Muscle Pain? TENS?

[lrmb]

Hi everyone!

Call me stupid, but I recently realised that some of my low back pain may be coming from strained muscles on the opposite side to the low curve in my back. Since the disk at L5-S1 is degenerated, my low back pain has always been diagnosed as from that. But recently I noticed that I can feel a muscle spasming in that area, and at the times it is hurting this muscle seems hard as a rock! This type of pain is exacerbated by any tension or stress and by trying to straighten out; and it responds to heat and to wearing one of those pseudo-brace-wrap things you can get from the drugstore (which I only do if it's unbearable and I have to travel). I am guessing that as my curve has progressed slightly, and my lower body and hips are shifting, it is just getting a lot for that muscle to deal with.

SO: does anybody have any advice on dealing with this? I have not had good results with physical therapy, which I have tried many times (I know the core-strengthening stuff by heart) and which has always made the pain worse longterm. (I feel like I may be in a catch-22 with this: undoubtedly I need the strengthening, but I just can't deal with the pain it brings on.)

A neighbor of mine has suggested TENS several times. Does anybody know about TENS - pros and cons? If it is as good as my neighbor claims, why don't more people use it as a pain therapy?? (I think he uses it for Rheumatoid Arthritis pain.)

I will be seeing my surgeon again in February; we both are hoping to hold off surgery a while, since I currently have long periods almost completely pain free. I'm traveling right now for work, and have ended up in many physically uncomfortable situations. I'm sure that this is why the pain is playing me up, but if anybody can help I would love to hear suggestions.

THANKS for any help you can give! Sorry for the long post!
Laura

[Karen Ocker]

Tens

I used TENS for pain management while recovering from my scoliosis surgery.
It was very helpful under my pain doctor's guidance. It is also good for the depression from narcotic withdrawal-again under my doc's direction.

I did not have a whole lot of pain pre-op because I did Pilates except --at night-- when I would wake up with pulsating pain where my nerves were squashed. This was where my right thoracic curve became my left lumbar. I would put a pillow under my hip at night to open up that space getting some relief. It only got worse.


Now I am totally pain free at age 64 and working.