Back Surgery

[Horticattleman]

A couple years ago I was given braces by a dr. and I would wear em for a night and I was good for a couple months then it got to where I had to wear em more frequently and now I have to wear em everynight and they don't really help that much anymore. If I forget them I wake up in the middle of the night and both of my arms are twice their size and completely numb. i stand up and they just hang there (freaky I know, try it being YOUR arms). Even with them on I sometimes can't sleep. my mom had the surgery but I can never find the right time to have it done. Its either Landscape season or hunting season, you know! I also just don't feel comfortable having someone slice my WRIST open!

 

[chrisy]

if you don't have a set of wrist braces, get a 2inch wide crape bandage and wrap your hand and arm upto the elbow like you have a sprained wrist, during the night, not to tight as to cut off your curculation, but snug. It will keep you wrist warm and supported I was told warmth and support was good for the condition. this could help until you get the braces. depending on how large your arms are you may need two per arm, I found it helped, before I had a brace and the op to help it out, but still have it sometimes, if I type to much.

 

[msscamp]

I agree with Mr. Bill. Chiropractors scare the daylights out of me. I have been to a few and everytime it seems my problem gets worse. Maybe its just me.

Chiropractors are no different than medical doctors, cattlemen/women, nurses, telephone repairmen/women, or anybody else - some are good and some are not. I have absolutely no problem going to a chiropractor, but I don't just pick one out of the phone book, either, I base my choice on personal recommendations from people who have been to them. If they are rough, I am uncomfortable with them, or if I feel my back/hips pop out again on the way out the door, I don't go back.

 

[msscamp]

I have Carpal Tunnel REAL bad. I can't sleep at night and can't hold my arms up for more than a few minutes without them falling asleep. Could a therapist help me with that?

I, too, have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel from keyboarding for better than 20 years - right wrist is worse than the left one. Trot down to your local walmart and buy a wrist brace - up here they are 24.95 when I bought one for my left wrist a few years ago. I think it is called a 'wrist support', but I can't remember the brand name - they come in small, medium, large, and I believe x-large. Wear it at night while you're sleeping and, if possible, while your doing your chores, work, etc - you just might be amazed at the difference it makes, I know I was. Before a co-worker told me about the brace, I was taking 4 ibuprofen every 4 hours, alternated with 4 aspirin 2 hours after taking the ibuprofen to control the pain. With the brace, I rarely have a problem. It sounds like your c.t. is worse than mine, but what have you got to lose?

 

[Nowland Farms]

...Trot down to your local walmart and buy a wrist brace - up here they are 24.95 when I bought one for my left wrist a few years ago. I think it is called a 'wrist support', but I can't remember the brand name - they come in small, medium, large, and I believe x-large. Wear it at night while you're sleeping and, if possible, while your doing your chores, work, etc - you just might be amazed at the difference it makes, I know I was....

Msscamp, thats exactly what I did. Before I would wake up with the hands curled up at the wrist. Now I wear the braces at night and sometimes at work when the keyboard hurts. sometimes I still get the pointing finger and middle finger going numb but not as near often as when I don't use the braces at night. You can buy the wrist braces at any drug store and most department stores.

 

[msscamp]

...Trot down to your local walmart and buy a wrist brace - up here they are 24.95 when I bought one for my left wrist a few years ago. I think it is called a 'wrist support', but I can't remember the brand name - they come in small, medium, large, and I believe x-large. Wear it at night while you're sleeping and, if possible, while your doing your chores, work, etc - you just might be amazed at the difference it makes, I know I was....

Msscamp, thats exactly what I did. Before I would wake up with the hands curled up at the wrist. Now I wear the braces at night and sometimes at work when the keyboard hurts. sometimes I still get the pointing finger and middle finger going numb but not as near often as when I don't use the braces at night. You can buy the wrist braces at any drug store and most department stores.

I didn't have to worry about waking up - my hands, and arms hurt to bad to go to sleep. I'm glad they helped you, too. I have to ask though, were you as amazed as I was at the relief the braces provided?

 

[Ryder]

I don't know if this would help herniated disc pain or not. It is supposed to help a lot of things including carpal tunnel.

http://www.activerelease.com
I have no experience with it and if any of you try it let us know how it goes.

A cream that is supposed to help with ct and tendonnitis is
http://www.ctcream.com
My wife says it helped her tendonittis.

Doesn't cost anything to look at the websites and see what you think.

 

[Dusty Britches]

Does this sound familar? Simple things I could not do 8 months ago without extreme pain or could not do at all:

Pull on socks
Brush my teeth or wash my face
push a shopping cart - empty (much less with groceries)
lay down or get up
pick up a small piece of paper off the ground
sit
stand

Now, the only thing I can't do is bend over to pick dewberries, which isn't really any big deal. I'll just put on my knee pads and kneel.

I can ride the tractor for hours, work cows, build and fix fence, and everything in between.

And, I wasn't going to say it, but I'll with running arrow bill, too - chiropractors scare the daylights out of me. PT was my answer, but it took work and patience.

 

[houstoncutter]

Caustic if you decide on surgury have a nureosurgeon do the work not a orthopedic. I used Dr. Baskin at Methodist in Houston in 87. I could no longer walk, no other choice, they did a laminectomy on L5-S1. I was down for about 8 weeks, back to work part time in 9 and full time in 12 weeks. I stand on my feet 8 to 10 hours a day... I have had very little problems with it since. You have to use a little common sense when you are working, and understand that you are no longer the bull moose you once were and work a little smarter. That was the hardest part for me as I was only 29 at the time. Of coures if your carrying any gut it just makes it a bit tougher

 

[houstoncutter]

Forgot, if you are wearing boots, dont you need a flat sole with very little heal

 

[Dusty Britches]

So, Caustic - how are you doing? What did you decide?

 

[peg4x4]

CB,I hope you wake up from the surgery wondering "what the heck did I wait so long for!?"