| After weeks of trying painkillers alone, I finally went | | | | what the best position for sleeping with a bad back |
| to sports rehab for help with her agonizingly painful | | | | (on your back with a pillow under your knees), and |
| lumbar spine problem. To my surprise, physical | | | | other useful mobility tips. Hearing all the correct ways |
| therapy was a relief to my back pain, and I was able | | | | to treat my body, it was apparent to me that I've |
| to leave the facility an hour later, walking fully upright | | | | really been abusing my poor spine for most of my |
| for the first time in weeks. Thanks to a wonderful | | | | life. No wonder I've had lesser bouts of back pain for |
| contraption called a traction bed, that stretched out | | | | the last twenty years, culminating in a more severe |
| my spine and relieved the pressure on the lumbar | | | | case this time around. I learned my lesson. |
| area. | | | | The therapist told me to slowly, gradually, build up |
| What is traction? The physical therapist first put me | | | | my stamina by walking and doing light exercizes. He |
| in a harness. They had me wear a vest-like | | | | told me to listen to my body, if I feel pain then it's |
| apparatus, and attached another one to go the | | | | time to stop. I did a little walking this evening. Thanks |
| opposite way, as I lied down on the traction table, | | | | to the traction therapy, I am much more |
| with pillows under my head. Then, they hooked me | | | | comfortable. It will be a long and slow recovery from |
| to a Tens Machine (I'll explain that in a moment) and | | | | sciatica but at least I now know there is hope. Having |
| then turned on both systems. It felt wonderful, I | | | | to go to a spine doctor and for physical therapy for |
| could've stayed there all evening. After roughly | | | | the first time in my life was initially really scary to me. |
| twenty minutes, they unhooked me, and I was | | | | But, truthfully, it was an unexpected relief. Nobody |
| amazed to be able to walk around much more | | | | gave me shots in my spine, or manhandled me. |
| comfortably than when I walked in the place. | | | | There wasn't any torturous pain inflicted on me, just |
| Whoever invented this wonderful apparatus did back | | | | a few tests to see how strong or weak my muscles |
| pain sufferers a really big favor. | | | | are, a CT scan and a few x-rays. I heard another |
| What is a Tens Unit? It is a machine that emits minor | | | | patient ask the therapist what happens if the physical |
| electrical pulses to the area that is in pain, working | | | | therapy doesn't work. The next step is getting shots |
| the muscles and giving relief to the area. There are | | | | in the back, he said. No way, I told him to fix me, so |
| different kinds of pulses, some ping and some pulse, | | | | I never need to get to that level of treatment. The |
| but they all feel great. I had the physical therapist | | | | next level of treatment after those shots is surgery. |
| crank it up as high as possible, and it made my pains | | | | I want to avoid all of that, and am glad to know that |
| go away for the time I was using it. Amazing. I'd | | | | they don't push these things on us. They wait to see |
| been doubled over with serious pain, even with | | | | how we respond. And, I can tell that the therapy is |
| medicines like Celebrex and Tylenol with Codeine in | | | | working, so I am going to build up my stamina by |
| my system. This worked better than both of those | | | | doing as told. |
| together, hands down. | | | | If you suffer from crippling back pain, make sure to |
| On the wall was a poster, explaining the spine, in | | | | go to a specialist and have him look at your back. He |
| minute detail. Very interesting. It's much more | | | | will probably give you pain killers and prescribe |
| complicated than I could ever imagine. I had the | | | | physical therapy. I reccommend it, and wish you a |
| therapist show me where my L5 lumbar area was, | | | | speedy recovery. I'm so glad I finally went. No more |
| because that is where the herniated disk is. Half the | | | | toughing it out for me. It gives me hope of a |
| benefit of going to physical therapy is the instruction | | | | pain-free future and shows it's needless to suffer in |
| on what to do with your problem. They teach you | | | | silence. Been there, done that. |
| how to get up correctly without straining your back, | | | | |