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Dan Monahan
Oct 20, 2008 - 10:22AM
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Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hi Everyone
Just thought I would post about a conversation I had with my therapist last week.
Basically those of you that don't know I have a large bulging disc at my L4-L5, with a side shift, which has created scoliosis. I have been seeing my Egoscue therapist for around about 2 months now, and have improved, but recently I have has a set back, and alot of my symptoms returned, which began to really frustrate me and I started to think about surgery again.
Up until 3 weeks ago, I was doing great, had very little pain when I was at work, so I was going literally about 9 hours a day without any pain, and it was amazing. Unfortunately my therapist prescribed a new set of exercises which my body responded to badly, basically my body was not ready for these challeneges and it reacted badly, so we have now taken a step back again, and I feel that i am back on the road to improvement.
When I was talking to him about surgery he asked me a very important question:
"During those 9 hours of being pain free, what happened to the disc?? Did it go back in place? Did it stop pressing on the nerve?"....
I thought about this, and of course not, I still have the bulging disc, it's there 24/7, so if you are getting periods of pain free, despite having a bulging disc, does this not show that it is in fact the muscles and the position of your pelvis that is actually causing the pain and not the bulging disc.
If the disc was what was causing the pain, then surely you would have the pain 24/7, because the disc is bulging on the nerve all the time...Is it not?
What do you guys think???? To me this personally makes alot of sense....
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Paul
Oct 20, 2008 - 10:38AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
It makes all the sense in the world. I am sure there is some muscle component that is trying to protect your body is not able to "let go" so to speak.
If you have 9 hours of no pain then anything is possible.
Think of it this way? Where were you a year ago? Pain 24/7? If so think how far you have come. 9 hours of relief in just under 6 weeks is amazing considering how hard your body (muscles) are fighting.
If you could just find the offending muscles and they can be addressed a little faster it would be great.
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fred wade
Oct 20, 2008 - 10:49AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
All I can say is go see Al. I feel better now than I have in 7 years. And I have the same bulging dics as you .
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Dan Monahan
Oct 20, 2008 - 10:51AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hey Paul
Well I am able to lay on my left side now, sleep much better, wake up with no pain!!
It's just standing and walking that causes soooo much pain, it really is unbearable, but I know why it is. Due to the side shift, my biomechanics are so out of place, that when I walk wrong muscles are moving my legs.
My therapist said once I get back into alignment, and the exercises start kick starting the muscles correctly, so certain muscles start to remember there primary function, and the dormant muscles become alive, and the over used incorrect muscles stop working because the correct muscles will do there job, then my right QL will release, because there is not a reason for it to stay in a contracted state anymore.
And as you said Paul, in the short amount of time, I have gone from being in incredible amounts of pain to very reduced pain during the day. Just can't wait to be able to stand and walk for longer periods of time.
Time is the key here, need to focus on smaller goals, not the big term goal of being pain free 100%, but little small increments.
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Dan Monahan
Oct 20, 2008 - 10:57AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hi Fred
I would love to go and see Al mate, but I just do not have the money to be able to go and see him, I have a lot of debt at the moment from trying fix my back, that I just do not have the money.
I am going to try and save, but it's going to take me a very long time!!
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Weight Training Paul
Oct 20, 2008 - 6:39PM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hi mate
Like Paul said makes perfect sense to me as well
Anyone who's anyone in this game knows about the muscles and the position of your pelvis and head and shoulders is the real problem, imbalance of muscles is the issue
Try telling the world, they don't seem to want to know
What about getting the portable robot bud, if you know the problem areas, they go for $ 2500 so it would be £1700 or so with delivery as a guess
I'm thinking of doing that
Paul
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Lak
Oct 21, 2008 - 7:14AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hi Guys,
I know due to financial constraints it may not be possible to see Al just yet and you may just purchase the robot and use yourself at home. I think you may be ok but please clarify with Al that you dont need to see him for him to explain which areas to work on. The last thing you want to do is to work on the wrong muscles causing more problems.
All the best,
Lak
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Dan Monahan
Oct 21, 2008 - 7:47AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hey Paul,
£1700 is just way outside my budget at the moment, credit cards maxed out and can't get a loan....Not good!!
Plus it would cost less to go over and see Al...LOL
And as LAK says I think purchasing the robot is something you really want to do, after you see Al and have treatment, as a continuation afterwards.
But do let me know if you get the robot, I'll pop over...LOL
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Karl
Oct 21, 2008 - 9:58AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hi Dan
I have a small buldge at L4/5. Most of the time i dont notice is, however if i dont stretch for a period of time (couple of days, if i have nbeen working away) i can begin to almost feel it pinching into my spine!
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Basma
Nov 10, 2008 - 2:23AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hi Dan
What you mentioned makes a lot of sense..if our pain was caused by the disc only we would be in pain 24/7 but we have pain-free days which proves its the muscles..I think people with back pain have weak muscles to start with (or sensitive muscles) that are easily strained and we always have to be careful how we lift or bend down and watch our posture and try and stengthen our muscles.
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Dan Monahan
Nov 10, 2008 - 5:35AM
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Re: Is it the bulging disc that is causing the pain??!!!
Hey Adriano
Thank you for your post, and your reccomendations.
I am currently reading Dr.Sarno's book "Healing Back Pain" but have not got through much of it, as we are in the process of moving house, which isn't great for my pain, the stress and packing, but I am just taking my time, and not worrying too much about it, and not putting any limiting belief on my abilities.
One thing I think we need to remind ourselves when we perform our corrective Exercises, is that I tend to get in the mind set, that if I am in pain, that if I perform my exercises then this will reduce the pain!!
That is not what it is about, the idea is to correct the dysfunction, and I think we can fall trap into that way of thinking, and then when we perform the exercises, and the pain is still there, or it maybe temporarily increases, we start to get de-motivated, well I know from personal experience this is how I get, and I have to constantly remind myself , that the exercises are correcting my dysfunctions, and that is the No.1 key.
There are other strategies to reduce the pain that we can use, but we must keep up our corrective exercises DAILY, and to not focus on the pain as our basis for if it is working, especially in the short term, it can take weeks for a program to actually start reducing our pain.
1 step at a time!!