I am very fortunate – even though I have minor scoliosis (an abnormal curvature of the spine) – which has probably limited my ability to ever become one of the great female golfers ( it’s as good as excuse as any), I have few problems with my back other than a spasm now and then which I can get rid of if I stretch.
My husband, Bernie, on the other hand, has degenerative spinal stenosis – his dad had it, his sister and brother have been dealing with it since they were in their thirties.
Degenerative spinal stenosis is a condition due to the narrowing of the spinal canal, which results in the spinal cord being compressed which then causes compression of spinal nerves and nerve roots which can then cause a myriad of symptoms including lower back pain, leg pain, and even some loss of feeling.
Bernie has already had a cervical laminectomy , a surgical procedure to remove and trim several lamina of the vertebra to widen the spinal canal and create more space for the spinal nerves. He went to Mayo Clinic for this surgery which gave him much needed relief for the next 10 years. Now he’s suffering again.
He’s going to Mayo Clinic for his annual check up in January and his back issues will be a major concentration. I’m also going this year for an annual (I accompany him every other year and this is my year) so you bet I’ll be getting the information and passing it along. This is a saga – not a story.
In the meantime, I’m doing my best to get him to understand that he needs to exercise and stretch. He’s always been in great shape, regularly cross training aerobically and with weights but this back business has thrown him for a loop. It hurts.
I finally convinced him to give up the impact aerobics – even the treadmill – he runs on it and then can’t walk for 2 days. We purchased a recumbent exercise bike yesterday. We had an old one which I used – especially before and after the meniscus tear surgery.
I also finally convinced him that you need to WARM UP before you stretch. And you need to STRETCH after you exercise aerobically – walking, biking, whatever. He would stretch first before doing anything aerobically and then not stretch after.
Rule of thumb: warm up the body first (10-20 minutes) and then do what you’re going to do.
Since my knee surgery, it’s been a couple of months, I still feel the leg getting stiff and there’s some swelling (inflammation). In the middle of the day I’ll take 20 minutes out of work, 10 minutes on the bike (warming up) and 10 minutes of stretching exercises for the knee. That’s working well!
So the next 2 posts will be about back issues – not as extensive as Bernie’s issue but issues all the same. Sometimes I think we weren’t meant to walk on two feet but should still be crawling on all fours. Come to think of it, I don’t think I could do that either.
Time out for stretching …. But do tell me your back stories. And if you have any stories about great treatments – would love to hear about them. Scroll down to comments and click on the blank window and start writing.
Cheers
Ruthan
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