Slow month... sore neck.

davepl · Poncho Master!

Slow month... sore neck.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

I've been plagued with neck problems for years. I get the greatest relief from a Chiropractor. I go to one who uses that tool that looks like a miniature air hammer to do adjustments instead of one you twists you like a pro wrestler would. I went to him in agony last year and in one session my neck felt better than it had in years. Only had to go a month ago for another minor adjustment.

davepl · Poncho Master!

Should/can I move this to The Lounge? Other than updating why I'm not updating, there's not much Pontiac content!

I'm ambivalent about chiropractic, in the literal sense of the word (of two minds). On the one hand, I think they can render a valuable service, but on the other, I think it's been corrupted by charlatans who claim to be able to fix/cure/diagnose stuff way outside their wheelhouse.

Our nearest one, for example, allows you to sit in front of a colored lamp instead of getting a flu shot. Should I trust that guy with my spinal cord?

That, and when I was about 8 we were listening to the police scanner in Regina when they were called out to a chiro office for a patient that died on the table... don't know if he stroked out from a neck adjustment or it was just coincidence!

But if I knew a smart one personally, I'd sure consider it. Right now, though, I primarily need time to heal and then, I imagine, physical therapy.

Since I've been a computer guy hunched over a keyboard for 30+ years my neck posture was pretty grim to start with; I've spent a couple of years with a trainer and we actually improved it quite a bit, but not enough to prevent this injury!

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Best to find one who uses the hammer tool. This greatly reduces the risk of being injured to about nill. My wife was terrified of them from all the horror stories but now swears by his treatments. She was born with mild scoliosis and has a lot of lower back issues. The guy I use here is incredible (as was the one I used in London- he also used the tool to adjust). He will run his hands down my spine and press on a spot and say "Here?" and every time that's a sore spot (often I didn't know I had until he pressed on it). Like I said in my prev post my neck was toast last year and it was triggering migraines. One session and it was fixed.

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Yes, Chiropractic measures can involve manipulation around the jugular so don't let a hobbyist try to adjust you. As for surgery, if I were you I would avoid it. It is a one-way street and it will limit your mobility permanently.

Sorry about your suffering Dave (and Todd). Neck troubles seem to take a long time to subside. The longer you live with the pain, the longer it will likely be to reverse it. One damaged muscle and the next thing you know you are compensating and doing damage to other muscles.

Oshawa65SS · Addicted!

Sorry to hear about this situation
If it were me I'd be going straight to the imaging center for an MRI
Gotta know exactly what's going on before visiting the bone cruncher or anyone else for treatment
Guessing what or precisely where the problem is and just trying this treatment or that treatment is not the way to go

davepl · Poncho Master!

Not to worry, I had an MRI by 2PM that day and saw the spinal specialist the next morning - thanks, Obama! Actually my doctor is just good at making it happen!

jmont64 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

So a little insight to my ruptured disc situation but doesnt sound it was near as bad as yours. I helped a guy a couple years ago lift a box from an upper floor. Box wasnt heavy but was sort of awkward and I was lifting it above my head. A couple days later I lost the strength in the last 3 fingers in my right hand. Sent for an MRI to make sure it wasnt a stroke and results came back as a ruptured disc. Specialist said d I reall shouldnt be doing anything over my head but that really hasnt happened yet. Short story long is feeling and strength came back in about 3 months and has been fine since. Otherwise fortunate for being 64 and never needed a chiropractor and yet have worked construction and played a ton of sports my whole life. Id sure give it time, I find the body has amazing healing qualities.

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

Hope I don't scare you (even though I will); but a buddy of mine went to a chiropractor with a sore neck to be adjusted, and returned to work only to be carted off by ambulance to the hospital a few hours later. The chiropractor ruptured his jugular and he almost died of internal bleeding.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

This is why I'm saying to go to a Chiro who uses the tool instead of reefing on your neck. The tool taps on the invertebrate that is out of alignment. All you feel is a firm tap.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Here's a video of a Chiro using the adjuster tool

davepl · Poncho Master!

It's pretty common, apparently, for people by the age of 50 to have some bulging discs. I figure, after all, we're only "made" to last to about 30 years old unless you get to be Chief or Medicine Man or something, so why would your back and knees make it to 90?

So everyone, particularly computer people, gets a bit of it with age. I think it's pretty common to get numbness in the fingertips and (assuming it's not diabetic neuropathy or something) that is often from a nerve being pressed on at the root.

I spent a couple of months like that not really doing anything other than hoping it would go away.... the "pop" under the dash one day. Now I wish I'd taken the signs more seriously! Because once a disc ruptures I think the healing is harder. From what I understand talking to the spinal doc it's not so much the injury that hurts as the body's reaction to it. That's why they look to cortisone and prednisone to "settle" the body's reaction down. Once the body is used to the stuff in its "new" location, the inflammation settles down and its easier to deal with. That's how I understood her explanation, anyway.

I thought I was looking at 3-day ordeal, then maybe a 7-10 recovery, and now it could be weeks, who knows. Thank goodness I'm mostly retired and don't have to be explaining all of this to a day job (or worse, self-employed like I was for most of my life).

-- Edited by davepl on Wednesday 20th of June 2018 11:01:43 AM

dcneric · Poncho Master!

Not to brag or complain, but I can feel your pain. My first back injury occurred playing net in hockey at 12. Herniated the disc 5 years later shoveling fly ash off the roof off of a power plant. After that I have had continued issues with my spine, probably brought on mostly by being an idiot and trying to find where the edge was. I was really good at going over.

I literately have no disc between L4 and L5 and have the associated pain that goes with it. I also have a pinched nerve in my neck that randomly makes my right arm all tingly like I slept on it all night and for a bit I lost all my strength but have since recovered most of it.

I say all this as I am a big believer of chiropractors. I have had days that I suffered in shearing hot pain and to have it relieved by my chiropractor kick starting a harley on me. Neck adjustments, I'm not a big fan of so I get the electric shocks to loosen the muscles and then he messages the vertebra back. Again most of the cartilage that was there is gone as well.

I've seen an orthopedic surgeon and have received an MRI and the current consensus is if I can live with the pain and other effects to wait 5 years in hopes that the ground breaking research to rebuild cartilage gets approved.

davepl · Poncho Master!

Hi Eric... sorry to hear that! What's it like getting in to get an MRI or see an orthopedic specialist in Regina? I grew up there with Ulcerative Colitis and the free health care was not, well, ideal. Basically you had to wait six months to see a guy for 10 minutes if you were lucky.

By contrast I had an MRI (with contrast!) within a couple of hours and then saw the specialist the next day and had the procedure the next work day after that. I was bitter about them not working the weekend

I know my sister-in-law has back issues and complains she can't get care in Regina, but I don't know how hard she tries. She winds up at the ER instead which is probably the worst idea.

dcneric · Poncho Master!

Wait time to see the surgeon is about 3 months but I'm flexible and got in when a person dropped out in matter of a 2 or 3 weeks. MRI was a few weeks later and then back to surgeon a week later. All in, less than 6weeks, Definitely not next day but I can tolerate a fair bit of discomfort and hearing about 6 month wait times I thought I got through pretty good.

I'm not into going into emergency unless it's on a crash cart. Otherwise you sit for 12 to 18 hours. Last year I miss stepped and fell through the ceiling in the house we are building at the lake and caught my shin on the ladder resulting in a 6" long and really deep gash. Patched it up and finished what I was doing. Thought I had plugged it but by next morning it had leaked a lot. Went into a medi clinic, got commended on my field dressing but got shit for not coming in sooner. Dozen stitches and 10 days antibiotics I was as good as could be.

If your SIL really wants help, she should start with her Doctor and get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. The doc may sent her for initial xrays to determine if an orthopedic surgeon is necessary.

davepl · Poncho Master!

Thanks! Yes, I've spent my time in the ER at the Regina General and it's not a cool place to hang out! Actually, my mom was an OR nurse and then burn ward nurse there forever too!

North · Guru

Try the belle province, had to get an X-ray for one of my kids for a sports injury, 24 hours sitting in a s***hole hospital with peeling pink paint, rude hostile employees and a doctor dressed like a bum fresh off the boat from Somalia with an impossible to understand accent. Im lucky because my friend is my doctor but my wife gave up trying to find a family doctor years ago. I pay for a private doctor for her now.

When one of the gang needs medical attention at our cottage in Maine its like visiting a fancy hotel. Polite staff, beautiful confortable waiting room and the doctors apologize if you if you hit 10 minutes between parking and seeing him. God bless free enterprise, I dream of the day we get freedom in healthcare in Canada again.

davepl · Poncho Master!

Even here in the US I still have a private doctor on retainer, perhaps like you do for your wife. His shared practice carries 50 patients total, I think, and he's available 24/7 for house calls and will go to appointments and procedures. I'm fortunate enough to be healthy, but I know he flies off to the Mayo Clinic with his older patients (or cancer patients) for things now and then, things like that.

I also have MedJet ( medjetassist.com/ ) so that if I'm visiting somewhere and get admitted to a hospital, in theory, a private jet will come and extract me with a nurse and doctor and fly me back to a US hospital. From the fine print I guess if you're physically able that can just mean accompanying you on a commercial flight too, I guess.

It comes "free" with my annual fee but can be bought separately. If you have to travel to places with dodgy health care (Mexico, Saskatcehwan, Bolivia, whatever) then I'd recommend it!

As for me, I had a couple of days this week where it got worse, then it started getting better again. It's a slow process. I worry that it's pretty much impossible to be up and around without "re-injuring" it, but I don't have a lot of choice.

Pretty humbling that I finished myself off looking for a dome lamp wire!

Here's my doc: https://www.md2.com/

-- Edited by davepl on Friday 22nd of June 2018 10:37:01 AM

davepl · Poncho Master!

Well, I'm about two weeks in and it's no better, really. Off to see a spinal surgeon who I guess will do a second injection on Tuesday, and we'll see what he has to say. Really do not want surgery or fusion! I'm content to suck it up for 6 weeks if that's what it takes, but the 2 so far haven't given me any indication its going in the right direction!

davepl · Poncho Master!

Closing in on three weeks and not much change; had a second steroid injection yesterday he used a different approach at a different spot with a different drug an I think I see some improvement in the last day, so here's hoping!

Also saw the surgeon. I'm not a Denver fan but apparently Peyton Manning had the same surgery as what I need (his third time around anyway). Among other things it causes a lot of weakness in the tricep, which wouldn't be good for throwing a football.

davepl · Poncho Master!

Second shot seems to have started to kick in and help, I'm seeing significant improvement for the first time. Going in the right direction now anyway!

davepl · Poncho Master!

Well, another 20 days has made a huge difference. I'm up and around, moving and walking and driving. No heavy lifting and not much endurance, but a big improvement from 3 weeks ago!

Greaser · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Good to hear Dave......much work to be done , but easy does it.

-G

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

The "old" guys we used to laugh at would say "if you don't have your health, you don't have anything." We don't laugh at them any more. Glad to hear your back at it.

davepl · Poncho Master!

Yup, the saying I like is "He who has his health needs nothing else, and he who lacks it wants nothing but!"