Friday, April 13, 2007

I HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION


I have been suffering, over a period of many years, with gradually but discernibly severe back pain due to arthritis in my spine which now involves 5 vertebrae. Vioxx was a miracle for a significant period of time, Celebrex never did a thing, and now I am simple taking Alleve which only gives me partial relief.

To say that this ongoing struggle is limiting and annoying is putting it mildly. I used to be a very active person, and I still try to maintain that level of activity. However, there are days when I am simply unable to do much more than get out of bed, get dressed, run a load of laundry and take care of my animals.

I would be interested in any thoughts of anyone reading this blog as to what, if anything, they have been able to do to relieve this kind of arthritic pain without risking my overall health. I do try to remember to take glucosamine and chondroitin but I don't really experience an enormous amount of relief.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Acupuncture helps some people. It doesn't work for everyone, but it's worth a shot.

Gayle Miller said...

Thanks paul. I actually hadn't thought of that.

Sissy Willis said...

Do you do any floor exercises? Goomp does a few every morning, and it seems to help the Energizer Bunny keep going, and going and going . . .

Gayle Miller said...

And still stay young at heart and sharp as a tack too! But then, having you for a daughter contributes to that!

Anonymous said...

Gayle, long before Vioxx came around, my grandmother had severe arthritis and got relief for several hour by shining a heat lamp on her back or using a heating pad. Not sure of the mechanics of why it worked, but she always said it did.