The "Bear Claw"

[backissues]

It is funny you should say something about your shoulders and its connection to the lower back muscle ache. I had a call in to the PT who worked with me in the pool. It took this long for her to return my call.

When I described what I had done by "hanging" with the dumbbells under my arms, she said that my shoulders probably tensed up and the reaction is the muscles all the way down tensed. I had hung for 5 minutes. Not only, did I hang but, by watching the clock, I had pinched my neck to look up.

I have been taking Ibuprofen and I am doing much better. I have not been back to the pool but have been doing my Svaroopa yoga poses to relax my back.

For those of you still having a problem, perhaps exercises relaxing the shoulders would help.

I hope you feel better.
Irene

[Lorz]

Marina and Irene , thanks for your input. I find it really interesting that some people never have this issue. You would think we all had muscle shortening on the concave side of our curves. I do exercise regularly, go to a massage therapist weekly, and had 4 months of PT. I wonder if acupuncture would help? Anyone try it? I find it very hard to stretch the tight muscles with all the rods in the way!

[walkingmom]

Another one in the bear trap

I have pm'd a couple of you about the constant feeling of tightness and burning that you all are describing. I am now 8 mos post op and still hampered by the bear trap. It sometimes feels that the hardware is "scratching" against the muscles. Does anyone else feel that sensation too? Besides lying down I have found hot showers to provide some relief especially as the tightness moves up to my shoulders and even moves to the front of my chest. Looking at pictures of muscle diagrams, it appears that the middle and lower traps muscle groups are my main constant problems.

Are there any folks out there who have overcome these "traps"? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Donna

[Lorz]

Donna, Yes, I do have the feeling of the hardware scratching something internally. I sometimes feel like I'm walking around with ground glass in there.
As Donna said, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Also, any of you that have had this, and it went away, how long did it take?

[Marina63]

Feeling the hardware

I have pm'd a couple of you about the constant feeling of tightness and burning that you all are describing. I am now 8 mos post op and still hampered by the bear trap. It sometimes feels that the hardware is "scratching" against the muscles. Does anyone else feel that sensation too? Besides lying down I have found hot showers to provide some relief especially as the tightness moves up to my shoulders and even moves to the front of my chest. Looking at pictures of muscle diagrams, it appears that the middle and lower traps muscle groups are my main constant problems.

Are there any folks out there who have overcome these "traps"? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Donna

Yes, Donna!! Me too! It sometimes feels like the muscles scratching/rubbing against the rods. Hot showers help me too. I refuse to take any meds for it. Lying down helps, hot showers, heating pad . . .. I've gotten used to a lot of it and although I feel it, I am able to ignore it somewhat.

[bluestone]

Bluestone- What you describe is very similar to what I feel. Lying down is also the only thing that relieves it. Does your surgeon feel that removing the hardware would remedy the problem? It was my understanding that it is caused by the muscles/nerves stretching, so I wonder how removing the hardware would help? I understand how you feel, I feel like crying too. It is mentally exhausting, because it never goes away! P.S. Aren't these spam messages annoying?!

Im so glad im not alone with this feeling because it takes away some of the worry about possibly needing my metalwork out.

I think my surgeon is unsure whats causing it because I also have 2 protruding screws which he mentioned taking out if the discomfort around there doesnt ease.It was when I quickly mentioned before leaving the room that I have a 'pressure' in my back that he suggested having the metalowork out if im still getting it at 2 years post op-I really dont want that to happen so pray everyday it will gradually ease.Its so frustrating because in other ways I feel like im improving.

My physio did mention trying some accupuncture because it could be muscle spasm but im not ready to have any needles put into my back yet!

[bluestone]

Just wanted to add also that I think my surgeon may have suggested taking the metalwork out at 2yrs post op if this continues because he said I have absolutely no fat on my back so maybe he thinks this could be why the metalwork gets aggrevated easily?

I also wanted to ask-do any of you feel as if the pressure/tightness is in your chest too?
When I lie down its as if someone is sitting on my chest and it takes a few minutes to pass-I would give anything for this to go away!!

[Lorz]

Yes, I do have tightness in my chest too. It feels like a tight band is wrapped around my ribcage, kind of like a really tight, annoying bra you can't wait to take off, but this one you can't! I get pain in my chest, on and off also.
I also do not have a fat layer on my back, padding the hardware, so maybe that is the issue. But, I am with you, I just want it to GO AWAY!!!
Bluestone, you will be 2 yrs post-op in March, are you considering hardware removal?

[bluestone]

Yes, I do have tightness in my chest too. It feels like a tight band is wrapped around my ribcage, kind of like a really tight, annoying bra you can't wait to take off, but this one you can't! I get pain in my chest, on and off also.
I also do not have a fat layer on my back, padding the hardware, so maybe that is the issue. But, I am with you, I just want it to GO AWAY!!!
Bluestone, you will be 2 yrs post-op in March, are you considering hardware removal?

I wont be 2yrs post op until November 3rd so I have some hope yet that it will go away.
I think if I still feel as bad as this, then yes I would have it removed.

[Marina63]

Chest tightness

Bluestone and Lorz, I also have no fat on my back and do have the chest tightness but not all the time. My PT gave me some great exercises and stretches that has really helped. But I do sometimes get that feeling like there is a band around my chest. My surgeon said it was probably stiffness but I know it's muscle tightness. I've been lifting weights to help strengthen those muscles and hopefully ease the tightness. It varies in degrees of tightness and there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why.

[bluestone]

Bluestone and Lorz, I also have no fat on my back and do have the chest tightness but not all the time. My PT gave me some great exercises and stretches that has really helped. But I do sometimes get that feeling like there is a band around my chest. My surgeon said it was probably stiffness but I know it's muscle tightness. I've been lifting weights to help strengthen those muscles and hopefully ease the tightness. It varies in degrees of tightness and there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why.

Im reluctant to do any exercise at the moment though because I find that the more activity I do the worse the pressure becomes so I try to not overdo things if I can, although at times I do feel that I could do with doing some form of exercise as walking doesnt feel enough.

[Lorz]

Bluestone-
I am confused, your signature says your surgery was 3/11/10. Did you have another one in Nov.? I hear what you are saying about exercise. I tend to want to be sitting or lying down to relieve the pressure, but do find if I don't force myself to do some form of exercise daily, I tighten up even more. It is also definitly affected by storm systems moving in, some times for days in advance.

[Marina63]

Tightness

I have not been able to link my tightness to anything. Sometimes it comes minutes after getting out of bed. Some days are worse than others. Maybe there is a connection to something but I can't figure out what. Today I worked out at the gym with weights and cardio for an hour and a half, cleaned the entire house, ran errands (two hours driving) and my back is fine. Tomorrow at work, when I spend most of the day sitting, it could be super tight again. Or not, I never know.

Do either of you have issues with stinging and burning sensations on your back? That I can link to overdoing it. Or sitting in a bad chair (not a straight back). I have not been able to sit on our couch since before the surgery back in June. The only comfortable couch I've sat on is in the office of my school. One with a super straight and firm back. Anything cushy, forget it!

[walkingmom]

Exercise regimen

Movement is a necessity for me. For the past month, I have followed this fairly constant daily exercise regimen:

Walk 45 minutes on the treadmill at 3.0-3.1 levels (2.3 miles at various inclines, but not about 5.0)

Then MWF, I add band resistance training for my arms such as triceps pushdowns, biceps curls, & arms lateral raises. I also use 2.5 lb hand weights and do 15 reps of front & side raises for my arms.

Throughout each day, I do these stretches:
shoulder shrugs/rolls
pulling arm across body
wall slides

Then walk 1 mile on the treadmill in the evening.

The tightening of my back muscles never really stops after I get out of bed in the morning, but I forge ahead with this exercise regimen. I am afraid that if I stop, I will only get worse and feel even tighter. I just keep hoping that down the road I can say, "Wow, my back is no longer tight like it used to be"

Hoping that we can all eventually say that too!
Donna

Donna

[Lorz]

Marina,
Yes. I do have the stinging/burning you describe. It feels like a bad sunburn. I know that is nerve pain, and has actually gotten worse as time goes on, as the nerves regenerate. I take a low dose of Neurontin for it, and it does help some. I am sure it would be more effective if I could increase the dosage, but it makes me too "spacey". I know others have taken it at much higher doses and were able to tolerate it. Interesting, on the days that the nerve pain is bad, the tightness is much worse.
Donna,
That is great that you have the time and energy to exercise that much each day. I find that sitting is much worse for me, than being active at work. I too really hope that all of us can post one day and say how happy we are that all of this has resolved!