could actually do you more harm than good? I know this sounds silly, might be a bit accusatory, but I know I did not feel any tingling or noticed any significant signs of cervical issues prior to wearing the belt.
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@llannii I had not heard of that belt, have been considering trying a brace myself. So interested to hear more.
After looking it up briefly, my nurse brain thinks it unlikely that the brace contributed to cervical issues. Although if your brace includes a harness to shoulders, perhaps if not properly adjusted (? Tightened too much) it might be possible to worsen an already weakened alignment. For instance any past history of neck trauma, whiplash, even a fall that may have caused head to flip forward or backward might initiate an area of weakness. I believe that(neck trauma)is what started my own neck issues resulting in spinal cord compression and ultimately surgical intervention.
Best wishes for quick solution with relief!
@gaylemp, thanks. I am glad to hear a similar opinion as my doctor's.
No, it doesn't include a harness to shoulders.
The belt covers the area between your S1 and just under your ribcage in my case (5' 2"). To put it on, you use the velcro flap, and then pull the pull string on each side to tighten it. The part that goes on your back has stiff vertical pieces an inch or so apart from each other - I guess for support?
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@llannii They did a corpectomy(removed disk/?vertebrae put in spacer and fused vertebrae c5-7 I believe, or C4-6. Recovery was 6-8 weeks, but able to drive within 4 weeks as I recall. I still have pain/tightness and sometimes what I call “zingers”. When a certain movement causes sudden sharp shooting pain, only lasts a few seconds thank God!
I’m told I need surgery in low back as well, similar issues with what I believe is a milder cord compression.