Tcr4x4
Veteran
- Location
- Gloucester
I've had a quick look through the old threads but couldn't spot anything obvious.
Quick background, and the reason why I've started cycling.
At school we had to carry bags in excess of 20kg, as a very small and not very strong child, this caused me a lot of issues.
Since I was n my 20s, I suffered horribly with a bad back, but no doctor would either believe me or do anything to help.
After many years of agony, it all came to a head when walking in the Forest of Dean.
I collapsed half way round short walk and couldn't stand up again under my own weight. So how my wife managed to carry me back to the car and get me home, where I spent the rest of the day stuck on the sofa, unable to move and in tears.
From that point, it took a further 2 years and many dozens of GP appointments to get an X-ray, which was then (deliberately in my opinion) taken at the wrong angle to show anything and again I was told I was fine.
I changed GP surgeries again, and this time had to get quite irate and demand something be done. Thankfully this GP took me seriously and booked me in for an MRI, which took another 6 months to actually take place!
The MRI showed I had several issues, among them was a ruptured disk and possible spondylitis.
I was given drugs and sent on my my to see if that helped, which it didnt.
I was then referred to the pain clinic for an epidural injection, which is the most painful thing I've ever had in my life. I feel no shame in saying I cried as the doctor tried to force a 12 inch needle through my tense muscle into my spinal cord. He commented on how he had never come across muscles so tight in his 20 year career.
That also didnt work, so I was then sent on a 8 week course of acupuncture. After the first week, I had gotten really bad again, and was unable to walk.. ( I must add throughout this, apart from an odd week here and there, I continued in my job as an HGV driver which also involves lifting and pushing 200kg+ oil drums by hand, hence I have very little sympathy for work shy benefit scrounngers!)
I contacted my GP who immediately put me in contact with the orthopaedic dept at the hospital.
Shortly after, I had another MRI and was then put on the waiting list for spinal surgery.
Bewteen the times in those several years, where I felt ok, I had taken up running, and completed several 5km races, finishing in the top 10 most times, however it soon became apparent that running was talking its toll, and I had to stop for good.
In January 2011 I had a 5 1/2 hour operation on my spine, consisting of a double discectomy, spinal fusion at L4/5-S1 and a pedicel screw road fixation with a bone graft from my hip.
I was in hospital for a week and then was forced to have the next 6 months off work. ( only on ssp, no other benifits!!)
I was hoping that was where there story would end, but sadly it didnt..
Even now, 2 years post op, I'm still in agony 24/7 and I still struggle to walk long distances. Some days are better than others, but most of the time its very bad. The NHS didn't think I needed any Physio after this op, I was just discharged and that was it, so my back muscles had been through a massive trauma, and then left to heal themselves. This I feel caused some of my issues I still have today.
Last November, I was in a car crash, thanks to a pillock in a chaved up car ramming me off the road on a failed overtake, this caused more muscle trauma and set me back several months, I needed a futher 3 weeks off work as again, I couldn't walk.
As part of the insurance claim, I was offered Physio, which I took and helped a lot, but now that's ended it's up to me to keep my back muscles in shape.
Running was out of the question, the Physio recommend swimming or rock climbing, neither of which floated my boat.
So when my car broke down a few weeks back, I dug out the bike and started riding. I'm hoping that this will help keep my muscles working, but with minimal physical impact, and hopefully in time will alleviate some of the pain I'm constantly in.
I may use this post as a kind of "back pain" diary and track my progress if any.
The main point of this now stupidly long post was to say, if any one else suffers from back pain, wants someone to talk to who has been through it, or has any questions about the various procedures the NHS offers, then feel free to ask. I've been through pretty much every pain killer and infmaation control drugs the NHS has, aswell as all the other treatments, so I'm pretty well clued up on the subject!
Quick background, and the reason why I've started cycling.
At school we had to carry bags in excess of 20kg, as a very small and not very strong child, this caused me a lot of issues.
Since I was n my 20s, I suffered horribly with a bad back, but no doctor would either believe me or do anything to help.
After many years of agony, it all came to a head when walking in the Forest of Dean.
I collapsed half way round short walk and couldn't stand up again under my own weight. So how my wife managed to carry me back to the car and get me home, where I spent the rest of the day stuck on the sofa, unable to move and in tears.
From that point, it took a further 2 years and many dozens of GP appointments to get an X-ray, which was then (deliberately in my opinion) taken at the wrong angle to show anything and again I was told I was fine.
I changed GP surgeries again, and this time had to get quite irate and demand something be done. Thankfully this GP took me seriously and booked me in for an MRI, which took another 6 months to actually take place!
The MRI showed I had several issues, among them was a ruptured disk and possible spondylitis.
I was given drugs and sent on my my to see if that helped, which it didnt.
I was then referred to the pain clinic for an epidural injection, which is the most painful thing I've ever had in my life. I feel no shame in saying I cried as the doctor tried to force a 12 inch needle through my tense muscle into my spinal cord. He commented on how he had never come across muscles so tight in his 20 year career.
That also didnt work, so I was then sent on a 8 week course of acupuncture. After the first week, I had gotten really bad again, and was unable to walk.. ( I must add throughout this, apart from an odd week here and there, I continued in my job as an HGV driver which also involves lifting and pushing 200kg+ oil drums by hand, hence I have very little sympathy for work shy benefit scrounngers!)
I contacted my GP who immediately put me in contact with the orthopaedic dept at the hospital.
Shortly after, I had another MRI and was then put on the waiting list for spinal surgery.
Bewteen the times in those several years, where I felt ok, I had taken up running, and completed several 5km races, finishing in the top 10 most times, however it soon became apparent that running was talking its toll, and I had to stop for good.
In January 2011 I had a 5 1/2 hour operation on my spine, consisting of a double discectomy, spinal fusion at L4/5-S1 and a pedicel screw road fixation with a bone graft from my hip.
I was in hospital for a week and then was forced to have the next 6 months off work. ( only on ssp, no other benifits!!)
I was hoping that was where there story would end, but sadly it didnt..
Even now, 2 years post op, I'm still in agony 24/7 and I still struggle to walk long distances. Some days are better than others, but most of the time its very bad. The NHS didn't think I needed any Physio after this op, I was just discharged and that was it, so my back muscles had been through a massive trauma, and then left to heal themselves. This I feel caused some of my issues I still have today.
Last November, I was in a car crash, thanks to a pillock in a chaved up car ramming me off the road on a failed overtake, this caused more muscle trauma and set me back several months, I needed a futher 3 weeks off work as again, I couldn't walk.
As part of the insurance claim, I was offered Physio, which I took and helped a lot, but now that's ended it's up to me to keep my back muscles in shape.
Running was out of the question, the Physio recommend swimming or rock climbing, neither of which floated my boat.
So when my car broke down a few weeks back, I dug out the bike and started riding. I'm hoping that this will help keep my muscles working, but with minimal physical impact, and hopefully in time will alleviate some of the pain I'm constantly in.
I may use this post as a kind of "back pain" diary and track my progress if any.
The main point of this now stupidly long post was to say, if any one else suffers from back pain, wants someone to talk to who has been through it, or has any questions about the various procedures the NHS offers, then feel free to ask. I've been through pretty much every pain killer and infmaation control drugs the NHS has, aswell as all the other treatments, so I'm pretty well clued up on the subject!
There's also stuff like yoga and Tai Chi, they don't do it for me, though I've taken elements of stretching and movement from both now. It seems to be what has sorted my back this time as it's the stretching I've been doing using Tai Chi movements and yoga movements which has reached the seized muscles but you are way beyond a few seized muscles, still it may help.
. My left leg is constantly numb in places and my back is pretty much constantly niggly, and my foot goes dead within a few minutes of cycling - but I can get out and about, and that's all I really care about. If it hurts later - well, it eventually (if not always quickly) wears off back to its usual level. Can't push too hard up hills either, which probably accounts for my lack of enthusiasm and ability to get up anything resembling a hill!