Anyone ride horses with an SCS implant???
 

Hi there, I'm new to this site. I had 2 SCS implant trials before finally having the permanent implant surgery on December 16, 2009. I have been dealing with chronic pain since 2001 as a result of scarring and lymphedema from cancer surgeries and from degenerative joint disease of the sacro-illiac joint.

Prior to my scs implant I'd tried most of the pain medications available as well as having gone through 2 experimental treatments (dextromethorphan and ketamine injections).

Since having the implant, my djd pain has been reduced by about 70% but it has not helped my lymphedema pain at all. I continue to take Dilaudid and norco for pain as well as using lidoderm patches.

As I'm at 4 months post-implant, I've started back to some of my normal routines but continue to watch how much weight I'm lifting. One of my unanswered questions regarding this implant is if I'll ever be able to ride horses again. Horses are a huge part of my life and I initially turned down having the implant after my first trial because the implant would interfere too much with caring for my animals. The past 4 months have been very trying as I've not been able to care for my animals ( I have 2 horses, 3 dogs, 4 ducks, a chicken, 6 parakeets, and 2 tanks of fish!) My poor mother has been having to care for the animals for me.

If anyone knows anyone with an SCS implant who has horses, I would love to hear how they are managing their horses and if they are able to ride with their implant.

Excellent Question ! !
 

WELCOME HICKTOMBOY ! !

From one horse lover to another !! :hug:

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That is an excellent question!!
I have 6 horses and have faith that YES we will ride again!
I've only had my SCS (for bilateral leg pain) for 6 wks now, so it's a bit soon for me to get too excited about it just yet.....
BUT! I will ask my Dr at my next visit in 2 wks.

I would assume, if we have rather 'temperamental' horses, it should be ok.
Let me know what feedback your Dr is giving you on this issue ok!
We can compare notes!

SO GLAD you found this wonderful forum!
I'll be anxious to get to know more about you!
.......I'm a 'hicktomboy' myself....:rolleyes: and PROUD of it!!

We'll be in touch!
TTYS
Rae
:hug:

I hope you both can ride again..:grouphug:

I think if the horses are well trained, calm and smooth gaited, and if you start slowly...things should be OK.

as you most likely are out of riding condition..
slow and easy take your time..

Of course run it by the dr to get his input.

I think the main obstacle would be the overall temperament of the horses in question.
are they calm and mellow?

Hi Hicktomboy
 

Hi Hicktomboy. Glad you came on this site, there are an awesome bunch of people here :)

I have met one of Hicktomboy's horses, Cyrano, he was such a dude - Hicktomboy was one of the kind owners that leant their horses for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, and I had the honour of riding Cyrano. I havent met Hicktomboy since but we keep in regular contact through the computer world. :hug:

Hicktomboy I hope you find the answers you need in this site. It's great being on here with you (I visit the RSD site) and hope we meet again soon. Im trying really hard to get to the WEG - its a long road but Im working at it!! How far are you from Kentucky?

I really hope both you and Rrae get to ride again, hold onto that dream, horses are great healers and I swear they just know when you need that little bit extra care. For me, if I am unable to ride, I just smell them - non horsey people think I am mad but you two will understand!!!;)

Take care and keep strong my thoughts are with you xo:):grouphug:

WELL WELL WELL ! Looks Like we have a little 'Horse Club" here!
 

Hoooorayy! i LOVE horse talk !

And to be quite honest, my horses are mostly just 'pasture pets'.....it's not like I've ridden in any derby's or anything ! :rolleyes:

And 2Claws, I had to laugh (about the 'smelling' the horses bit) ! :p
I KNOW what you mean!!! I LOVE the way horses smell!

So, if I actually ever ride again or not......at least i have that 'special' time I can spend just sitting with them while they eat (I also love the sound they make when they eat......chomp chomp chomp......it's soothing!)
SO! If people think YOU are 'crazy' then, I'm right there with ya!

And YES! Horses DO 'know' when we need a 'hug'........
On several occasions, when I was particularly 'down', I'd go out to the pasture to just sit, cry, see the sunset...... well, the times when I'd break down crying......my precious 'Dillon' and "Lucky" would come over to me and just stand there and rest there big ol' muzzle on my shoulder ....or the top of my head...... innit sweeet?!

I'll be happy to at least be able to still take care of them, brush them, talk to them.......
Thanks guys for the horse chat :hug:

Here's hoping for pain free days! :grouphug:

....Rae

LOL cool, I know just what you mean too.

I have a bratty mare - got when she 4.5 mos old - too soon I think, but the price was right and the people needed to sell her.

messed up and gave her 4th cutting alfalfa for a short time and she went a little nuts or maybe she was a bit nuts anyway they had named her Sassy and it does fit.

she's hyper sensitive and reactionary - very soft in the mouth and responsive that way but the few times I have been on her she's bucked me off, and my dh..
{I have chronic RSI/TOS & mild c spine osteos}
anyway a little nervous about getting tossed again, I started saddling her again this last summer - oh she's she's 18 this year!:o:eek:

But I can see her out the window and mess with her, hehe yes, smell her too nothing like the smell of a horse...
even when they are wet they don't stink like dogs do -- what's up with that LOL

I'll toss up a pic of my brat.

Boy did I define Duh
 

Oh gosh hicktomboy, I am so sorry I stepped into some of that pasture stuff I used to find on my grandparents' farm with my post to Cold Feet B4 Surgery..... I did not realize you are trying to find out whether riding is OK post implant. Reading only there and not in your full range of posts I wrote out of context about riding.

Even so, since I have ridden much and understand your yearning to return to the saddle where you can lean forward and nuzzle your friends, I do SO HOPE your Doc will give you good advice on this concern! Now as for me, well.... just chalk one up for my exquisite ability from time to time to define the word DUH with my goings on.

One who hopes the best for you and your horses,
Mark56 :)

Shucks Mark.....
 

....Sometimes i think you're just a little too hard on yourself! :p


Jo*Mar ! What a beauty! (..so is your horse....:p ) :D
I think i watch too much Craig Ferguson......


P.S. I've read somewhere that the two best ways to strengthen our BACK
Muscles, are swimming AND.....HORSEback riding!!! :Cowgirl:


I reckon we still need to get the 'ok' from our Doctor, tho :)

Gee thanks Rae
 

Thank you, Rae- Naw, not doing the many lashes routine, just understanding sometimes the pasture has surprises in it. :winky: Gosh, :D Mark56

I was actually riding up until a few months before my implant surgery in December...and (thankfully) I'm one of those lucky people who can go for extended periods of time without riding and just jump back on and my muscles all agree with it with no griping and remember exactly what they are supposed to do on a horse!

2Claws, Cyrano turned 30 last month!!! I can't believe my boy is that old and with his size..I'm so amazed that he's lived as long as he has! I've been thinking about getting a harness and cart so that I can drive my mare again..she's been retired for a long time..but she's a trooper and will put up with anything I ask her to do.


Rrae - Boston Scientific, the company who made my implant refuses to give any advice on riding..which I find extremely annoying...my doctor originally said that he didn't think I'd be able to ride again ( that was before my first trial) but has since said that I MAY be able to ride again, but no jumping :( and absolutely no buckers (hmmm...can someone tell me if there is a way to tell a horse that it absolutely can't buck LOL) I told him that I'd give it exactly 1 year for my implant to scar in then I'm getting back on regardless.


My pain levels have always been much less when I was actively riding on a regular basis so if it gets down to the choice of never riding again and having only 1 of my pains reduced...or riding whenever I want and having all of my pains minimally reduced from the riding...I think I'm going to have the implant pulled and just go back to dealing with it.

I have severe pain in my right leg from lymphedema, pain in my left hip & groin from lymph node dissection surgery that has major scar tissue build up, pain in my left sacro-illiac joint due to degenerative joint disease that was created from improper gait due to uncontrolled pain (oh joy). Originally we had high hopes that the SCS implant would control about 70% of my pain..but sadly, it has only controlled about 70% of the sacro-illiac pain and about 20% of the hip/groin pain. It has done nothing for the left leg which to be honest, was the pain that I wanted gone the most because the alternative treatments I've been getting (RFAs and nerve blocks) aren't working anymore and the SCS was my last ditch attempt to try to control the pain.

I am only at 4 months post op though so I'm still crossing my fingers that things will get better over time and I'm going to go in yet again for an adjustment. I'm hoping they can find at least one new program that might help with the leg pain.

Hey Hicktomboy
 

Just throwin this out there......
Taking into consideration that you have several seperate pain issues and only a percentage of them are being addressed with the SCS, has anyone ran the idea of the Pain Pump by you?

We have a wonderful horse lover here who's been thru the ringer with 2 failed SCS's and finally she found a Dr willing to do the Pain Pump....and she says it has completely changed her life and is almost ready to ride again ....for the first time in 5 years! Her screen name is "LostMary", so if you can seek out her posts, she could give you a pretty good run down....
Thing is, we hardly hear of the PP's because most Dr's don't want to make that long-term commitment with the patient Re: refilling the meds.

I think once your post count here reaches 20, you'll have access to being able to send private messages and other features......

Just wondered what your opinion is or what you've heard Re: the Pain Pumps.....

And yes, I think that stinks that the one Dr told you NOT to ever ride again!
Sure it's a 'risk'.......but so is driving to all these @#$% Dr Visits we must endure!! :rolleyes: ANYthing can happen, but you are obviously an avid and experienced rider, so you should get a bit more respect from your Dr.

I am so grateful that you've latched on to this forum! This SCS/PP forum was just recently created 2 months ago and I'm simply blown away by how quickly it has grown by leaps and bounds. I'm not exaggerating when I say that at least 1 or 2 new members comes here EACH day asking about these units!!
PLEASE keep your thread updated, so we can 'follow' you along with this journey we all share! We truly NEED each other's stories/info/and support.

Your input is VERY valuable!
Rae
:hug:

what you have to worry about is the leads coming out or loose from movement any kind of movement. i was warned many times about falling on the ice and having to come in and do another procedure to put the wires back in place.

it would be difficult to know how fast you scar up cuz there isnt a test for that. at 4 months my wires were scarred in but the doctors said they tell everyone a year to be safe. once scarred in it will make it tougher for the wires to come out.

did you have a paddle put in or just leads cuz a paddle is sewn in. they put a hole(lamenectomy)in your vertebra to help make sure it stays in place.

placement where your leads/paddle are will make a difference too. some places in the body are better protected(more secure).

i dont think any of the 3 scs company's would ok horse riding. this covers their butt. i think the 3 company's will pass that to the doctor and have him/her give the ok to ride. just remember every time they open you up it is one more chance for infection to happen which is by far the biggest complication during/after scs surgery.

hi all,

I'm back. I was just stopping in before I stopped for the night. I need to go out and feed the horses and put them up before bed. It was great to see this thread. You all know me. My horses are my reason for being. I was told that with the scs you can't ride as you could pull the leads out. I do know that Metronics ( who has the pain pump that I have), allow it. In fact, their book that they put out for patients to read before the implant, talks about a patient who is now back to riding. I'm hoping to get back on my boys within the next 2 weekends or so. I'm so excited. I'm back to doing all the barn chores, grooming, shedding the hairy things out, lol, tractor riding, dragging pastures. I've also planted my garden for this year, and I've been weed eating and rakeing things up to have the area look better. Did I mention how great I'm feeling. I'm still sore when the pump was implanted, but I understand that can take a while to lose its sensativity. I got a pair of riding pants a size larger so I can wear them and not irritate the pump. I'm so happy with this decision. I'm even getting ready to go back to work part time. I don't want fulll time because it would take time away from my animals. all the cats, dogs, and horses really need a lot of my time. I've got to go, I can hear Renny calling wanting his beet pulp so he can go to bed. I'll check back in tomorrow and post some more. I'm not forgetting you all. You are all my family.

Hugs
Mary

Both my pain management specialist and I decided against the pain pump because with horses you just never know what will happen and the thought of getting kicked where the pain pump rests isn't a great thought! I'd much rather take the chance of pulling my leads. I am also allergic to morphine and morphine derivatives so that limits me for a pain pump. The SCS was my last ditch effort on controlling pain.

I'm 2 days shy of 18 weeks post-op and the past 2 weeks have been not so spiffy..I'm back to taking 3-4 dilaudids a day and still having pain even with the meds. I'm going to call my rep on Monday and see if he can reprogram my unit again.

On a good note...I'm back in the barn taking care of my own ponies :) I still can't move hay or grain..but I can groom and feed. I'm hoping I can start massaging again..my mare (she's 26) has been a bit stiff lately and could really use regular massages again.

I've been considering getting a jog cart and harness so that I can start driving my mare in the event that I can't ride..its been years since I drove her but she used to do very well under harness so its still an option for me.

Thanks for the update HTB! :)
 

It's good to know that your doctors are looking out for your best interests.....
and don't give up Re: the re-programming........I've been learning more about how they do those program sessions and there are SOO many different programs! It's just a matter of good communicating and finding the right targets!
Here's a case in point: Most of the Reps simply don't 'know' how your stimulation is feeling......they are well-trained at HOW to program, yet they cannot 'feel' what they are doing...but if we can gain better insight as to exactly what to communicate, it would help us in gaining success to having the programs that will target the right coverage.....
It's a case of us and the Reps being at each other's mercy....

As we know, the leads are anchored to the fascia deep within the muscle.
Alot of the Reps (especially the newer ones) tend to drive the signal as deep as possible thinking it is a better way to target the stimulation to the nerve fibers...... what this does in some cases is cause muscle spasms and more of a 'pin-pointed' stimulation.
If the patient were more 'clear' on things like this, we'd be able to communicate that perhaps if the signal wasn't driven so deep, it could allow the coverage to be more spread out via 'crosstalk', which could give a more diffused stimulation and far more comfortable ......AND consumes less juice from the battery! By 'crosstalk', I'm referring to dual leads.......some programs might be using shared electrodes, or set up individually......

.......:rolleyes: i guess the point I'm driving at is ......I'm discovering that there are a gazillion factors involved with the program sessions. Those Reps have to do their best to narrow down the few customized ones to fit our different needs.
Sooo....:o don't lose hope.....if it takes 20 sessions, we'll gitterdone.....we've come THIS far with the process!

Another tip: ALWAYS make sure your IPG is at full charge when you go to the re-program sessions.

Here's praying for better 'tweek' sessions for us all ! :grouphug:


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You hit the nail on the head abour Reps not understanding our pain(how it feels, location, etc..). Too bad the Reps couldnt go thru a trial for themselves or better yet learn how to communicate with their patient's better. the Rep forgets we just got out of surgery and are flared up and on tons of meds for pain from crps and surgery.

Some day a Rep will have a stim put in and then hopefully they will write the manuel on how to ask questions and how to get the answers they want to hear out of their patients.