Week 13 NFL Games

[supafly]

They are likely giving him steroidal anti inflammatory drugs to relieve the pressure. They should see improvement soon but it takes awhile.

I have spinal stenosis and 3 years ago I suddenly blew out a disc which severely impinged my spine in exactly the same place, C3/C4. I had almost complete numbness but not paralysis from the neck down. They gave me steroidal anti inflammatory drugs and the feeling came back, thankfully, in about 24 hours. Then with the swelling gone I had a C3/C4 fusion surgery 2 or 3 days later.

My rupture wasn't caused by any violent injury, so I can image the swelling and impingement that he is experiencing is worse.

If there's no nerve damage and if he needs fusion surgery for stabilization, the recovery is several (6-9?) months and he MAY be cleared for athletic activity. In my case, with stenosis (narrow spine), if I had been an athlete I would have had to retire.

Here's hoping for good news, soon.

Same deal with me, but in the lower portion of the back at L4-L5. The steroid epidurals were the only thing that would allow me the ability to walk again, at least for more than 60 secs at a time. I eventually had the decompression and diskectomy surgery, which has taken about 60% of the sciatica away.

What do you do for exercise with the stenosis? They won’t allow me to do much of anything, so I’m sitting around and getting rusty in my early 40s, which is tough. Recumbent exercise bike and swimming were the only options given to me. Do you take any medications or supplements that slow down the stenosis at all? Just curious. My neurosurgeon is busy and seems to rush through the appointments, so I’m interested in knowing how someone else responds. Thank you for your time.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Scary s**t, man.

So he may need fusion surgery even though its a "bruise"?

It depends on if there's disc damage. The discs are actually pretty fragile, though, and damage to them is usually what causes the swelling and loss of feeling, at least as far as I know.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

What do you do for exercise with the stenosis? They won’t allow me to do much of anything, so I’m sitting around and getting rusty in my early 40s, which is tough. Recumbent exercise bike and swimming were the only options given to me. Do you take any medications or supplements that slow down the stenosis at all? Just curious. My neurosurgeon is busy and seems to rush through the appointments, so I’m interested in knowing how someone else responds. Thank you for your time.

I'm cleared for low-impact exercise. Biking is OK, walking OK, swimming OK, most other stuff is not OK. I had back fusion too, a year ago, after the neck 3 years ago. I'm not on any meds, and I don't think there is anything to really affect the stenosis. There just isn't much room in my spinal column, even for very minor age-related disc deterioration. I'd guess that more fusion surgeries are eventually in my future. Luckily though my symptoms, when they come up, are more numbness than actual pain.

My main issue is weight loss. Even carrying just a few extra pounds puts me at risk for significantly more disc damage, and I can't run it off or burn it off on a basketball court or weight room like before.

 

[Mack Herron]

Whatever function has not yet returned, and there is nothing promising in these releases, is now on a different timetable. Was hoping he would walk out today, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

 

[Mack Herron]