back injury, I need exercise help

sherbertriot

So I have a severely injured back that left me disabled. I have progressive arthritis in my spine so my vertebraes are disentagrating (sp?) quickly. Due to this, I injured my back while lifting a box at work, it herniated my L4-L5 and that ended up crushing my sciatic nerve which caused me permanent damage. I also have a central lesion in my L5-S1. I have neuropathy and sciatica due to all this. They told me I'd pretty never be able to do things the same way I did them before. I almost had a fusion but they told me to wait as long as I can since my upper discs are about to go any day now. They said no weight lifting, no bending, no pulling, no nothing basically aside from like, a stationary bike or swimming. I don't have the money for a stationary bike nor do I have a regular bike and there are no pools around here. I'm strapped on cash so no YMCA membership either. I'm wondering.. any of you ever dealt with this? What type of exercises do you do at home? I also have fibromyalgia. I know it's important to strengthen my core to strengthen my back but I'm really unsure on how to do this.

KLWELL400

Hi
I could have written this and 5 years ago I was in the same boat, I herniated L4-L5 25 years ago and they told me to wait as well. Then 5 years ago I fell and the disc ruptured......bone on bone, and causing the spinal nerve to fray. Thankfully I was sent to a wonderful surgeon in Tucson that did the surgery. After I was in recovery he told my husband that if we had not have done it I would have been paralyzed within a couple of months! The Doctor usually did not recommend surgery but in my case he would have insisted that I had it done.
Four years after the surgery I now have major fibro flares on a daily basis, I do walk 90 + minutes a day on my Wii, with a game called Walk it out. This is a low impact, but can be fast pace depending on which songs you want to walk to. If you do not have a wii they do make the game for other units or you can just walk in place in your home or walk outside. I know it will be painful my muscles have finally passed the "memory stage" of when they would spasm all day every day. I was bedridden for 1 year and I wish that on anyone. God Bless and feel free to add me.