Discussion/Motivation/Tips For Weight Loss With Chronic Pain
stephbrooke9
Posts: 1 Member
So basicly the title is self explanatory and I couldn't find a discussion on here about this topic so here it goes. I'm 25 years old, 5'4", 188lbs, and I have a back injury. When I was 17 I was in a car accident where a mini van landed on top of me shattering my L5 vertebrae ad broke my right hip in half. I was extremely lucky to only have 2 screws in my hip and some nerve damage on my left side of my right knee and dropfoot to my left foot, but the pain in my back is permanent. Standing, sitting, walking, and even laying down for long periods of time has me in terrible pain. Surgery isn't an option and my doctors don't want to prescribe me painkillers because of my age. So I really could use some advice if there is anyone else in somewhat the same situation as myself. Anything helps
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Replies
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See a physical therapist to build you a proper workout routine. My daughter got 4 compound fractures in her back in gymnastics and it is a long and VERY VERY slow road for recovery. Don't rush it because it will cause more harm than good. Best of luck!
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Hey Steph, i'm in the same boat as you, as I was born with spina bifida and had my spine fused at birth, I also suffer from lymphoedema , very bad painful swelling in the legs and ankles making it so painful to walk. With my back problem, the same as you, painful walking, sitting, standing, is a killer but I do try get up and about for limited periods throughout the day. What i try to do is at least walk for 20-30 mins a day, taking a rest when i have to. I also go on the exercise bike, i started with 5 mins 3 times a day, and after a week pushed it to 10 mins a day etc etc, and took breaks at the first sign anything was getting sore. I also use my kitchen chair to do custom squats, (i.e i stand up and sit down with my arms stretched out. And i did about 5 of those a few times a day, again, stopping before any hurt set in. I am on Tramadol occasionally for the pain, the doctor should definitely give you something for the flare ups. All I can say that even the littlest exercise can help, and also calibrating calories, is a big part for me. I'm slowly losing it, and i'm ticking off all the days one by one after a successful healthy eating day . Physical therapy didn't work for me, it just made me a million times in more pain, but i find anti inflammatory gels, bath in epsom salts and pain killers with rest, do help with the bad days.
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I hear you. I have back problems, have done for many years, and ended out in hospital in early 2016. But I have found that lack of exercise makes everything worse. The support of strong core muscles can do so much to help me cope. (granted I don't have a hip injury to cope with as well!) On a bad day I have to change posture a lot, because sitting got painful, standing got painful etc. but I now have more better days than bad days.
As another poster has said, a physical therapist can help you find the right path. And physical therapy should be done with the same discipline as taking medication, you can't just dip in and out of it when you feel like it or the benefits are lost.
If you CAN avoid the pills, then all the better. At one point I was taking slow release morphine, gabapentin, paracetamol, AND oramorph for the breakthrough pain, fentanyl was prescribed at one point, and I was on amytriptyline to help me sleep through the night. And I can tell you it was absolute hell coming off them.1
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