Injuries

[Barb]

Post up your recent or not so recent injuries and how you handled them as a tool for others.  I just found out I have severe degenerative disk disease (as seen on xray).  Going for my MRI today.  I am now realizing that all the bullshit injuries I have dealt with over the years (hip, knee, foot, shoulder) have stemmed from my bum back.  I have had back problems ever since high school but back then I don't remember my parents being overly concerned.  I have had scans over the years but nothing showed up of note.  

 

I started hitting all the body work hard the last 6 months or so (massage, chiropractic, myofascial release etc).  All these things took the edge off but that's about it.  Over the summer I have been struggling with the pain a lot.  A 10 mile hike really screws me up for the better part of a week.  

 

There is a place in the area that pioneered using stem cells for pain management.  I really do not want surgery so after my MRI comes back I am going to make an appt with them and see what they have to say.  They take your bone marrow and separate the stem cells, then inject them into the pain site.  Anyone have experience with this?

[Shadows]

Stem cell stuff seems way ineteresting. Go for it.

 

Ive never been injured cause im the best skier on the mountain.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I haven't had any beyond minor stuff like sprains and a broken toe...

 

You mentioned various research. Several cancer researchers have been close to a cure and have made major headway and you wanna know what happened to them? They were murdered? The pharmaceutical industry doesn't want a cure for cancer which sickens me.

 

http://www.anonews.co/doctors-who-discovered-cancer-enzymes-found-dead/

Stem cell stuff seems way ineteresting. Go for it.

Ive never been injured cause im the best skier on the mountain.

Shadows weren't you badly injured at camelback and Whistler?

[moe ghoul]

I got a stress fracture in my left foot from boot packing up Madonna and Sterling last winter, it took a while to heal and I wear footwear from the Walking Company for added support: a pair of flip flops and a pair of sandals. Birkenstocks still rock for foot comfort as well. Otherwise, I've been fortunate to not have anything chronic going on. Not much to do for stress fractures other than keeping the weight off the foot, good supportive footwear and lotsa Aleve. Took about 4 months until I was basically pain free.

[enjoralas]

I swear I live the most charmed life, medically. I'm grossly overweight, 280+ more a 5'9" frame puts my Body Mass Index at, like, "Gravy" or some ridiculous shit. I haven't seen a doctor in about 15 years, and that was only cause I caught the Strep and it was like 10 years before that. I eat the crappiest food and mainline Mt Dew during my workday, I eat more red meat than a T-Rex. At almost 40 years old I decided to take up downhill skiing and took a learn to ski lesson then decided eff it, I'll just point then down the hill and see what happens. I've never had a real injury, and no chronic illnesses. At least, none that are diagnosed. I suppose I should swing by Lowes tomorrow and knock on every piece of wood in the Indoor Lumberyard. I figure I'll probably coast along like this for another decade or so and probably have a massively coronary bending over to tie my shoelaces or something.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I swear I live the most charmed life, medically. I'm grossly overweight, 280+ more a 5'9" frame puts my Body Mass Index at, like, "Gravy" or some ridiculous shit. I haven't seen a doctor in about 15 years, and that was only cause I caught the Strep and it was like 10 years before that. I eat the crappiest food and mainline Mt Dew during my workday, I eat more red meat than a T-Rex. At almost 40 years old I decided to take up downhill skiing and took a learn to ski lesson then decided eff it, I'll just point then down the hill and see what happens. I've never had a real injury, and no chronic illnesses. At least, none that are diagnosed. I suppose I should swing by Lowes tomorrow and knock on every piece of wood in the Indoor Lumberyard. I figure I'll probably coast along like this for another decade or so and probably have a massively coronary bending over to tie my shoelaces or something.

I'm surprised your wife hasn't made you go to a doctor or go on a diet. You ski moguls yet!???

[bjakeski]

Hi Barb,

I was diagnosed with disc disease many years ago.  At the time i was still working in a cardiac cath lab, with a rad tech degree, and had access to all the medical professionals who might have a path to helping the issue.  I did go the chiropractic route at first and it had positive results.  At the time i was living next door to my chiropractor and we spoke often both in and out of his office.  The thing he suggested, that had the greatest healing effect was to do things that helped my spine to stretch out in order to relieve the impingement of nerves through the rather tiny spaces where they exit the vertebral bodies.  The two things i attempted daily were lat pull downs, i have a Bowflex i used for that, and anything where my legs would hang free.  That was done on either a chin bar, doing pull ups, or simply hanging, supporting myself on my elbows and forearms, on a dip bar.  The other thing i tried, and have continued for the last 20 years, is daily omega 3 via fish oil capsules.  They have worked for me.  No one who has not had pain from disc disease can understand what it is like.  I would be laid up several times a year because i turned or bent the wrong way.  I ski and play golf, and neither were possible with how i would feel for 3-4 weeks at a time.  Since then it seems like i  gained control of the issue, with the above interventions, My down time has become much less frequent and shorter in duration.  I hope some of this helps.  Good Luck!

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

bjakeski welcome to PASR

[Shadows]

So decompression?

See a chiro, get hung upside down and what not

[RidgeRacer]

Barb stay strong. Wishing you all the best and hoping you get past it really quickly.

Edited September 5, 2016 by RidgeRacer

[Ride Delaware ?]

I had my first "major" injury in 2008 when I had an MCL tear in my right knee from pre Thanksgiving snowboarding at SR. We road tripped up there and there were about 30 trails open pre T-Day. They were making some wet snow and I hit a patch and wiped. My knee twisted, and I flipped over and ate it hard. The next day it snowed 18" at the Loaf and despite not being able to bend my knee, I went anyway. Did some online research and hit the gym hard. I dropped about 20 lbs and strengthened the knee. Still had some minor knee pain, but by the time I went and got an MRI, the knee was basically healed and pain free.

 

In early 2013 while working at SR, I flew into a tree and partially tore my achilles and the ligaments in the outside of my ankle. I was taken off snow for two weeks and put in extensive PT. That ankle was sore for close to a year before the inflammation and pain went away.

 

Last year I partially tore my posterior tibial tendon while in the ocean. I got slammed hard but landed on my feet. Heard a pop. I was put in some extensive PT for that, but the ankle never seemed to fully heal. I still have joint inflammation in the outside, and sporadic swelling/pain/tightness around the tendon when it gets extensive use. It has really flared up since my backpacking trip. I am looking at seeing the doctor after snowboard season if it continues on this way.

 

When I was 25, I also tore both of my quads playing softball. I played a Tuesday/Thursday set in one week, and my quads still had that "day after soreness" on Thursday. I stretched, but it wasn't enough. I hit a ball to the fence, broke out of the batters box, and they both locked up. The left was worse than the right. It bruised down my entire inner thigh for two weeks. Yellow/black/blue. I've never had a non impact bruise before then. I stretched a lot, drank lots of protein, and made sure to do lots of muscle strengthening. I haven't noticed any issues except my quads are always really tight and they sometimes twinge when I do leg lifts.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Ride Delaware ?

[Barb]

Bjakeski thanks a lot for the info. My back was seizing up a lot a while back and I started really concentrating on strengthening the muscles around it and also all the gluteus muscles. Lots of one legged squats, step ups (done as slow as possible), back extensions etc.

 

I like the theory of extension of the back and will keep that in mind on future gym workouts.

 

Welcome to PASR!

 

 

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[moe ghoul]

I swear I live the most charmed life, medically. I'm grossly overweight, 280+ more a 5'9" frame puts my Body Mass Index at, like, "Gravy" or some ridiculous shit. I haven't seen a doctor in about 15 years, and that was only cause I caught the Strep and it was like 10 years before that. I eat the crappiest food and mainline Mt Dew during my workday, I eat more red meat than a T-Rex. At almost 40 years old I decided to take up downhill skiing and took a learn to ski lesson then decided eff it, I'll just point then down the hill and see what happens. I've never had a real injury, and no chronic illnesses. At least, none that are diagnosed. I suppose I should swing by Lowes tomorrow and knock on every piece of wood in the Indoor Lumberyard. I figure I'll probably coast along like this for another decade or so and probably have a massively coronary bending over to tie my shoelaces or something.

You, me, GSS and Phillycore should take the sixpack up together, (well it would be a 4 pack with us) and we could test the weight limit of the chair. If there was a lift problem, they'd have to bring in a crane to rescue us.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

You, me, GSS and Phillycore should take the sixpack up together, (well it would be a 4 pack with us) and we could test the weight limit of the chair. If there was a lift problem, they'd have to bring in a crane to rescue us.

I love sitting between Moe Ghoul and Phillycore. Very intimate.

[guitar73]

my dad has degenerative disc disease and had three or four lower back vertebrae destroyed. he had reconstructive surgery 20 plus years ago and he did not take care of himself at all. He used to be a very strong guy, but he's a workaholic and doesn't exercise at all, other than playing golf. He would try to do things that he used to do before his back gave out and overstressed his body. consequently, he is always in pain every day, despite having the reconstructive surgery. 

 

on the flip side, I have a ski buddy from MA. he has degenerative disc disease (to a far lesser degree), had microdiscectomy to do the reconstruction, and he did all the rehab and takes care of himself. he's back to near 100%. 

[RootDKJ]

Fractured talus bone has been a bitch. From January 2014 until just a few months ago, I've been dealing with numerous lingering issues.

 

Months in a walking boot, physical therapy, falling & re-injury, more pt, pain, surgury, then more pt, & meds (some fun, most not).

 

I'm finally at the point where I'm feeling strong enough and active again. I have been riding my bike a lot to get myself ready for ski season. I can feel my reflexes getting sharper & faster when I'm moving fast on single track. That's been the coolest part of recovering so far.

[mbike-ski]

I think most folks here know but I got a new hip about a year and a half ago. prior to the hip replacement i had a lot of back and knee pain resulting from misalignment from the OA in my hip. I got a lot of relief from the inversion table - provided the spinal and pelvic traction / decompression your taliking about. Theyre pretty cheap and only takes a few minutes a day. I would check with your chiro or ortho but it saved my ass until i got the surgery at the end of the season.

 

...oh yea and beerbuprofen and maple whiskey

 

Ive been doing fish oil capsules and glucosomene chondroitin for probably 15 years. when i said to the ortho that those were a bust he replied "who knows, might have bought you another 5 years..."

 

Ive been pain free until about a month or so ago when i seperated my shoulder on the mtb. been doing alot of gravel grinding and some light mtb since and just getting back to speed. beat myself up pretty good this weekend on the sals and bungalow rocks

Edited September 6, 2016 by mbike-ski

[tarponhead]

Bjakeski thanks a lot for the info. My back was seizing up a lot a while back and I started really concentrating on strengthening the muscles around it and also all the gluteus muscles. Lots of one legged squats, step ups (done as slow as possible), back extensions etc.

 

I like the theory of extension of the back and will keep that in mind on future gym workouts.

 

Welcome to PASR!

 

 

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Make sure to add a yoga session or two every week. Crazy how effective that stuff is

[Barb]

I actually did amp up the yoga this summer and go 3-4 times per week.  Effective and gets your head on straight.

[Barb]

I just finally got some encouraging news from my MRI. The damage is limited to one disk L5S1. It is significanly compressed and also bulging. My doc is sending me to PT who specializes in pilates. I have never tried pilates but he thinks if I can learn to control abdominal and pelvic muscles I may be good with just that.

 

If the stem cell people ever call me back I think I will still get a consult with them. Consult covered by insurance, procedure is not.

 

 

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[momskeeztoo]

Pilates is great for core strength. Good luck, hope it helps. Have you considered steroid injections since only one disc is involved?

[Barb]

Thanks. I don't think I want to go for steroids. Trying to stick with a more natural approach.

 

 

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[phillycore]

Barb,

I wish you the best of luck in dealing with your back issue. Never like hearing about things like that especially to good people such as yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Barb]

'Daww. Thanks PC

Edited September 12, 2016 by Barb

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Thanks Phillycore.