Quote:
Originally Posted by Phalanx
L2 and L3 if that means anything to anyone
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That means 'Lumbar 2 and Lumbar 3'...The spine is labeled in 3 separate parts:
Cervical - Those are the vertebrae in the neck, from the base of the skull, to the shoulders
Thoracic - From the shoulders, to just below the waist
Lumbar - From below the waist, to the tailbone (Sacrum)
Each individual vertebra is numbered, from bottom to top...So, Lumbar 2 and 3 are the second and third vertebra in the lower back
Lumbar injuries cause the most problems and pain because that's the part of the back where we carry the most weight when we're standing upright, and that's the part that gets pulled on the most when we bend over...It's also more difficult for this part of the back to heal BECAUSE it's used so much
I'm sure that by now the doctors have explained all of this to you, I'm just laying it out here to let you know that I know what you're going through (and to inform our other members if they're curious)...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spallalala
If you guys know of any stretches or any advice you can throw at me it would be appreciated.
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Anna, you're really going to have to take it easy for quite a while, I wouldn't try 'stretching' just yet (you should be able to tell when it's the right time, when there's the least amount of pain and potential disk slippage)...There's not really much that they can do for these types of injuries...If you haven't tried walking up and down any stairs yet, I'll tell ya right now, that's gonna be a major bitch (It's because of the way the weight is distributed kinda crooked on the lower back when you step up or down and one foot is higher than the other)...I feel for ya, I really do
Daily Calcium supplements will help to strengthen the bones, you may wanna try that especially since you're female (females generally start to 'lose' calcium as they get older, over 25...It can lead to osteoporosis, so it's really not a bad idea to take Calcium supplements even if you hadn't injured your back)
If it's possible for you to lose weight, or if that's something you might considered doing, that would help a LOT for the pain because it would put much less stress and pressure on your lower back while standing AND bending over...That would give Cheeba more things to experiment with, low fat, low calorie dishes that taste awesome and are filling :)
If you DO need to bend over for something (like picking something up off the floor) you should SQUAT, not BEND...That will help to take the stress off of your back, too and help to keep the lower vertebrae from slipping...And you shouldn't attempt to lift anything heavy for a VERY long time
You'll most likely develop arthritis in these bones (it happens once they've been injured) and rain and cold will REALLY fuck with it...But, that shouldn't be for at least a couple years...Usually when the vertebrae are injured, the cartilage in between the bones is injured too and can erode over time, causing the bones to rub together in spots and sometimes pinching nerves (which can cause numbness, tingling, pain, and sometimes immobility)...So, please be ALWAYS aware of your lower back and what you're doing to/with it
Getting out of bed after you've slept (or just laid still) for a while, will be a bit difficult because the area can stiffen up from immobility...But, after getting up and around for a bit, it should ease up
You'll also have swelling in that area from time to time, which makes a sore, tender "lump"...That's to let you know when you've overdone it, and it can also happen if you've just slept on it wrong, slipped it or twisted it...Lightly massaging it (when it isn't too sore to touch) can help loosen it up and ease the pain...Laying in a hot tub of water can help for the pain, but a cold compress can help ease the swelling (but usually makes it hurt more :()...I guess it's kinda your choice on that one
I feel so very bad for you...I know what kind of a bitch this is
*comes from a family with a long history of back problems....and was also a stellar anatomy student (for what that's worth :p)*
My best to you, Anna