Just diagnosed with spinal arthritis. Anyone have some experience dealing with the back pain?

[CTyankee]

My pcp has prescribed naproxin since Ibuprofen (even at the prescription level of 800 mg) hasn't helped. Naproxin makes me feel tired, however, so I don't like to take it. I am going in for physical therapy next week and hope that is a better option than pills.

My pcp says it is a result of simple aging as I am not obese and in good physical shape otherwise. But my lower back really screams when I do too much walking and climbing stairs.

[LiberalEsto]

1. Take a look at this thread for some advice

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018404897

Hope you feel better

[elleng]

2. SO SORRY, yank!

You probably know this, but a quick google found this:

In most cases, treatment of spinal osteoarthritis is geared toward relieving the symptoms of pain and increasing the joint’s ability to function. The goal is to have a healthy lifestyle.

Initial treatment may include losing weight if needed and then, for everyone, maintaining a healthy weight. It may also include exercise. Besides helping with weight management, exercise can also help:

increase flexibility
improve attitude and mood
strengthen the heart
improve blood flow
make it easier to do daily tasks

Some of the exercises associated with osteoarthritis treatment include swimming, walking, and water aerobics. Exercise may be broken down into the following categories:

Strengthening exercises. These exercises seek to make muscles that support the joints stronger. They work through resistance with the use of weights or rubber bands.
Aerobic exercises. These are exercises that make the heart and circulatory system stronger.
Range-of-motion exercises. These exercises increase the body’s flexibility.
Including rest periods in the overall treatment plan is necessary. But bed rest, splints, bracing, or traction for long periods of time is not recommended.

There are non-drug treatments available for osteoarthritis, including:

massage
acupuncture
heat or cold compresses, which refers to placing ice or heated compresses onto the affected joint (Check with your doctor about which option, or which combination of heat and cold options, is best for you.)
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) using a small device that emits electrical pulses onto the affected joint
nutritional supplements
Pain medications may also be used to treat osteoarthritis. Over-the-counter products include acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are also available over-the-counter in certain strengths. Examples include aspirin, naproxen sodium (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil). NSAIDs uncommonly have serious side effects. Those include stomach irritation and bleeding, and less frequently, kidney damage.

Topical ointments and creams are also available to treat pain. They are applied to the skin in the area that hurts. Examples of topical drugs include Ben-Gay and Aspercreme.

Your doctor may also recommend prescription drugs to treat osteoarthritis.

http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/spinal-osteoarthritis-degenerative-arthritis-of-the-spine?page=2

[CTyankee]

9. thanks, ellen. sounds like you know this subject pretty well!

[elleng]

10. I don't know it at all, yank;

sciatica's my thing! Just googled for you.

[CTyankee]

12. Sciatica is dreadful. I had it briefly just once and that was years ago.

You have my sympathy.

I started getting this lumbar back pain once in a while back in 2010. I remember having pain on my trip to Florence where I walked everywhere every day and also was visiting museums and churches for hours every day. I guess that'll do it, when you do that for 7 days straight! Funny, my art obsession is now my downfall...

[Mnemosyne]

3. Turmeric and ginger work very well for a friend. She warns that the ginger can thin blood, so not

advisable for anyone on blood thinners or aspirin. Oh, and if possible keep limber and stretched.

Good luck, CT. I have chronic pain also and you have my empathy. :Hug:

Just don't stop the art challenges! I learn so much. Remember the old game Masterpiece? I loved it! I've never seen significant art in person, only books, mags and online.

[CTyankee]

6. Thanks for encouragement and the kind words about the challenges!

Funny, I was just on a "moderately challenging" trip to London where I was in a small group studying the history of the city of London. We walked and took public transportation everywhere. Lots of dandy cobblestones everywhere! I was in lots of pain in no time. But I had enough brief rest stops to get me through the National Gallery, where I saw some of the world's greatest art!

When I saw my doc he was also concerned it might be spinal stenosis but my x-ray proved this not to be the case. I am relieved!

I am hoping that the p.t. will get me on a regimen of exercise I can do regularly to ward off the lower back pain and keep me going on my travels to Europe each year.

[Mnemosyne]

18. Not having spinal stenosis is indeed great news! PT will definitely help to keep moving, even when

it hurts. Inflammation is the problem. Ease that and it hurts soo much less, thus the ginger and turmeric. Friend also recommended arnica gel. It seems to work well fairly quickly and can bend my knuckles and ankles better less than an hour after applying

I read a poster above, suggesting acupuncture. When I could afford it, it was wonderful! I went in very skeptical and learned fairly quickly, it does work. Shoulder pain, that I hadn't even mentioned, disappeared in three treatments. I was stunned when I realized it wasn't hurting anymore. My doc was a doctor in China and assigned to Mao's son, with special permission from Mao, for being Christian. What an interesting woman! I am lucky to know her.

I have osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis of my fibula and tarsus bones. The compensation for a non-joined fibula did a job on me. The arthritis is a bonus from the necrosis! Not.

I dream of traveling the world, seeing the people, the art, the architecture and the scenery. Helping where I can and comforting when I cannot help. You are so fortunate to have traveled abroad! Where's the jealous smilie?!

Thanks for all you do here, CT. There are always those of us out here appreciating the work of so many and not taking the time to tell how much it is appreciated. It's one of my main goals in life, learning to let people know they are treasured.

[CTyankee]

19. awww, thanks, mnemsyne! YOU are a treasure!

I can't tell you how much fun it is for ME to put together these Challenges! So it's a two way street, I guess. Besides, I have WAY too much time on my hands in retirement!

Hope you get to travel someday. I just love it. I don't spend much money on anything else. Art trips can be cheap. For instance, all of the London museums were free! I got a full day of the most glorious art the world has ever seen at the National Gallery and I didn't pay an entrance fee! I took a public bus and got my buns back (hurting tho I was!) for free (our bus pass was included in the price of the trip, which was pretty low to begin with). It's good. Art should be free for the people to experience. It's so lovely. I feel that if you consume the beauty of art, you consume a product that enriches the planet, not diminishes it.

[rurallib]

4. I think I have it also

Too expensive to see a doctor til I hit Medicare in about a year. I used to be a big time walker and runner. Now I can't go but about 2 blocks and I am writhing in lower back pain.
So I take OTC stuff. Sometimes one works, sometimes it doesn't. I take ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin. Aspirin often seem the best.

My mother had bad arthritis and I had a scope on a knee when I was @40. The doctor at that time said I would be in a wheelchair by 50. But the back pain is something.

Sometimes it helps to stretch my legs backward while laying on an exercise ball. Nothing seems to work consistently.

[CTyankee]

11. I did aerobics classes faithfully 3 times a week for 20 years. I was hoping my "investment"

of time and effort would pay off with a healthier body overall. My doc says aging is the culprit so I guess that is unavoidable!

[rurallib]

20. I was a runner etc. but once uncle Arthur came,

there was no stopping him

[CTyankee]

21. It is too bad, really. Nobody deserves this...

[cap]

5. Some simple things that are helpful

Cherries. and the extra strength Cherry Juice sold in GNC and some grocery stores. Make sure you don't get the stuff cut with apple juice. Pure cherry juice. Blueberries are pretty good. Not as good as cherries. You need anti-oxidants. Also a supplement called OPC 3 which is really just concentrated berries. Tastes Good, too.

Yoga. Physical Therapy. Swimming. Exercise Ball is good, too.

Posture. Posture. Posture. Watch your posture.

If your doctor lets you do Pilates and Horseback riding, do those too. Strengthen your core muscles as well as your back.

Best to listen to your PT for exact exercises.

I was at 500 mg of Naproxin and got two epidurals. After those two winters of epidurals, I said to myself that I can not have someone stick a needle in my spine on a constant basis. So I got on the stick. The cherries really helped. Eat them daily. If you get tired of the taste of cherry, GNC sells cherry pills which are nothing but cherry and glycerine to hold the pill together.

After taking care of myself by doing the stuff I recommended above, I didn't take Naproxin. Just keep the stuff on hand for the very rare flare up.

[CTyankee]

8. I'll try the cherry juice from GNC. I love cherries. I do eat blueberries all the time...

To be honest, opoids really work the best but I am afraid to take them. I only take one if I can't sleep because of the pain. They really kill it.

I guess I was really tempting fate for walking all over London for 8 days last week. The cobblestones were the worst. What was I thinking?

Strengthening my core muscles are a challenge for me since some major abdominal surgery from a while back resulted in 3 hernia surgeries and mesh implanted. I was told I couldn't do abdominal exercises. Of course, that may be a reason contributing to the back pain.

I'm putting a lot of hope in the p.t. which I will start next week.

[postulater]

7. JAMA says chiropractic might help.

The AMA exact citation, found on the April 24, 2013—Vol 309, No 16 Patient Page reads as follows:
“Many treatments are available for lower back pain. Often exercises and physical therapy can help. Some people benefit from chiropractic therapy or acupuncture. Sometimes medications are needed, including analgesics (painkillers) or medications that reduce inflammation. Surgery is not usually needed but may be considered if other therapies have failed.”

[notadmblnd]

13. talk to your Dr about some Valtaren gel

it's an NSAID like aspirin so I don't know why a prescription is needed, but it's topical and it does work. In fact, it relieves pain almost instantly. I use it on my back when it starts feeling like I'm dragging a whole nother person behind me and I use it on my knees.

[CTyankee]

14. I'll ask him about it! Thanks for the tip. I'd like a topical gel. I don't like taking pills.

I should have addressed this a couple of years ago when it started...

[Big Blue Marble]

15. Valtaren Gel may not be safe for everyone.

[link:http://www.drugs.com/voltaren.htm|

[notadmblnd]

16. That's why I suggested to the poster that he talk to his Dr.

But I read the link you posted and it sounded like they were talking about if you were taking it orally. Applied topically, one would think it would be safer than aspirin as it specifically targets the area of pain instead of going through the gastro intestinal system which is where the long term use of products such as aspirin cause the bulk of their problems.

[Big Blue Marble]

17. Do look more closely at this drug dispensed as a gel.

I was researching this topic earlier this week as new research is indicating all NSAiD can cause heart problems similar to Viox. Even the gel can cause issues with the heart.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/painkiller-diclofenac-risky-should-be-removed-from-market-researchers-say/article8508977/


Voltaren is diclofenac. After what I read, I would avoid it
in any form. You might want to do more research.

[woodsprite]

27. Voltaren worked great for my knee until I happened

To go to my general doc and he took my BP. I'm
Normally running 120/80, but the Voltaren popped it up
to 185/104. I felt fine, but those numbers scared both
me and my doc. He took me off of it. It took 4 days for
my BP to normalize on its own.

My dad had Ankylosing Spondylitis for many years. He
was put on Naprosyn and told to do range-of-motion
exercises and take up swimming. He was also told
something about Vit C, but I can't remember if it was
to increase Vit c foods or lay off of them.

[RagAss]

22. Yes and high doses of vitamin D3 helped me tremendously.

[elfin]

23. have SA, Degenerative Disc disease, Stenosis, Spondlyothesis, etc ALL in lower spine

Couldn't walk a few years ago. Had to crawl, screaming, to the bathroom.

Smartest doc told me not to have surgery, but to walk IN WATER. Needed help to get into the therapy pool along with epidurals, pain killers, naproxen super strength and muscle relaxants. But could actually WALK for at least 30 minutes along with stretching excercises IN WATER.

Helped align spine and get mobility back without gravity making things worse.

Took about two months 3-4 times a week to graduate to cane after recliner plus walker and then gradually eliminate all except regular naproxen (alleve). Now off that except once in a while.

Now walk each day outside at least 30-40 minutes after stretching and then some rest. With summer, can walk in a nearby lake. Can resume all activities, as long as I stop at first twinge for about 10 minutes.

Good luck to you. Hope you find success with all the worthy suggestions here.

[CTyankee]

24. oh, wow, I can't complain. My doc says my arthritis is mild, even tho the pain is pretty

bad sometimes when I walk, but when I stop and sit down the pain goes away.

I am not planning to have any surgery at all at this point. I want to see what P.T. will accomplish. My hope is that it will help enormously and I won't need pain pills. I start tomorrow morning.

Wish me luck!

[elfin]

25. I do wish you luck

And good sense to follow docs, pts etc. -- and stay away from surgery! Walk! Stop when you feel a twinge! Repeat.

It's gonna be OK.

[NoOneMan]

26. Pot

Ibuprofen, naproxin, beer, wine, prednisone, opiates, etc, hold no candle to cannabinoids, which will allow you to actively enjoy life without destroying your liver and feeling like hell the next morning. Pot for lower-back pain

[asjr]

28. I know how you feel. My back pain comes with rheumatoid arthritis and

osteoarthritis plus neuropathy in my legs. I take Celebrex and it seems to help. My main problem is that I can't stand more than 4-5 minutes without my back screaming. It began with lower back pain and now is creeping up my back. I was taking Ibuprophen and it was really working. My doctor said it interfered with one of my meds and he took me off of it. I take so many pills I have forgotten which one. My prednisone keeps me from losing weight but Doc will not take me off it. I admit I am older but I never knew I would hurt so much. Therapy was painful.

[kestrel91316]

29. I take OTC naproxen every day - can't live without it. I also take glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate,

and I suspect the latter is actually more helpful. If you aren't taking it, you really should try. It's not voodoo. Vets were using it in horses with great results decades before people could buy it.

Then there's Kestrel's Little Helper - the nightly medicated brownie...........