BAD BACK (RIDER)

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kendra2705

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Just wondering how many of you have back problems and still ride and whether it helps or hinders, I have a popped disc through working in care work and it keeps raising its ugly head on occasions , and riding seems to help it but do worry about the future as a horse owner x
 
My disc is well and truly knackered, aswell as arthritic changes in facet joints, and ive just recently been offered spinal fusion surgery to help stabilise it. Its going to be a long recovery, and no gaurantee of success, but my pain has been getting steadily worse over the last few years and months, and im worried if it continues like this i wont be able to work/ ride or anything, so its the only option left really, im proper sh*t scared of it going wrong though
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Have the op they wouldnt do it surely if its not going to improve the situation , do you still ride ? what pain killers are you on ?
 
i have calcification on my spine as a result of two vertebrae rotating. this means that one of my discs is getting squished...it flares up occasionally but have been having chiro for 12 months now and its much better...i would highly recommend trying chiro- has meant that it will be much longer before i need to resort to surgery....
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I know, he did say could keep trying with conservative treatment, but ive tried that for years with little effect, prob is now the surgery is a reality its not quite so appealing anymore
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its a major op, that cant be reversed and often needs more surgery in the future, and im only 27!
Oddly, riding doesnt cause too many problems, if its painful, then its painful whatever i do, and if it isnt, riding doesnt really flare it up. My job is working on the yard where i keep Gem, i love it, but am well aware that if this surgery doesnt work and it continues to get worse, i may well not be able to do it for many more years. Which is why, unless the pain is really that unbearable, i do as much as i can, regardless of whether it hurts or not, sounds silly i know, but the damage is done, it isnt going to get any better, the disc isnt going to magically sort itself, lol, so im doing as much as i can while i still can.
Am not a big fan of painkillers, as i turn green with the sideeffects, but when it is really bad i take codeine and tramadol, which is like morphine, does the trick!
 
You are brave, i took tramadol and was off work through throwing up constant so wont be taking them again, pain killers dont seem to work for me no matter what i take, just have to wait for it to calm down, diclofenac are useless and have no effect whatsoever,
 
Lol, im not brave, i so rarely take them! The tramadol will give me about 2 hours relief, for about 8 hours of throwing up so its not worth it. Diclofenac is useless your right, and has similar effect as te tramadol but without any relief!
Have you ever been prescribed codeine? If your being given tramadol you should have no probs getting it as tramadol is about the strongest stuff theyll give you. Something like co dydramol or co codamol is much stronger than diclofenac, less than tramadol, but pretty much no side effects other than feeling a bit woozy, which i can live with!
 
Am interested in this as I am going through the same scenario!!

Have had x-rays (showing not much, but wear and tear on lower back joints). Have had 'trial' injections of steroid - absolutely no use. Have been to physio's. chiro's, osteopaths, faith healers with limited success, over many months/years.

Am waiting for an appointment for an MRI scan ATM.

Am currently seeing someone who does 'physio' in a different way, and accupuncture - but am still sceptical after so much trial and error!!!!!!!!!!!

I just want to get back to riding and excercise!! Each time I try something, and it fails, it is another few months ( not to mention another few pounds!).

What is the best thing to do - are there any magic guru's on here!!!!!!!
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Best thing IMHO is wait for your MRI scan, noone took my pain seriously (every GP told thought it was muscular
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!) until they saw it in black and white!
Once youve had the scan, depending on the results youll be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon or another specialist within the hospital, who will discuss the possible options with you. Its a long process, i had my MRI back in January, and prob wont have the surgery til the end of the year, but i really wouldnt waste your money on anything until you know whats actually going on, especially if none of these treatments have helped you in any way
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Hope this is of some help, in the meantime see if your Gp can prescribe some codeine for you, its the only thing that takes the edge of my pain without making me very sick!
 
I had what I now realise was quite bad sciatica until last week, all down my left leg. Didn't realise how bad it actually was until Thursday. Fell off and landed on bum and then back, sort of bounced really, as I realised I was falling off and thought 'mustn't tense I don't want a broken bone' so was quite a relaxed fall really. Have no bruises, whereas I'd have expected something. Sciatica has totally gone and I am re-learning how to do things like get up from a low chair without needing to be careful of setting it off. Keep expecting twinges and not getting them, most odd - my leg feels totally different, and I'm sleeping better as I don't turn and wake myself!
 
yes the chiro is quite expensive- £45 for first session and £60 for xrays and then £28 for each session
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i was going 2x a week at first but now down to every 6 weeks. its honestly helped to ease my lower back pain but it does need keeping on top of...like others have said i only want to go for surgery when it becomes unbearable so i'm going to pay as long as i have to!! its also been really helpful in sorting my neck and shoulder out from being splatted by baby horse!!
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sorry to hear about all you guys having sore backs i get twinges every so often but dont actually have a bad problem or that specifically . hope you are all ok , re surgeries etc . xxxx

Nate_gem i love ur cat in ur signature pics , is he/she a ragdoll ????? ive always fancied a ragdoll !!!!
gorgeous !!!xxxxx
 
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sorry to hear about all you guys having sore backs i get twinges every so often but dont actually have a bad problem or that specifically . hope you are all ok , re surgeries etc . xxxx

Nate_gem i love ur cat in ur signature pics , is he/she a ragdoll ????? ive always fancied a ragdoll !!!!
gorgeous !!!xxxxx

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, Alfie is a ragdoll, and says thankyou very much!
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Theyre supposed to make great house cats, but noone told him that
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Would definatly reccomend them as pets though, so affectionate and loyal, loves cuddles, and sleeping on my pillow
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I have disc damage and genral worn out spin I take co codamol which helps . I have had 2 ops and steroid injections 3 times, ok for a couple of weeks only. Riding is ok but if the horse does any quick movements if he leaps sideways etc its hurts like hell and getting off is difficult.I cant jump anymore which is my biggest regret ,so I keep the horse fit with the aid of a horse walker and I have a girl jump him for me.I look after 3 horses at home doing all the work with some help but picking feet out and putting hoof oil on is a mission. At 58 I always thought I would be out hunting etc , but its not to be.
 
If your not getting on well with the pain killers my friend tried several alternative therapies. She had a couple of ops, chiro etc but her back got so bad that on some days she couldn't put on her own shoes as the pain was too great. So she went and had her ears stapled - not back but in the middle of your ear looks like you've got a piercing in the middle of your ear - no idea of the theory behind it but it worked for her.
 
I have a bulging disc which was diagnosed with an MRI scan. I was taking Diclofenac, Co-Codamol, Pregabalin and liquid Morphine every two hours. I also wore a TENS machine all day long - couldn't even get out of bed without it.

I was housebound/bed for 7 weeks and once the bulging disc was diagnosed I had a cortizone injection into my sciatic nerve with amazing results - within a week I was riding again and it's now nearly 3 months on and it's still working.
 
my friend had a car accident last year and has alot of pain with her back she still rides, she like to ride my horse as she says the long walk movement helps flex her back???
 
hi good job we are not our horses or we would have to get ourselves PTS!!!

i have spondylitis in my neck and back, my doc said it would be normal if i was in my late 60s but i am 47, i also have had nerve damage in both hands since 17 years old, i have low level pain all the time, which increases sometimes whether i ride or not.

there are times i swear i can feel my spine move 'click' if it does just 1 then its agony, my arms go numb or my legs almost give way, but if i get 2 clicks then it is just a quick swear and feel a bit shaky for a few min.

i only ride at walk and trot, getting on i use a block, but sometimes if my back clicks i can't get off without help,
= what a fossil.

my rescued youngster has realized he can snatch the rope out of my hand.. little sod,

i am waiting on scans etc, when i get the results i will decide if i continue to ride or not.
i considered driving instead, but its just not the same is it? bye
 
I've had problems with my sacro-illiac joint, thankfully it's fine at the mo', I've various injuries to my lower back and they flare up now and again. I had to stop riding for 3-4 years because of my back, I started riding again a year ago, and aside from one bout of pain during August/September last year, alls been well. Riding's one of the few things that doesn't cause a problem!
 
I've had numerous steroid injections, no use whatsoever, a diskectomy in 2002. Was ok until Dec 2006 then knew discs had gone again. Had spinal stabilastion May 07 which didn't work and had a spinal fusion L4/L5/S1 in July 08. Recently started physio and feeling much better although will always have to be careful of how much I lift etc and will alwys have back pain to some degree. My lot live out 24/7 all year to make life easier on my back. I hope to start riding again next month. There is hope after spinal fusion and I do think sensible riding can help strengthen core muscles back up. I love being with my horses and I'll only give them up if I can no longer care for them. They give me a lift mentally (well most of the time) which is better than any medicine.
 
It's pretty sh1t isn't it! i'm waiting for sugery for a prolapsed disc and stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) and am fed up with not being able to do anything - it manifests as severe sciatica. So to everyone with dodgy backs ................Group hug!!.............
 
Thanks Nat Gem - I think that is what I will do!! Although if I could avoid surgery, I would, and so have given this person a try (very well recommended) while I am waiting for the MRI appointment.

I have known several people who have had surger which hasn't worked........... am keeping my fingers crossed for you!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It is frightening hearing howmany of us suffer from back problems.
I had a compression fracture after a silly fall two years ago and also have bulging discs and stenosis.
I have been offered surgery but with a very high risk of ending upi in a wheel chair so am holding off for now.
I am on oxycontin and oxynorm which is a morphine based painkiller which has worse side afdect than the Tramadol I used to be on.I can not drive wich is awful.
I wonder if all back problems are down to riding or jsut coincidence.
My sister has never sat on a horse and has spondylolisthesis and has just had a discetomy with very poor results leaving her in more pain than when she started.My sister in law also never ridden has had a major operation as her spinal cord was being severed by a disc in her back.She is still walking but in a lot of pain and told she will be in a wheelchair pretty sooon.
So is it just a coincidence that so many horsey people have back problems or is riding a real contributory factor.
I definitely sympathise with anyone going through back pain etc so group hugs all round x
 
Hi Clair74
I think it's more to do with the heavy feed sacks, wheelbarrows, bales of hay etc that we try to carry. I too was on Oxycontin prior to my spinal fusion op last July and can really sympathise with you. Everytime my OH took me out in the car I was sick. My speech was slurred and I lived in a "fog". Have to say there is a risk with any surgery but if you are at the stage where you're on that strength of painkiller surely surgery is worth serious consideration. My orginal Consultant advised me that a spinal fusion would be "very, very, very risky" I asked for a 2nd opinion from a different Consultant at another hosp. This guy was very confident about getting me back right again and had no quarms about me riding again 12 months post surgery. Please PM me if you want to.
 
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