back pain

Last Thursday evening I went to a yoga class at a nice studio not too far from home. I’ve taken a fundamentals class there several times over the summer to try to improve strength and flexibility, with mixed success. But I had one more class left on my paid series, and I wanted to use it up.

Everything was going well for most of the hour-long class, with a nice meditation, sun salutations to warm up, cat-cows, child’s pose (I cannot do a downward dog because of the pressure it puts on my hands and wrists, so this is a substitution per one of the instructors), and a warrior two pose. Then our instructor had us move into a triangle pose, which is essentially a twisting side bend with your legs forming two legs of the triangle, one arm down next to your forward leg and the other arm raised to the sky. It was hard, and I couldn’t hold it while she went around the room answering questions. So I stood up.

And immediately realized I had injured my lower back. I was in considerable pain, to the point where it was very uncomfortable to walk back to my car. I chose not to say anything. I just wanted to get home and lie down.

Heat, ibuprofin, Tylenol, Aspercream, you name it, I tried it. By midday Friday I decided I needed to check with my PCP, and the geriatrics team recommended getting a lower back X-ray to rule out a stress fracture. I was able to drive to the clinic and carefully walk to the radiation department. The tech was sympathetic and I got through the procedure. Supposedly, it would be reviewed within a couple of hours, but no report appeared in my electronic medical record by the end of the day.

However, by Friday evening I was able to stand for about a half hour and help prepare dinner, so that was encouraging. By Saturday morning, I was feeling more mobile, though I rested a lot that morning and later afternoon. By Sunday, I was able to do my regular set of stretching exercises and drive into Boston to have a planned lunch with a friend and see my eldest daughter.

As I write on Monday, I still have some discomfort, but am basically back to my normal mobility. And the X-ray report came back negative for a stress fracture, though there are some age-related issues with osteopenia and thinning of cartilage between spinal disks. That would explain some of the low level discomfort I’ve had for the past few years. But thank goodness it wasn’t anything more serious.

And yet. For those few days when my mobility was really hindered, I felt quite vulnerable. The experience drove home the obvious fact that a strong back is essential for everything we do. I’ve never had back problems up to now, so I’ve taken my spinal health for granted. No longer. I’m not risking yoga again, but hope to get back to Pilates, which is excellent for strengthening core muscles and back support, this fall.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep tending my back and stretching and walking, for as long as I’m able.

Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.

Image: Point Normal

Writing is one of those pursuits that you need to do sitting down. Of course you can stand or walk around as you dictate text, and I’m sure that as AI gets better, dictation will get easier and more accurate. But having tried dictation software several years ago when my hands were very damaged from ulcers and subsequent surgery, I am not a fan. Speaking sentences taps a different part of my brain than writing with my fingers, either longhand or at a keyboard. I much prefer the fluidity of handwriting or typing.

Standing desks are a non-starter for me, because my feet don’t do well when I stand for long periods. Which means I spend a lot of time at my computer, sitting. This has become more difficult, of late. I have a decent desk chair, with a mesh seat and back that can be adjusted for height and angle. But more and more often, when I get up, my back hurts, especially at the base of my spine. I have to press it with my fist to propel forward and get the pain to ease.

Time for a new chair. But no guarantees that a chair in my price range can solve the problem (I am not about to lay out $500 – $1,000 for a top-of-the-line chair). So I did some research last week about cushions that can relieve coccyx bone pain. And I found one with good reviews, a Balance All-Gel cushion from Medline, which I’ve used previously for their extensive line of wound care products.

This cushion is not cheap. In fact, I could have bought a new chair in my price range for the same amount. But it is a special gel pad that breathes, actually designed for wheelchair users. It’s only two inches thick, compared to other coccyx bone cushions, which are typically much thicker, use some kind of memory foam, and have a cut-out at the back that can relieve the immediate coccyx pain but possibly also aggravate sciatica.

As I write on Monday, it’s the second day I’ve tried it, and the first full day using it as I sit at my computer. I was really not sure yesterday. It seemed hard and kind of weird, because it has a grid inside that feels a bit like sitting on a waffle. But today I’m feeling more confident that I made the right choice. When I stand up, I do not have that soreness in my tailbone. I’m also sitting up straighter, due in part to the cushion and in part to how I adjusted my chair to accommodate it. That’s certainly a plus. The jury is still out, and I’ve saved the boxes it came in, but I am encouraged.

Of course, the obvious solution to all this is to get up more often and move around, so I don’t get too stiff. I also decided to try yoga again, so I signed up for a class later this week.

Aches and pains are all a part of aging, as well as the premature aging that comes with scleroderma. My late father used to say that any problem can be solved if you have the right tools. Certainly a good mindset that continues to guide me through the messy complexity of chronicity. Here’s to you, Dad. Happy Father’s Day.

Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.