Re: Post revision questions

[Guest guest]

As many of you know, I am now 3 months post op. Overall I think I am doing

great. Because I had my surgery out of state, I am having to coordinate my care

between my surgeon and the pain/physical therapy/orthopedist who are treating me

here.

As is often the case, I am encountering different opinions from my health care

providers. I am gathering all the info I can on the following topics and would

appreciate any input. I know you are not a doc, everyone is different, etc etc!

1. Any thought on whether it is better to use a pain killer (percocet) or a

muscle relaxer when the main pain you have is muscle fatigue and occasional

spasms in the late afternoon? Anyone hear that relaxers can add to muscle

fatigue? If I am laying down then anyway, maybe I should forgo any medication

then. ??

2. Physical Therapy: After 3 months, has anyone been allowed to do light

stretching, esp of hamstrings? If so, with what limits? For those who swim,

what can or can't you do? Does anyone share my hatred of the water, mainly

because I strain against the fusion to keep my head above water if I am swimming

on my front, so I end up with neck and upper back pain.? (Not sure that was a

question)

3. Has anyone used deep tissue massage for muscle spasms post revision? So soon

after revision?

I appreciate anyone's input. After I watch American Idol and get the duo to

bed, I will share what I learned today about getting post op films to an out of

state doctor.

[Guest guest]

Hi, :

My comments follow your originals, preceded by my initials (EKM).

Some material has been deleted to reduce length.

> 1. Any thought on whether it is better to use a pain killer

(percocet) or a muscle relaxer when the main pain you have is muscle

fatigue and occasional spasms in the late afternoon? Anyone hear

that relaxers can add to muscle fatigue? If I am laying down then

anyway, maybe I should forgo any medication then. ??

EKM: I dunno, I'd say whichever gives you the best pain relief. If

laying down without drugs provides adequate relief, then sure, I hear

that it's better to do without drugs. Personally, muscle relaxants

don't do very much for me. My back muscles are in such spasm that

taking enough relaxant to affect them would turn the rest of my body

to jelly, so I stick with my happy Oxycontin/Naproxen/Lidocaine patch

regimen. Actually, if your pain is truly muscle and not spinal, you

might request the lidocaine patches -- they really take the edge off

of the muscle spasms for me.

> 2. Physical Therapy: After 3 months, has anyone been allowed to do

light stretching, esp of hamstrings? If so, with what limits? For

those who swim, what can or can't you do? Does anyone share my

hatred of the water, mainly because I strain against the fusion to

keep my head above water if I am swimming on my front, so I end up

with neck and upper back pain.? (Not sure that was a question)

EKM: I was allowed to do light stretching of anything I darn well

pleased, as long as it wasn't my back. I was also encouraged to walk,

swim, do whatever. I don't hate water but I do hate officially

swimming; however, I've always gotten good results with water

exercise classes or deep-water " jogging, " in both cases wearing a

flotation belt to reduce any possible impact and also make it easier

to stay afloat. I don't think I've swam a real stroke in five years,

but until my job blew up, I've been in the pool at least once or

twice a week for quite some time.

> 3. Has anyone used deep tissue massage for muscle spasms post

revision? So soon after revision?

EKM: Yes. Basically, Dr. Hu was pretty laissez faire about what I

could do, which was nice, and clearly I didn't end up getting hurt. I

went back into Stanford's Pain Center about five months post-op, and

they referred me to a PT facility where it was clear to them that the

only thing they could do for me was deep-tissue massage and

ultrasound. The PT had decades of experience working in rehab at a

spinal facility, so she knew exactly what she could and couldn't do

to the areas surrounding a developing fusion. Pre-op, I'd often have

massages where someone 'dug in,' which felt great, but might put

pressure on the growing fusion. Post-op, the PT stuck with long, hard

continuous strokes. Also, post-revision, my muscles that had

previously been almost insensate were instead incredibly sore from

having been detached and moved around, so the continuous pressure was

actually better than the kind of massage I'd been getting beforehand.

I digress. Anyway, in my case, I had a great PT who gave me excellent

massage.

Best,

Elissa

[Guest guest]

or Elissa or anyone else with an opinion,

With flatback syndrome, it doesn't seem possible for me to stretch

any part of my body without aggravating my back. Is this unusual?

Is it easier to stretch other parts of the body without aggravating

the fusion after one's spine has been revised and is hopefully in

balance?

loriann

[Guest guest]

Lori...

I have the same problem. The only thing I've been able to stretch are

my neck and my hamstrings, and then only by being very careful about

it.

--

> or Elissa or anyone else with an opinion,

>

> With flatback syndrome, it doesn't seem possible for me to stretch

> any part of my body without aggravating my back. Is this unusual?

> Is it easier to stretch other parts of the body without aggravating

> the fusion after one's spine has been revised and is hopefully in

> balance?

>

> loriann