Weather and Pain

A heating pad is my best friend Vegas Dave, works in any kind of weather or pain!!

I hear you BigKahuna, but there are times when I have overdone something that I will use ice to try and calm the muscles down. Then you put on the heating pad to warm things back up and keep the blood flowing.

I live way down in South Louisiana so it doesn't get too cold here but the weather changes often and that can set me to hurting so bad I can hardly move some days. In winter I tend to stay on a heating pad as much as possible. For the rainy days it's usually 800mg Ibuprofen, Flexeril, and a whole lot of prayer. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't… some days it's a whole lot of grin and bear it.

That is what I have to do. It can be frustrating that it can be so hit or miss. Even some rainy days are OK, where some are horrible. The tough thing for me is that as I get older, even the rainy days in the summer are tough sometimes, and that never use to be the case.

Yeah I understand that. I may not be very old but rainy days even in summer hit me too… I feel much older than I actually am most of the time. I Snap crackle and pop more than Rice crispies!

I know the feeling, I use to really enjoy the rain in the warmer months, but it has started to bother me as well. Funny thing is I really like the rain. Sometimes it even hurts when it doesn't rain but is just threatening. That is the worst, I don't even get a little rain out of the deal.

see my recent message

I am sorry to hear about your pain.

Dave, again…have you tried Lyrica? Do you have any residual nerve pain? Neuropathy, actually ( I was a surgical tech.) It does help. Also, just plain heat or cold, whichever helps the most and stay active…push thru the pain. You just have to as much as you can. Just little by little. If you just sit, it makes it worse. Do something for as long as you can stand it, then rest for a bit and get back up. Take a short nap if needed, stay warn, grit you teeth (Ha) and just get thru the day. I wish there was more I could say..perhaps someone else has something to add. I'm listening, as I'm sure you are. Later, Peggy

thanks, Dave! It helps alot to know that there are others like myself. Most of the time, I feel very isolated. I live in a small town, not so many friends. My husband is the greatest man on the earth, (save the best for last, yes!!),yet I know that he tires of hearing me yammering on. It's only natural, right? I have so many things wrong with my spine, severe scoliosis, severe stenosis, over 100 osteophytes in my lumbar spine, 4 disc fusion with titanium plate in C spine, 1 herniated disc above and 2 herniated discs below fusion. All my lumbar spinal discs have herniated and are now calcified. I am not physically supposed to be able to walk but I do anyway. I have a cane, manual and power wheelchair but never use them. I won't, won't do it because if I do…well, there goes the muscle tone,right? What do you do in regards to the weather change. Ya know, it is actually the barometric pressure that is bearing down upon our bodies. That is what is happenng to us when the weather changes. I'll take any hints that you have! Thanks again for getting back to me. It does matter!!!! See ya! Oh by the way, this is a genetic condition, not due to an accident. It started when I was only 46.

Hello, thank you for this information, I throught I was the only one with these problems for years and just taking medication to easy the pain,the hot help for a while, then ice for a while. the cold and rain kills me. I am going to get that rub.

I would try everything you can. You never know what is going to work.

I remember well my doctor told me 15 years ago that once you start to fuse discs you may never stop. When I was reading you post I thought about that conversation. It is a little frightening that you have herniations on both sides of your fusion. That in addition is a lot to handle. I agree that you do have to keep moving. I have a tread mill that I walk on most nights for about 30 minutes. I have found that the thing that helps me the most is a sauna. I love to go in there and get a nice wet heat built and just let it help relax the muscles in my back. I normally do it right after I exercise so it helps to cool me down as well. I will admist that there are days that nothing works and so I just do the best I can and take more meds than I would like. I am lucky that I have a pretty good bed although it is wearing out (off brand Tempurpedic). It helps to have a good mattress to rest on.

thanks for this help, i will try the sauna, cannot walk on the tread yet, had four knee surgerys and foot, still cannot walk or sit with these nerves to

I think a good sauna might be the trick.

Well, it's heating pad for me, also. I bought braces for my knees to keep them warm. Last winter in PA was cold! I also have Cryoglobulinemia which means when I get cold, my blood clots and inflames my veins and nerve endings. There isn't anything to do for this but stay where it's warm. I was thinking about moving, but since you live where it's warm and still in pain there is no sense to that.

Also, make a trip to Walmart and go where they sell the menthol rubs and get 'Blu Goo'. It's about 5 bucks a jar and contains little mentol but has emu oil. It doesn't smell bad or burn your skin. It contains Vitamin E so it makes your skin soft. It's kinda a jell and is quickly absorbed into your skin like the antiseptic hand cleaners. I would work for this company if I could! I keep extra jars on hand and supply some of my neighbors who can't get out to buy a jar.

Yep, it is the barometric pressure that starts it. Low pressure also has an affect on my hearing. Face it. I'm a walking Weather Channel.

Thanks for the info on Bul Goo, I will get some today. Vitamin E oil can only be good for you anyway. When you think about moving, just remember we only have cold weather for about 3 months of the year and then it is usually mild or hot. We get snow about every 3rd year an it only lasts for a day or two. Most of the winter is dry and cold to me is anything below 50 degrees.

Recently moved to Vegas and experienced unbearable
Sciatica and lumbar pain before a rain storm. 2 Aleve
Gel caps and a hot shower and application the Salon Pas
Hot with capsaicin 30 min after the shower eased the
Pain to a 5 out of 10 from a 8 to 9 out of 10 pain scale.
Reclining in a shiatsu massage chair also helped. Sitting
in a chair was impossible due to the pain but walking with
A back brace in the home on carpeted areas eased the stiffness.
Hope this helps you.
A