Hi (((JustJen)))...nice to meet you. I am sorry, though, that you are having to deal with this, but it can be done. I am wondering how your appointment went??? Medrol definately helps with pain, and inflammation. It is a really powerful drug that one has to be careful with. I remember the first time I took it as well. It got rid of the pain for a while, but I ended up with a bad case of gastritis. I have had a lot of cortisone injections over the years, and have learned the hard way that one has to be careful with it. You are on a long journey of finding what will work best for you in dealing with these issues. And there is a lot of information here at NT that can help you along the way. Let us know how it is going.

I know these posts are really old. But maybe someone is still out there. I am 20 years old and have degenerative arthritis in my lumbar spine. I see a chiropractor 3 times a week and so far I've done 2 prolotherapy injections and 2 steroid injections. Will be having my 3rd steroid injection next week. Nothing seems to be helping at all. Especially when it comes to sleep. The moment I lay my head down, my back feels like I've been beaten with a bat. I feel like I've tried everything yet nothing is helping. Unfortunately I'm not working anymore due to my back restricting me so much lately which makes matters worse. Any helpful tips from anyone? On how to deal with this?

Hi Sarahstar, Welcome to NT....

Assuming you've been to a rheumy (rheumatologist) you may be looking at pain management. If you've got a lot of muscle spasms, myofascial trigger point therapy may be of some benefit.

I have to sleep on a foam wedge (elevating the top half half of me) because I can't afford a hospital bed, and like yourself, I can't sleep completely flat anymore either.

Doc

I know what you mean. Back pain has been a lifelong friend!
I now get a constant low level ache around my SI joints, just enough to stop me getting any good sleep.

The spine has two main components, the hard bits and the soft bits. Arthritis affects the hard bits causing changes to the bones.
To compensate and cope with these changes, the soft bits have to constantly reorganise and try to support the spine at all times.
This is very hard work and you will likely get a lot of pain from this area. Arthritis itself is painless, I believe.
So its causing other areas to get sore.

The best things that I have found to ease these back muscle pains are remedial massage and a magnesium supplement.
The massage will give temporary relief, and will show if you are on the right track. You may need several of them a few days apart to get on top of the problem if you are really knotted up.
The magnesium will give long term relief as it allows the muscles to relax and go back to normal.
I take the liquid form greatly diluted in water. You can get good powder forms also.
Should see a benefit in a week or so.
Best thing for sore muscles.

You should also review your mattress and pillow for proper support. If you lie on the floor, on a thin mattress say, do you have the same pain as in bed? Mattresses sag after only 3-4 years, and the back can be very sensitive to mounds and hollows as the spine tries to hold its alignment.
Pillows are notorious for upsetting the spine-too high or too low.
It takes a few days to test a new combination, so don't try for one night only.

I too have been told I have arthritis in my lower back. I have a tear in the L4/L5 region. Bulging discs, spinal stenosis and bursitis in my hips as well. My upper back and shoulders are affected as well. I often have pain, stiffness, swelling and spasms that never end.

The arthritis is pretty severe as it really does affect my quality of living. I also have fibro, asthma, and carpal tunnel. My arthritis is also in my hips and shoulders since I have had surgery especially on my shoulder. That really bothers me. Well that's my story and I can safely say that most of my arthritis is pretty much my entire back, especially the lower. There are many of us out here that suffer with the same or similar to the same thing. Thanks for being here. Mary

Dude... you need some new friends.

Doc

I have osteo in my back and neck my knees are going too and have had pain in my feet-bone spurs on my heels and plantar fasciitis if you get osteo bad enough I guess it can eat thru the pars that holds the discs together I have this so a slippage at L3-L4 vertebrae hopefully still at grade I I go into spasm which is very painful several times a yr when this happens my whole body leans to one side and stomach shifts as well once it relaxes I am ok I have done loads and loads of PT when get into pain I cant get out of but have not kept up with the exercises....

I did use SAM E choncrotin/glucosomine sp? and some anti inflammatories when my one knee was really painful I did PT as well and now ok so far I still get pain but not like before when it was almost impossible to walk My sister had her knee replaced a few days ago I am hoping mine don't wear out I have enough pain dealing with my back and neck all the time I sure wish I knew why some get osteo and others don't I know I hurt my back a few times but everyone does...everyone is a bit overwt too... I envy people my age that seem arthritis free when I am a broken down

I too have had these extremely painful spasms, and have been unable to move for some time immediately afterwards.
Got stuck in the shower once and couldn't even turn it off initially.
My big breakthrough on these spasms and general muscle pain and tightness came from taking high doses of magnesium chloride. You may well be deficient in this mineral and muscle spasms are a sign of it.
You can get tablets, powder and liquid versions. Do some research first as some aren't that good, and there are several different chemical types on sale.
I have found chloride works well for me. Took effect in about a week.

I used to do all that wishing and wondering and envying... didn't do me a dang bit of good—only made me more miserable, and then I wondered why I was so miserable all the time.

Is it working for anyone else?

Doc

I thought I posted to this but don't see it.. I did not know I had OA till my back went into horrific pain getting out of the tub about 10 yrs ago. OA can eat at the pars and cause your vertebrae to slip -this is what happened to me at L3/L4 so my back is unstable. I go into spasms -painful all the time. My body leans to the left when in spasm. I have it in my neck too. I have done PT many many times for pain relief for my back and neck. It is a good idea to keep up with back exercises which I don't but there are reasons for that now. I developed neuropathy as well which I think is from the constant spasms I have had. I am not diabetic.

I just wish our bodies were built better so we do not get these conditions that cause so much pain. OA tends to affect woman more than men. When I was younger, I sure wish dr would have said don't lift things and hurt yourself which we all do. Watch this and do that to at least try and prevent this...but no dr tells you about any of this till you have it. Until then you are not even aware these things exist. I envy people that don't end up with all these conditions.