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RE: Dear Diary: I can't get a severe pain medication
Healthcare in general is really gone downhill. And the price gouging on the meds is UNREASONABLE. One of the meds I need to take went from 15 dollars for a monthly supply to 73!!!!!!!!! With no rhyme or reason. I have great empathy for your pain, disability, and daily struggle. I work as a physical therapist, have you ever had the opportunity to try any of that for pain/postural work / muscle synergies?
Medicines are so expensive considering that they can mass produce it. It is just a business that they concentrate on profits and drug company's growth rather than the patient's welfare.
I haven't looked at alternative medicine or any workup for my spinal bone whatsoever. There are actually some deterioration in my bone that is needed to be supported by a metal just to alleviate the pain.
My thought was perhaps the supportive musculature (core muscles of the glutes, abs) could be built up to be a bit stronger to help support you structurally. In theory it would help. I would Google such simple exercises like glut sets, long arc quads, ankle pumps, abdominal bracing exercises in sitting.
Are you able to lie flat: if so try hip abd and add (Google it), bridging, simple knee bends. Straight leg raises if able, pelvic tilt if not too painful.
Due to your condition(s) i would do very low reps only (Like 5-10) work up to 10x3. Work on the quality of the muscle contractions too and don't let your limbs/legs just "fall" back down.
Your stronger than you might think. I saw a picture of you walking behind your father i think you said it was. Build up some of those supportive muscle groups to keep your structure (skeleton) supported.
Where's your pain ? Have You ever attempted using moist heat (hot towel) or compress on the area?? Theory is enduces blood flow to the area to aide in pain reduction.
So i got kind of "nerdy" on you. Try some, consistency pays off, could improve your overall quality of life.
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Best wishes
I value your recommendations @chelsea88
Thank you very much but my back is so vulnerable that any weight against it will deteriorate it. Every joint in my body is aching. If I also make an exertion, that part of my body that exerted gets injured so it just leaves me so careful not to move around lest I might injure myself and cause further pain.
Okay. I would consider isometric exercises exercises then. Google it - quad sets, glut sets. Involves no movement of the joints just a muscular contraction. Just a suggestion. I get it. I have worked with extremely ill people of all ages. And went to school and have the student debt to prove it. Lack of use results in further immobility. You get the rod in your back, that will involve some exercises and rehabilitation. If you remain so immobile you risk pulmonary embolism & dvt. I doubt you'd want that.
OK but with pain in my back hinders me from even moving. Moving makes me feel the pain.
I get also breathless as I have extra fluid in my body, exercise just makes my heart pump harder with my existing hypertension. It is all complicated.
I meant extrenely extrenely gentle gentle exercises. I think you misunderstand. I work with people that have congestive heart faliure. I worked with a woman with severe disabling chorea. I've worked with many people who have severe degeneration of the spine. You do not have to move. Example: Squeeze You buttocks muscle. You didn't have to get up and move to do that. The same can be done with squeezing your quadricep muscle big muscle on front of your leg. You can simply squeeze it, thereby contracting the muscle. That's what isometric is and why i said you should google it. You yourself said you had not looked into any alternative medicine. Which led me to assume (incorrectly i think) that you may be interested in hearing about it. I promote improved quality of life. If the message isn't being well received, I will bow out. Best wishes.
What about TENS pain reliever?, it can be used to contract muscles.
I will just stick the pad unto my leg and maybe back area to make them work via electric stimulation, will that work too?
Great question.
For PAIN: Combined with heat (preferably) set at a low frequency (i.e. feels pleasant/ comfortble) x 15 minutes
Place one pad to each side of the "meaty" portions of the low back. Google low back placement of tens pads.
do not ever put it directly over your spine
also tens is contraindicated period if you have ACTIVE CANCER or a PACEMAKER
Now for your other question about doing it for muscular contraction - that has to be done at a higher frequency. The two pads HAVE to be in proximity to each other for it to work (same us true for pain)- i.e. you can't put one on your bicep the other on your leg - you'd get nothing out of it because the poles are too far apart.
As i said the frequency has to be set pretty high. You may feel you muscles jerk like you are clenching them actively. Usually that setting cycles rhythimkcally on for 30 seconds off for 15 or something otherwise you'd sit there with your muscle in a constant state of contraction you'd be very sore later.
In stroke patients say that have lost use their tricep (so their elbow is bent up constantly), there is a really strong setting that will actually make ybe tricep activate fully. I did it I school it was really strange feeling to have my bent elbow just straighten completely.
You can try the gentler setting i first described. The second one i would not really recommend to do, it's too much.
Theoretically, this could help with the firing of the muscles then make all the other exercises i told you about easier.
PS. if You can walk you can do the simple exercises i mentioned.
If that was true, you'd be unable to walk.