Back issues

[Bri]

So as you may or may not be aware, I have back trouble. Been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease dating from 2005. I thought it was more or less under control until lately; my back's been bothering me a lot more, so I finally got a referral for an MRI and got that done last Friday. Saw my chiropractor today for a follow-up appointment.

Long story short, my back is pretty much fucked, and if I don't take care of it, it's just going to keep getting worse and worse. The degeneration has spread to more vertebrae, two discs are bulging into my spinal canal, both of which have small tears on them as well, and it's extending from my lumbar spine up into my thoracic spine.

I am not a happy camper at the moment.

[brutus87]

well, that definitely puts my weak back muscles that often get pulled to shame. in morbid curiosity, what kind of things will you have to do to 'properly take care' of your back? Is it simply things like not lift heavy objects, or certain exercises?

And I apologize if that seems like a random and less then concerned/sympathetic response to your post, because as someone whom occasionally has back problems, I am greatly sympathetic and concerned. But other then keeping my fingers crossed, now that I think of it, is there anything I (or any of us here) can do to help? Cause I'm sure any one of us here would

[Bri]

About all I can do is ensure my core and back muscles stay as strong as possible (which is difficult to do, as I can't do sit-ups or normal abdominal exercises due to the back issues). I'm going to see what I have to do to see a neurosurgeon soon and get his/her opinion on whether there's anything (aside from surgery, which I hope to avoid) I can do to make the situation a bit better. Aside from the exercises (which my chiropractor will be giving me soon) I'll have to keep seeing him, getting the spinal decompression done, and get some cold laser treatments done, since that's about the only thing that can possibly do some healing on the tears in the two lower discs.

I'm going to need to start working out more and concentrate on my core quite a bit when I do. It wouldn't kill me to lose some weight either.

[brutus87]

I'll keep my fingers crossed then. HOpefully the doctors will have a solid list of exercises for the core. I would imagine that the exercises would lead to increased calorie burn and what not, so that you would indeed lose that weight

[Andrea]

OMG OMG OMG O_O