Back pain 8 weeks post op

A few weeks ago I developed neck pain because of all my lying down. I have spent the last few years lying down because I could not sit. Sitting was the biggest problem I had pre-surgery.

Because of the neck pain I spent a few days trying to sit up all day instead of lying down most of the day. After 3 days of sitting on a couch with cushions to support my back, my back got really sore.

That was a week ago, since then I have had the week from hell with back pain, exactly the same pain I had after excessive sitting pre-op.

Now it's clear my back was not conditioned and strong enough for the sitting (about 8 hours a day for 3-4 days) but I am starting to worry the pain now won't go away. The pain is exactly where it was before L5/L4 L5/S1 where I have my 2 new discs.

Any thoughts?

Hi Chris,
I would think that you should need to be at this stage doing a little bit of walking round and about the house walking up and down the stairs going to short walks outside rather than lying down.

Sitting and standing for long periods are the absolute worst thing that you can do for a bad back and you need to keep moving. Don't sit for more than 20 minutes without moving and get yourself for five minutes walk round the room and try and get yourself out a bit of a walk as well.

Following surgery you need to have some movement, and that's what walking does it keeps all your body moving as does swimming. Lying down and hoping it will go away is not the way ahead. Get those new discs moving and get your posture sorted out as well.

Your posture changes with disc replacement and that quite often can be quite painful to settle down to but you frighten me saying that you are lying down and hope the pain will go away, that's not the way ahead.
Best,
Alastair

Hi Chris. I have to agree with Alistair not keeping mobile is not good you must try to alternate between sitting standing and walking round you will get very tired at first but you will build up strength over time. whilst this may sound scary it needs to be done if you want to progress.
slow and stedy wins the race but you have to join the race to have a hope of winning.
xx

Thanks for the advice.

I am still walking about 3 miles per day but do spend most of my day lying down.

I will start introducing short walks every couple of hours rather than 2 long walks.

I have really stopped the sitting until the pain reduces.

I obviously completely overdone it by sitting for a long time last week.

I will keep on the move as per your recommendations.

Do you think I could have done permanent damage by the 3 days of sitting?

I'm just over 6 months post op now from single level lumbar ADR but when I was walking your distance I split it up into 4 walks as I found this was better at keeping the nerve pain at bay as I was only on low dose Lyrica. To be honest reflecting back the best advice I would give is listen to your spine. I did do a fair bit of lying down but pottered around the house for short intervals throughout the day. I didn't do much sitting due to the spinal nerve pain as it made it worse. Very gradually things have improved but the changes are so subtle I hardly notice them.

I guess things are complicated for you with the neck problems. Do you have an appointment coming up with Mr S - I'd see what he has to say about that. I have a Sissel orthopaedic pillow which I find is very supportive for my neck

Hope things improve with your revised regime.

This post has been edited by Ruth on Nov 7 2009, 08:48 PM

Hi Chris,
just another thought, do you use a thigh pillow when sleeping at night, it stabilises the pelvis and lower back whilst you're sleeping.

Another thing you could do is to get one of these special pillows that keeps your head in line with your spine, that might have helped in the first instance. You can get a very posh one made of memory foam for about £40 and a thigh pillow is about £10 on the Internet. Both of those should be available from your local physiotherapist or disability shop.

Both of those are worth a good try,2 level ADR is difficult, but you've got to keep moving and don't do continuous long walks, break those 3 miles into six half mile walks. In fact I would break them down at this point into four half mile walks if you're getting problems.
Best,
Alastair

P. S. do remember that you have had one of the biggest surgeries that is ever performed in a hospital

Hi Alastair I have the memory pillow but not the thigh pillow, is there a link to where you can purchase one?

I am taking on board the recommendations and splitting up the walking into lots of smaller walks and trying to be more active.

Any thoughts on the pain? I know its very difficult to guess but I am scared I am going to be in this much pain from now on. the first 6 weeks my back pain was little to nothing but after 3 days of sitting on the couch (admittedly it was now far too long) I am 10 out 10 pain.

As I said prior to my surgery for 3 years I reduced gradually my sitting until I did not do it at all as it generated the pain.

I would think after 7 weeks the discs could not be moved etc by sitting down for too long? Is it more likely to be the facet joint / muscles?

Again I understand nobody can tell me what is wrong but any thoughts on why would be much appreciated as I am very worried at this stage that this is me for the rest of my life.

Hi Chris,
it's your muscles that aren't moving which is causing you the pain. And sitting and standing for long periods causes muscles to start and lock-up. I hope you're doing some gentle stretches and exercises given to you by your physiotherapist in addition to your walking.

Here is a link for a rather posh type thigh pillow with a demonstration as to how it works

http://www.vivadirect.co.uk/webapp/wcs/sto..._-1_50652_11052

It's a little bit more expensive then I quoted at first of £10 but it is made of memory foam.
Best,
Alastair

Chris - I remember back in one of your posts you said you were decreasing your meds. If that is the case do you think you might have decreased your Lyrica too much too soon. I'm still taking it at 6 months post op & by the looks of it will for some time to come. (I read on another forum that a lot of people have to take it for 1 year post op & were told by their surgeon that nerve pain can last up to 2 years post op).

It's just a thought. ADR is a learning curve for me too. This recovery is very different from my previous fusion op.

Hope things start to settle down soon.

Hi Ruth, my medication was reduced but it is now at a max again and has been for 2 or 3 weeks, the medication is doing nothing for the pain tbh, the pain is that bad.

One thought I had is I had a new filing in my mouth at the time before my back got sore, is it possible I have an infection as I only had antibiotics a week before the filling and not actually during or after the filling?

Thanks
Chris

Thanks Alastair, I will look into it.

It would make sense that my muscles are the problem as they are not used to sitting its just getting on 2 weeks of not sitting again and the pain is not easing. The pain also feels as if it is radiating from the spine rather than muscles and the likes of deep heat does nothing to relieve the pain so I am concerned it is more than muscles.

Sorry just to add Alastair the exercises are also adding to the pain and as its at an unbearable level the exercises for the last week or so I have dropped.

I did them yesterday and today I am so sore my body is telling me that they should not be done right now.

Hi Chris,
A "Thigh Pillow " might be part of the answer as your "Sleeping posture" could be wrong once asleep.

You say "Deep Heat" doesn`t help what about an icepack??

Are you into Physio yet?

Muscles are attached to the spine - - -radiating from your spine pain??????

It is still VERY "Early Days" for a 2 level ADR
Best
Alastair

Before my spine surgery I had antibiotics for some dental problems I was having but had a slightly longer gap before having spine surgery. In the blood test you had on admission they would have checked your white cell count which must have been normal or they wouldn't have gone ahead with the surgery.

I don't really like giving out too much medical advice as I'm not a doctor but does your med regime include anti-inflammatories. The best person to see would be Mr S but I know you don't live in the UK so it's a long trip. As a last resort have you thought about ringing Mr S's secretary or bringing your review appointment forward.

I was in a lot of pain from week 2 to week 6 post op & couldn't leave the house due to undiagnosed nerve pain in my spine. I nearly went to see Mr S sooner but didn't like to make a fuss. In retrospect I wish I had as I deconditioned myself considerably doing lots of lying down & just pottering round the house.

Hope you get some answers & much needed pain relief soon.

P.S. I must have been posting a similar time to you & Alastair. Maybe it is muscular, due to being deconditioned & doing a lot of sitting. It's hard to comment on but I guess you know your body best.

This post has been edited by Ruth on Nov 9 2009, 07:52 PM

Hi Alastair, I will defo go for the pillow, will also try the ice pack, I am into physio but it really has come to a hault with this pain, your probably right its the muscles attached directly to the spine, it just feels scary going from no back pain to 10 out of 10 pain and it not subsiding over a week after the sitting.