I Have Chronic Back Pain

Hi all! I am new here and read all the posts. I have never had to wear back braces but am still in a huge amount of low back pain. I havent been able to walk for about 1.5 yrs. I know that no one can feel your pain, and that's the problem. No one really knows what it is like (not even anyone on this board), or all the mood changes that come with it. It's good to know that you are battling through it all. Some of your pain and debilitation sounds absolutely mindboggling.

The worst part for me is the loss of independence, not sure about you. The pain is bad but its the mental beast that has to be tamed...and believe me I am far from that...

@emma how is your recovery going?

@wolf I know it is sooooooo hard and I get suicidal thoughts almost every day.

Ugh this is just horrible, when I want to complain about my chronic sciatic nerve pain I think that there are those who go through much worse.
Like you and my mom, she had a spinal - lumbar fusion a year and a half ago and she still hasn't recovered completely. Doctors tell her she will always have to live with that pain, on top of her diabetes it took double the time from a normal patient for her incisions to heal.

They're looking into getting her a brace as well, I worry and wish that she'll take my offer to quit her job and move in with me.

I have a spinal disease called Spondylolysis( its midnight and my spelling may be off). It is a disease that eats all the cartilage in my vertebra. It began at the bottom and has worked thru ten joints at last check. I have known about it since 1987 or so. In 9193 Johns Hopkins University specialist gave me ten year til I would be in a wheelchair. I do two tramadol, one baclofen every six hours - 6AM,12PM, 6PM, 12 midnight - They keep pain to a almost bearable point. I am beginning to lose some use of my legs but I was supposed to be in that wheelchair by 2003. I have used my meds and have kept moving and I do still walk. My problem comes when a joint slips and lays on or crushes the nerves at that joint.
I don't know about you all but it is ridiculous the number of people that come down on me because they don't believe any of it. My dad, brother, and sister to be precise. I wouldn't wish this pain on a dead man.
So I can understand your pain.

Emma, I think you are probably hurt more because you slip out of joint and I do know that feeling is beyond hurt, it is excruciating. My back just mostly slips around and after so long that messes the nerves and they get to the point of not feeling any more.
Have you got a specialist taking care of you? I got to Johns Hopkins University Hospital back in early 90s and the tests and moving x-rays give my family doctor the information he uses to treat me. I will never be pain free even with my meds but doc has managed me where I am able to do things and that has kept me walking. I owe my ability to be walking and working a bit, to my family doctor. But without the x-rays and test results it would be much harder to keep control of my pain.

Emma, I am used to it. I have had this since 1987 and I went for the first five or six years with nothing but Tylenol whick did very little for me. A lot of times back then I would hurt so bad that I would just pass out from it. Was in and out of hospital emergency rooms a lot.
Now with my doctor watching over me, I do much better. The disease has eaten up enough of my joints that I am starting to occasionally losing the use of some of the muscle in my legs. That is, I am afraid, how the specialist at Johns Hopkins said it would do. I am just not caving in to it and just keep moving.
There are more like you that I see are having far worse back problems than I do.

@tristemuneca that's terrible! For both situations it would be frustrating to know that on some days you have pain while others you don't and as for your mom, has she tried physical therapy? Or have you? It has helped my back a bit but since it often times locks up on me the pain is intense and I'd much rather lay down

@tristemuneca no no! That sounds horrible! How are you and your mom doing now? Anything related to back pain is terrible. Seriously I've gone through about every brace out there and I've found the one that supports me best

@boldtimer that's really good then! On my part it makes me very happy to know that you don't let it interfere with your life. I'd have to agree that sometimes I do try to do things on my own and strain myself a little too much which causes back spasms

@emma786
My pain comes and goes some days it's non existent other days it's debilitating.
My moms though is there always she has passed out from the pain in the past, she just likes to pretend there's nothing wrong with her.

@boldtimer I still cannot imagine how difficult you're situation was and still is! Back pain of any sort of pain is horrible, on top on my excruciating back pain I had 4 slipped discs and was required to have a couple surgeries which has really left my back all weird and yes Infact I have a specialist taking care of me here in Florida! My doctor does a weekly check up and whether all my braces for support are having a positive effect on me and my at home assistant is wonderful! She's the one that helps me do basic tasks since I can't do many on my own. How are you? Can you do everyday things on your own?

Winged wolf, I am sorry. From what I have the pain can be enough to want to die at times so I can only imagine yours.

I can do most things on my own. I push myself to do things that my doc would probably die if he knew but the more physical things I do, the better I am. It keeps my back muscles strong which helps my back to stay pretty stable. I have refused to let it ruin my life anymore than I have to. I do two tramadol (Ultram) to help with the pain and a baclofen for spasms. At night I add a anti-depressant with them. I do these every six hours. I makes me live on six hour days.

@boldtimer That's a long time! I'm very glad to hear that now that your doctor is watching over you, you have done better but I will still argue that the back problems and pain your going through are far worse than mine. I haven't passed about from my back pain however I do simply cry due to the fact that I feel like my back is being ripped apart when it locks up on me and simply can't move sometimes.

@thewingedwolfserpent what braces do you have to wear?

Emma I have baces for ever limb on my body including both legs arms ankles back neck and hands/wrist I'm going to be paralyzed soon if I don't have these surgies done.and I won't have them cutting on me.so I guess I will just have to kill myself before I become unable to move anymore and wheel chair bound.I would rather be Dead than to exist in such a state.

I hate wearing my braces.they make me look like little Forrest Gump.

@boldtimer.I'm sorry I have that diease also along with a host of other neurological disorders and disabilities.I know I don't have long to live.and to be truthful I will be happy when I'm Dead.I am tried.

@boldtimer WOW! theres truly nothing to beat what you are going through and I hope that your pain calms down because going through any pain is horrible