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Harrington Rod Problems after 25 years?

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  • #91
    Broken Rod

    Originally posted by nina View Post
    Any one else out there who had surgery with Harrington Rod about 25+ years ago experiencing problems below the end of rod?
    I've read alot of posts with problems in lumbar spine area.
    Anyone having "stiffness" or difficulties standing up once seated?
    The feeling of something "catching" and not being able to straighten up?
    I've had no problems until about a year ago, but find if I do alot of walking it isn't as bad.
    I'm now 43 and am wondering if anyone has experienced this and found any good solutions. What works for you?
    I used to swim alot, but live in an area with no pools and very few gyms.
    Anyone out there have a back exercise routine they can share?
    Any suggestions would be helpful. I haven't gone to have any x-rays yet, so I have no idea what the problem is.
    I noticed someone said if your rod is broken get it taken out. Mine broke within two years after my surgery. It is still in place and itself has not caused any problems.

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    • #92
      Getting by

      I posted on this thread several years ago, when I began to have more difficulty walking. My fusion is approaching 50 years, I am 61. My rod has tipped, curving my spine above my thoracic fusion. Currently I can go upstairs without a railing with difficulty, but not down stairs safely. I have a lot of lower back stiffness that contributes to my slow walking. My knees are weak, and I have some sensory loss in one knee and foot. My ortho says I don't have much arthritis in my knees, so my difficulties are probably neurological. It is harder for me to get up from an upholstered chair. I have arthritis in both hips, probably unrelated to my fusion. The world of medicine doesn't really have much to offer me, in spite of the ortho and neuro specialists I've seen, because my problems aren't really "that bad". My meds include ibuprofen regularly and a low dose of Tramadol occasionally. I swim regularly, walk the dog 1/2 mile most days, and love to work in my gardens. All the bending with my gardening is getting much more difficult every year. If I want to walk longer distances, a walking stick helps me maintain a more upright posture. I'll be doing more yoga over the winter. PT has been occasionally helpful for getting ideas.
      Last edited by JulieBW; 11-19-2015, 12:22 PM.
      1966 fusion in Buffalo of 11 thoracic vertebrae, with Harrington rod

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