Ok. As some of you may be aware I have been omg sooooo poorly for nearly a month after severe back pain put me on morphine. I have spent much of that time lying down, although every day, even on the worst days, I have got up as often as I can and had a little walk about.

I went through morphine hell in all sorts of ways much of it because of yet more GP failings, and then came out through Morphine Hell part II - The Withdrawal. I had the shakes, body temperature all over the place, I was very sick, couldn't keep anything down, had monstrous diahorrea, etc. The whole bag of tricks. I don't remember a lot of the last few weeks.

I'm finally feeling a bit more like myself, but I'm very weak. I went downstairs this morning, out of sheer defiance (hadn't been downstairs for weeks), and had to really hang on to everything. When I went to go back upstairs, I did my usual, and put my CRPS leg up first. Nothing. Nada. Squat. No response from my leg at all, it was so weird. I went slowly back up, leading with my 'good' leg, and am now predictably exhausted. It's scary how weak I feel.

I have a scan on Tueeday to check my lumbar spine for anything - the doc I saw thought I had slipped a disc - but my back, apart from feeling a bit unstable, isn't actually doing too badly. I'm trying to stay straight and not sit crookedly, etc.

I'm really looking for some good advice about starting gentle stretching and exercise to start recuperating from this time, and building back some of the strength I've lost. Before this time, I was doing ok, but not doing much by way of cardio. On reflection I didn't have good core strength, although I had good ROM. My CRPS is all in my left side, particularly my leg and both feet. I have PFOA in both knees.

I'm watching my diet and eating healthily, and I'm going to start taking some vitamin D for my immune system. It's sunny today, and my target is to get out into it, even if it's just onto the front step lol.

Ay ideas really really welcome and thank you in advance!!

Bram.

Welcome back Bram! I know absolutely nothing about exercising, I'm afraid. I think getting outside sounds like a great idea if you can manage it. A bit of fresh and sunshine will do you a world of good.

Kim

So sorry you have been going through all this.

I wouldn't really worry to much about core specific strengthening until you get to the root of your problem or you might just light it up even further.

From personal experience of being stuck in a hospital bed for 6 weeks after my accident I can attest that just by walking and targeted isometrics that you will quickly gain those muscles back even though they feel so weak right now. Doing the isometrics is important because muscles actually have memory so doing them will help you anytime pain keeps you down especially for the large muscles of the leg/butt/thigh. For your abdomen you can do something as simple as tightening and pulling in your belly button toward your spine, hold it for a second and release, then repeat. Doing that either sitting or lying down will help a great deal.

You might find that B12 along with Vit. D3 will improve your energy levels. Another thing that would help is massaging your (in places that you can) to rid your muscles from lactic acid buildup which can happen if you are mostly immobile - that lactic acid can cause fatigue, muscle cramping and weakness. A rolling pin is an easy tool to use for this purpose, simply roll your muscles and if you find painful trigger areas try to work them out by light pressure and gentle massage.

I was curious if there was a reason your GP put you on such a strong narcotic for your slipped disc to begin with? I ask because at least here in the US that wouldn't necessarily be the first choice for that type of pain and also for someone who doesn't take pain meds often.

I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks Kim and zook,

In answer to your question zookester, I haven't got a clue. The callout GP originally gave me the morphine because I was in such pain and throwing up all the time, which was aggravating my back pain and meant I couldn't keep any meds down. I think then the GP at my surgery then decided to continue on oramorph because it was something I'd had before in hospital and tolerated, and was gentler on my stomach than pills, which my system seems to be rejecting more and more...

Once I've had my scan and got some answers, I'll certainly be asking them several questions about my treatment. Then I'll start looking for a new surgery.

Bram.

Addition: I got on the scales this morning, and in these few weeks I've lost a stone in weight. I only wish i could have lost that stone in a longer period without all the grief and pain... Shame such a lot of it is muscle!

Hi Ladies

I think for a slipped disc without any other factors, you probably wouldn't get morphine here. My husband had two slipped discs a few years ago and he was given co-codamol (Americans, think Tylenol 3). I imagine the morphine was chosen after consideration of all of the other factors (other pain, intolerance of other meds, etc). Of course, whether or not it was the best possible choice is not something upon which I could comment as that is a matter for the patient and doctors who, hopefully, have all of the information.

Kim

Hi Bram,

Gosh I am so sorry about what you’ve been going through but glad that you are making some progress for the better! If you have herniated a disc, that can be SO VERY PAINFUL and take quite a while to heal, and sometimes may never fully without additional help or procedures. Dealing with your spine is precarious at best. PLEASE remember that you are dealing with an extension of your brain. Look for someone to help you with your spine no differently than you would shop for a brain surgeon… please. I have had spinal issues since I was about 12. I get nervous making recommendations not fully knowing what’s wrong, but here goes… if you can lie on your back and pull your knees to your chest this will help open the vertebrae up and relieve any compression (hopefully). Also, if you have a yoga ball, bounce on that. This will help bring blood into the disc. Zook also gave some good tips.

By the way, If you have severe pain running down the sciatica in your leg, get this checked out immediately Bram. If you have incontinence, again, get to the doc like yesterday. Back pain can be excruciating. I am so sorry hon. I hope you continue to improve!!

Ps.. Kim… you CRACK ME UP (exercise)!! Lol Hi Zook!

I don't know anything about a slipped disc and what you should do about that...but I can tell you about some of the exercises I did when I was stuck in a wheel chair for almost a year and couldn't stand or walk at all. You may be past some of these...but they were really good for helping me push myself but in a controlled way.

1. Started with chair push ups to strengthen my arms. You sit in the chair and just push up on your arms to raise you butt up off the seat, hold for 5 seconds, then down again. Needed to strengthen my arms (which also had RSD) so that I could hold myself up when I got to the standing part.

2. Heel and ankle raises while seated and drawing the alphabet in the air with my feet. Just getting used to moving my ankle in a purposeful way was important. I had to focus on deliberate movements and get control of my RSD limbs again.

3. Graduated to standing at the counter. I would sit in a chair in front of the counter and then stand at it (first using my hands to support me and gradually moving to hands at my sides). I started in a corner and would do 5 seconds at a time (you're probably way past that) and moved up to a couple minutes.

4. Then it was marching in the corner and leg lifts in the corner and standing on one foot in the corner. All of these holding on first and then without holding on.

5. Standing in front of the sink and reaching toward the window (or wall I guess), alternating arms and doing it 10 times with each arm (then 20, then 30, etc). This helps to regain balance and getting used to weight shifts on your feet.

6. Then I did walking along the counter in the kitchen holding on with one hand. Then we kicked it up a notch with grape vining my feet (cross overs I guess is the best way to describe this) as I walked. We tried skipping...but I have never been able to do this as the pain is too severe.

7. Then it was laps around the dining room with my walker. First for 5 minutes, then 10, then 15, etc until I was up to over an hour. Yeah...boring as heck...walking in circles around the dining room for an hour...but I got a good playlist on my iPod for it (oldies music from the 50s and 60s starting with...wait for it...Walk Like a Man).

This took over 6 months to get me this far...but you are probably in better shape that I started out because I couldn't stand or walk at all. I hope some of that helps you...just make sure that whatever you do...you are safe. That's why all of this was done by a counter that I could hold on to...need to be safe.