Back Pain & Inversion Therapy Chairs

[siamcat]

I can't tolerate anything more then 800mg motrin. Some of the new pain meds don't work at all and the strong ones mess me up.
I do the "cat" stretches to help when it's all in knots.

While my pain is minor compared to some of you I know how it feels to wake up with back pain in the morning and go to bed with it.

Best of luck to all of you.

[Scarlett]

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I can't tolerate anything more then 800mg motrin. Some of the new pain meds don't work at all and the strong ones mess me up.

That's what I miss most about being married... The army candy. That stuff is handed out for EVERYTHING... I hate not having that anymore. Works great.

[sojourner truth]

bbh...In an RFA, what the doc will do is locate a major nerve that is the culprit, and then inject an electrode or 2 (I had 3 electrodes) in the nerve closest to the vicinity of the problem disc. Same sort of needle as the steroid injections. The radio frequency acts sort of like a microwave and burns the nerve away. It feels like someone is putting a cigarette outon your back for a few seconds, but bearable. They have to be careful not to get the major nerve, as that would completely numb the leg. Believe me, There were times I would have been willing to drag a numb leg around for a few years just to get a decent nights sleep.

The result is that the biggest pain will be reduced to a faint occaisional representation of its former self, and the smaller offshoot pains from the nerves that send pain down to the legs and toes will be completely gone.

Good luck.

[Supergirl]

Quick follow up.. Had the RFA for the first time last Wednesday... The 'soreness' of them sticking needles in my back has worn off. I am so impressed with this... I seriously am almost in tears because this is the first time in about 3 years that I can say my pain level at the worst is about a 2 out of 10.

[sojourner truth]

The nerve should be gone for about a year or 2. The meds and the TENS unit help a lot to keep the pain level bearable. The meds take the edge off, and the TENS unit is for the days where the meds don't handle it.

TENS unit supplies are outrageously expensive. My pain levels went to zero while standing and about 2 to 3 when sleeping. Bending over is a different story. I think my nerve is starting to grow back.

Something about the spine decompressing while on my back. A real pain in the,,,,,,well, you know.

[corgifan]

From what I've read inversion can cause temporary short term relief from chronic back pain, but there is no scientific evidence that it works long term. However, as a person who has dealt with back pain in the past, even short term relief would be enough for me! I've found that weight loss and exercise have put a stop to my back pain, but not everyone is in a situation where they can exercise. So any treatment that eases the pain needs to be explored.

From Mayo Clinic: "A potential problem with inversion therapy is that it may significantly increase blood pressure in your head. For this reason, you should not try inversion therapy if you have heart disease, high blood pressure or eye diseases, such as glaucoma, or if you are pregnant."

[sojourner truth]

Thanx for that tip...I was getting ready to buy one, but have high blood pressure as well. I will stick with my 2 hours of treadmill time and soup and salad diet.

I do miss my running time though...sigh.

[The Torii Fox]

I've had a teeter hangups inversion chair for about 6 months. I can say it helped my back for a while (meaning a few hours of relief at most, per use), but it might not be for heavier folks or folks with soft tissue knee, hip, or ankle issues. I stopped using it after about 3 months, my tens machine yielded better results for a longer period. Even at 50-60 degrees of inversion it is very painful for my ankles since my weight is suspended from them. The less the version the less pain, but maybe the less overall back benefit too. The one I bought from Dicks in Heights I had to assemble. It is sturdy for me (at 255 pounds), looks flimsier than it feels. There are no plastic covers for the folding metal hinges, and I worry about my kids getting pinched in it sometimes. I paid $300 or so for mine and you have to flip upside down and right side up by yourself. This sucks if you have weak or injured abs, are not real flexible, have vertigo, or want to impatiently try it out by yourself in a cramped room after having just assembled the one you bought from Dicks in Heights. I almost launched a toolbox through a wall and felt like a human trebuchet when ,y feet kicked up faster than I expected. I saw some online for over a thousand dollars that are motorized. I'd personally like to sell mine, but you'd need a small truck or maybe suv to transport it. Hope this information helps.

I'm still trying to get my back diagnosed but unofficially I have been told it is probably psiatica. X-rays showed nothing, next step is an MRI. I was curious about the injections too. I'm a little desperate for pain relief, haven't been able to exercise much for almost a year.

[sojourner truth]

The MRI will tell the story. Sciatica usually is when one or more discs lose cartilage between them. The disc can't hold itself in place and then the bone is displaced and pinches a nerve.

Mine went all the way down from my left lower butt, to the inside of the left knee, and then down the left leg all the way to the left big toe.

The steroids helped the lower back pain, but the RFA stopped everything that went down the leg. The TENS unit will keep me pain free for an entire night if I wear it for a few hours before bed time. The mistake mopst people make is only wearing it for a half hour or so.

Your MRI will tell the doc what is wrong. When you see it, it will become clear what is happening. It also helps the Ortho doc know where to inject. When he lays you on the table and xrays you prior to injecting the spine, he knows just about exactly where to put the goods.

Good luck.

[The Torii Fox]

That's my experience with the tens unit too. I wear it for hours. Then the pain is minimal for a day or so. Ibuprofen 600mg and the tens help me manage things with almost no activity. I found good deals on the electrode pads on amazon too. $10-$20 for packs of 20-40.