What's wrong with my back?

practicalpainmanagement.com

Degenerative Spondylosis specifically, lumbar spondylosis, aka osteoarthritis.

"Lumbar Spondylosis is a condition that occurs when the bones in your spine begin degenerating,  resulting in a narrowing of the spinal canal in your lower back. This degeneration can result in severe pain due to pressure placed on the nerves in your lower back."
(livestrong.com)

"Unfortunately,  there is no cure. But the good news is that there are numerous ways of making your life easier via the correct management of this condition."
(physioworks.com)

What can you do to help?

• Respect your pain - rest when the pain becomes significant 
• Avoid over-stressing joints with forceful or prolonged weight-bearing activities eg lifting, jogging 
• Avoid jarring or sudden movements 
• Lose weight - the less you weigh the less your spine has to support
• Keep up general exercises where pain allows eg walking,  swimming,  cycling 
• Perform core stability exercises to best support your spine and reduce your pain
• Use TENS machine to assist pain relief in the comfort of your own home at any time of the day or night
• Glucosamine has been shown in some scientific research studies to be effective in the treatment of arthritis 

(physioworks.com)


My story
I've had consistent back pain since I was about 15 years old. I can't sit or stand for very long. Lifting anything over 10 pounds is pretty much a no.  My arms and hands go numb when I lay on my back. Any sleeping position is not really comfortable.  I have back spasms and occasionall shooting pains. Lately my walking is limited to 12-15 minutes at a time.

It's very limiting and frustrating.  Not to mention painful.  I've had the x-rays, MRIs and an official diagnosis for several years. As you read above,  the treatment is limited to mostly exercises and pain meds. (And in some cases, surgery. Which my doctor and I are trying to avoid.) I'm tired of dealing with an average daily pain level of 7 out of 10. Nothing I've been doing is working.

The plan
I'm going to be adding the glucosamine to my meds. And working on some specific exercises, like pelvic tilts, hip rolls, knee lifts, stretches and some yoga. I'll keep walking, and as much as I like having that as a main focus, I'll not be pushing it. I'm also going to be wearing my back brace more (I've kind of been skipping that).

That's the plan for the next two months. Then we will reevaluate and go from there.