Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

[Del.]

Del, you'll do anything not to ride that electric bike!!

seriously hope they figure it out and find some relief for you..at our age nothing is fixed..just livable

Right now it just sucks.

[Jim at Gentex]

Sorry to hear you are in pain, Del. 

JP has also discussed having the same condition in the past, so it sucks for both of you.
I'm glad JP got the surgery and found some relief.

Maybe your case isn't quite as severe as his, but if the cortisone shot only gave you relief for one day it sounds like you may be on the same path JP had to travel.

You generally have a good Chiropractor if he or she won't touch your back or neck without seeing an X-ray first.
It's sad to me that the bad Chiropractors out there have caused the good ones to be painted with the same brush.

I have said this before, that I have been seeing a Chiropractor for years.
He showed me on my X-rays that when I first started seeing him my spine was 11 degrees out of vertical alignment when viewed from the front.
Over time he was able to reduce that down to 2 degrees, but because of my age and a lifetime of wear and tear, that's probably as good as we will be able to get it.

But the bottom line is that he actually corrected my back pain and also treated me for a torn meniscus tendon in my knee with zero drugs and zero surgery.
Now I go for regular adjustments as a preventative measure because I believe that they help in maintaining proper blood flow to the entire nervous system.

All that to say that even the best Chiropractors can't fix certain kinds of permanent damage, so sometimes surgery is the only option.

[Del.]

Yeah Jim I really liked this chiropractor. There are 6 of them in this office who are all young and look like they competed in Iron Man. He only did certain test to analyze my condition with no adjustments until he knows for sure. Made it clear that if or when he does any adjustments he will know in a couple of weeks if it helps me or refer me to a surgeon. Entire office has great reviews and they also offer rehabilitation. Weird it's not my back that hurts but my upper legs and buttocks. Even standing in our pool just kills me.

[Jeff]

I would think that spinal surgery is a last ditch effort.
I'd find the best chiropractor in the country and book an appointment with them.

[Jim at Gentex]

Yeah Jim I really liked this chiropractor. There are 6 of them in this office who are all young and look like they competed in Iron Man. He only did certain test to analyze my condition with no adjustments until he knows for sure. Made it clear that if or when he does any adjustments he will know in a couple of weeks if it helps me or refer me to a surgeon. Entire office has great reviews and they also offer rehabilitation. Weird it's not my back that hurts but my upper legs and buttocks. Even standing in our pool just kills me.

Yes, there are certainly some good ones out there, but as I said, the bad ones have ruined it for the whole profession.

Again, if your level of damage and pain is already beyond conventional Chiropractic treatment you may have no other alternatives.

But it's ok to try conventional methods first, and it sounds like your guys are on the ball and cautious.
They are also realistic enough to know that they may need to refer you for surgery, so that's another good sign that they know what they are doing.

I hope you get relief one way or another, and I will be praying for you. 

[JParis]

Even standing in our pool just kills me.

Since my symptoms really started to become more pronounced last September, here's what I was dealing with...

I'll start with my left thigh, I have not felt it since 1999...that was the impetus for the original trip and initial diagnosis...

As of last September, I had trouble standing for any length of time, a 5 minute conversation standing still on my feet was very painful but from a pain standpoint, that's the only time pain was really an issue...I found that I could be walking through a store doing my weekly shopping and my legs would go to sleep...numb, the tingles that accompany that, I was experiencing weakness in my legs. I never was close to going down but try to imagine walking on 2 legs that you can't feel and then they start getting weak and your gate starts to change as your knees start to bend, giving up on you...cramping, I could be laying in bed at night and my feet would cramp and literally start to curl, that was uncomfortable....leg cramps, muscles were always firing because of the nerves, muscles would get tired and charley horses in my calfs were regular occurrences...

You're already at the standing problem....hopefully it can be gotten under control by whichever method you choose.

[Del.]

I'm also going to my physician today for my first X-ray.

[JakeL]

This sounds like it sucks monkey butts.
I'm sorry you guys have to go through this.
I'm not looking forward to the aging process.
Is this a genetic thing?
Is there preventative measures when you're younger?

[JParis]

Is this a genetic thing?

Mine is a matter of genetics, my mother had it, my Aunt has it...it was passed on to my son as well...he just turned 38 and he can feel it starting to ratchet up...we had a long talk about how my surgery went because he knows he's likely in the same boat in the not too distant future..

Keeping your weight down help but doesn't make it go away...

[Smit]

Is there preventative measures when you're younger?

I don't know anything about Lumbar Spinal Stenosis but in general, as far as being healthy when you get older, I'd suggest you stay in good shape. Work out regularly to maintain your strength and heart health.

The less you do, the less you'll want to do, and the less you'll be capable of doing. And vice versa.

I'd suggest looking at the original P90X workout. Take it slow to start and ramp up as your body gets stronger.

M2C