Patrick,

I also have spine issues. I have some degeneration in my lower spine with stenosis, reverse kyphosis in my upper spine and mild scoliosis. I know that when the MG's flaring, it makes the pain worse because my poor spine (yes, I feel sorry for our bodies! lol) is working extra hard to hold up my body. The doctor told me that there's really nothing I can do about any of it. I know that massage can help with the reverse kyphosis, and I think that exercise is a must when it comes to spinal issues, but with the MG, it's hard.

Btw, prednisone can make the symptoms of spinal problems feel much worse. One of the side-effects is 'lower back pain,' maybe because of the robbery of calcium, but not exactly sure.

Also, apparently upper spine issues can impact breathing. It can decrease lung capacity by up to 30%.

It's hard to know what to do. I agree that surgery is something I'd never consider even if things got really bad later on. I've heard horror stories about it.

I used to work with a guy who did the surfacing for our lenses at the company I worked at, and he'd stand all day long for like 10-hrs. He developed spine issues and started wearing a brace. This helped a lot. Maybe an assistive device like this for your lower back and neck might help in the mean time until you get enough strength do some very light exercise to strenghthen your chest and back if possible- I know it's hard, though (the exercise, I mean).

Nicky