inversion table an answer

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pattibb

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Hi All, I am new to this site but anxious for answers. I have been battling back pain - L5-S1- for about a year. Have had one steroid injection on Sept. 25, that lasted less than a month. My doc then - instead of trying another facet injection..(.I have heard that the 2nd ususally works better than the first)... did a medial branch block. He says that is more of a diagnostic tool before trying Radiofrequency Ablation. That block seriously only lasted a few hours. I was so mad because I wanted to feel decent and sleep well during the holidays. My nights are so painfull-- I take 2 excedrin PMs just to knock myself out. I do not take any pain meRAB at this point...my daytime pain is tolerable. I play in two tennis leagues (4.5) and golf a couple of times a month - and am battling to NOT give those things up. I work as a floral designer which means I am always on my feet- when I do work (parttime).

Has anyone tried an inversion table - hanging upside down to relieve pressure on your spine? I bought one and having been using it sporatically-because of the Holidays...but maybe is I used it a couple of times a day I could alleviate some pain?

Also, I have been trying to do alot of stretching (not twisting) exercises, and sometimes feel that make me hurt worse afterward. Does PT ever help?:

I am 57 and full of energy. I do not want to slow down but are all my activities making me worse?

Help!!??

Pattibb
 
Depending on the reasons for your back problems, inversion tables can make those problems much worse. I wouldn't allow one near me unless it was recommended by a board certified surgeon or a physical therapist and most of those that I have come across tell people to stay far away from them.
Back
 
I too am fairly new to the boarRAB, but have had back pain for years.
I have bulging discs, ligaments causing stenosis, DDD, you name it. I've also had surgery for cervical spinal cord compression. One of the neurosurgeons I saw recommended an inversion table. They are helpful if you just need to relieve compression of the discs. I don't hang completely upside down, just about a 60 deg. angle, which takes the weight off the discs. It does give some relief. I had not been using it during the time I was dealing with the cervical spine issues, but since I am now fused and healed up from that surgery, my surgeon gave me the go ahead to use it again. I also had PT which helps immensely. I have learned all the exercises for both in the therapy pool and on land, which if you get your core muscles strong, it helps the lurabar pain. The therapist used the McKenzie method. I try to go to the pool at least once or twice a week. If you hang in water deep enough to keep your feet off the bottom with a noodle float, it relieves the pressure on the discs. I tried the epidural injections, which did not give that much relief, and I'm not a candidate for surgery of my lurabar problems, so I take over the counter Alleve for pain, which takes the edge off, and if I just can't get relief, I must lay down in bed, which does work. The hardest thing for me to do is sit for any length of time. That makes my job hard, since I need to be on the computer.
I believe that you must be proactive and vigilant in dealing with back pain, and you may find that golf is going to make it worse. I just don't do the things that make me worse, though I do miss many things that I used to do. It's just not worth it anymore. I try to keep busy with things that I can do.
Hope that you find a regimen that will work for you.
 
I have had great success using my inversion table. Exactly one year ago, I suffered with horrible sciatica down my right leg. An MRI confirmed severe bilateral foraminal stenosis, DDD, grade 2 spondylolisthesis, and complete loss of disc height all at the L5/S1 level. I bought my inversion table on Dec. 31, 2007...and have been using it daily ever since. Within 2 months, my sciatica was completely gone. I can hardly believe it myself, but it really did work for me. I was skeptical at first, but I figured "what have I got to lose?" So I religiously used my table every single day (sometimes twice a day) for about 4-5 minutes. Now, don't get me wrong...I still deal with lower back pain, which is to be expected with my condition. But I cannot express enough, how wonderful it is to be free of that excruciating sciatica pain. I would wake up each morning and my right leg would be throbbing with pain - it felt as if somebody was ripping the skin right off of my leg...that's how bad the pain was. Gladly, I can say that I haven't felt that horrific pain in about 10 months...and I'm fairly confident that it won't return, as long as I keep using my inversion table on a daily basis. IMO, it's a small inconvenience that has kept me off of the operating table...for now. I should also add, that I'm extremely active - I workout every single day. I've recently added a new hobby - doing triathlons! I completed 2 triathlons last summer...and will shoot for 3 this summer. My hubby and I also do tons of long distance bike riding in the summer months. Exercise is the key for keeping my back pain to a minimum.

Linda
 
Thanks so much for your message -you were the only positive reply I received. I am determined NOT to stop playing tennis or golf and am going to try everything under the sun to alleviate pain. I am going to try the inversion table twice a day for a month and I'll let you know how it goes. My next step with my doc is a RF Ablation. Have you done that?

Thanks SO much for positive worRAB...so few out there.

Pattibb
 
Patti,

No, I have not tried RF ablation. But who knows what might happen in the future...I'll certainly make a note of it, for reference purposes. I hope you find the inversion table to be as successful as I have. I too, heard/read lots of negative talk about them...but I decided to take a chance and see for myself. I would never have known how well it ended up working for me, if I hadn't given it a try. Much like yourself, I was determined NOT to give up doing the daily activities I look forward to and enjoy so much. I was NOT about to let this pain make me feel like a caged prisoner...and I will continue to fight it off in every possible non-surgical way. ;)

Good luck and please keep me posted on how you're doing!
 
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