Question for those with chronic back pain

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lporter229
lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My SIL has been laid up for the past month or so with severe back pain from a bulging or ruptured disk. I am a few hundred miles away and I feel completely helpless because I know she is miserable and there isn't much that I can do to help. I would like to send her a gift to let her know that I care. For those who suffer from chronic back issues, I was wondering if there is one product or device that you have that has made it easier for you to deal with, either in terms of managing the pain or by making it easier for your to complete your day to day tasks. Any input is welcome....thanks!

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  • JAYxMSxPES
    JAYxMSxPES Posts: 193 Member
    edited January 2018
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    lporter229 wrote: »
    My SIL has been laid up for the past month or so with severe back pain from a bulging or ruptured disk. I am a few hundred miles away and I feel completely helpless because I know she is miserable and there isn't much that I can do to help. I would like to send her a gift to let her know that I care. For those who suffer from chronic back issues, I was wondering if there is one product or device that you have that has made it easier for you to deal with, either in terms of managing the pain or by making it easier for your to complete your day to day tasks. Any input is welcome....thanks!

    There's a difference between chronic LBP and an injured back. She needs to see a specialist to deal with what she has going on and probably get into some PT. I had a bulging disk that pressed into a nerve causing a crazy amount of pain and the only thing that helped was rest, lortab, and PT. There's no magic, she needs to find a doctor.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    edited January 2018
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    She has. Sorry, I didn't go into detail, but I don't have all of the information. As I understand it, she is going to start PT soon. There was quite a bit of inflammation that they were waiting to subside. Until then, she has been essentially bed ridden. I am just looking for things that can make her life more bearable in the meantime.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Maybe some activities she can do while in bed, bath salts, a spa day, something pleasant or joyful. There are lots of therapeutic massagers, wraps, pillows, etc but the need can vary based on the specific problem and personal preferences. I'm sorry she's in such pain and it's kind of you to want to help.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,709 Member
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    I was going to suggest some type of wrap, massager, cushion, etc. as well, but I think it would depend on what type of long-term pain management her therapist suggests. You mentioned inflammation and in my experience switching back and forth from heat to ice is suggested, but I don't know if that's something she'll need to do long-term.

    A few months ago I dislocated 3 ribs and a large wrap with an ice pack that I could wear while upright or walking around was a life-saver. Laying down on a heating pad or ice pack was excruciatingly painful so the wearable ice pack was great. (Thanks to my son's girlfriend who is an RN!)
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    ice packs, anti inflammatory OTC like ibuprofen, and chocolate.
  • JAYxMSxPES
    JAYxMSxPES Posts: 193 Member
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    lporter229 wrote: »
    She has. Sorry, I didn't go into detail, but I don't have all of the information. As I understand it, she is going to start PT soon. There was quite a bit of inflammation that they were waiting to subside. Until then, she has been essentially bed ridden. I am just looking for things that can make her life more bearable in the meantime.

    If she has insurance she might be able to get a tenz unit, that seemed to help me a little. I know this isn't a popular statement, but for me the pain was so bad that I was on lortab pretty consistently during the first couple weeks. There was just no other way to control the pain.

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