Face pain and low back is out

Okay....so me again. 4.5 months post C4-7 ACDF. Sunday evening I was on my knees (using good ergonmics) and reached in a lower cabinet and my low back went into major spasm. Had that a lot and know how to deal with it, just hoping it is not my L4 going bad since when I had surgery on L5/S1 they said it probably would. Or with osteoporosis could I have cracked a vertebrate?

Then this morning I wake with pain that feels like a sinus infection on one side. But I haven't had any sinus symptoms and wonder if I have irritated C2 above my fusion?

Between both I am miserable. Spent most of yesterday in bed. But moving around helps low back but this neck/ face pain is making me miserable....

Anyone have face pain from neck or should I assume it is sinuses?

I've not had the face pain other than sinus pain. Hope that's what you are dealing with. Are you feeling better yet?

Thanks Susie. I'm doing fairly well.

I'm not bothered by allergies all the time but spent last Saturday morning outside watching a wonderful flag football game. After an hour people thought I was crying since my eyes and nose were dripping constantly. Ahhh.... the price we are willing to pay for those grand kids.

I've been considering getting one of them to pull everything out of some lower cabinets for me. I think they would enjoy that and I could avoid the pain Taller Now has with her low back.

TallerNow we are just going to keep those good vibes going for you that this is a strain situation with your low back. Sometimes it is easy to get discouraged though. Hey you are only human. You have braved such a big surgery so we are not going to let you backslide now. I always hated the aura associated with migraines too.

At this point I would be miserable without Sudafed. I started back on it last year. I had not taken it in years. A lot of the OTC stuff gave me a real funny feeling in my chest that not only alarmed me but scared me. I had a light heart attack right after being on quite a bit of OTC sinus meds & was having that weird feeling & ignored it. Granted at the time this happened I had a whole lot of other issues going on too so I know it was not those that caused it may have contributed at least in my mind, lol.

That is where I get in big trouble is when I am outside messing around in the yard. I know better, but yet I keep doing it, lol. Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. Right now I am battling a huge tree behind my house that belongs to a neighbor. It has started shedding its leaves so I am constantly either scooping leaves out of the pool or sweeping them up or raking. That's a killer for me, lol. I also have this fear if I don't stay up moving I will lose my mobility. I have been on the flip side of no being able to be up & around & just don't want to go there ever again. So, like a fool I get in the overkill mode, lol.

I think hubby knows he has one strong willed woman on his hands, that is why he loves you so.

Take care & keep us posted.

I am sorry to read about your low back and sinus problems.

I have had my low back go out on me a few times now. I have Osteoarthritis in my neck, lower back and other joints. I have not had surgery offered as a solution. It is so hard when my lower back goes out. It is hard to stand up. I have overcome my low back problems with exercise, slow walking and pain cream. My Massage Therapists helps also. My neck and head pain I cannot overcome.

I use Neil Med Sinus Rinse once a day. I thought an ENT was going to be able to help me with some of my problems. He did an MRI to see why I could not hear. After and during a virus I often get green mucous and mucous with blood attached. I am just finally getting over a virus. So much coughing. I had a long stretch with clear rinses but I am back with the green mucous and blood. I am going for a follow up next week with my Family Physician. I have been using Omnaris nasal spray as when the virus started I could not blow my nose without coughing. The Doctor wanted to get my sinus working better. I used it before. I previously had a CT Scan on my sinuses. The ENT was looking to see if something was missed when he looked at my sinuses. I was again getting the green mucous with blood. Have a slight deviated septum but surgery has not been suggested. Nothing else was found.

Do you have the same kind of problems?

I have 2 dust pans with a long handle. One for inside and one for outside. I can't tackle the massive amounts of leaves from our neighbour's maple tree, my Husband will have to do it but I was able to do a bit of work in the Spring. I just rake stuff up into the dust pan. I saw a man scooping up leaves with his snow shovel once. I am not in the U.S. We have them in our Dollar stores. I use grabbers too.

Hope you feel better soon.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in Multiple Joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, Chronic Daily Headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...

Loring,
Yes, the nasal rinse is great. I am prone to sinus infections when I don't even think I have one, mostly from allergies. But I think my issue yesterday was actually a weird migraine, because I am fine today. But yes, sinus pain is awful. I take Allegra everyday to keep my allergies at bay. I usually use a nasal steroid but they took me off that since it affects my fusion of my neck.

My back used to got out a lot, but I have had that controlled for a long time because I exercised a lot. So I agree, exercise is key! But since I had neck surgery I have not been able to do as much exercise (and slacked off because I don't have the energy since whatever energy I have goes to working) and so I am sure that is why it is bad. I am hoping the PT tomorrow can show me some stuff that won't hurt my neck but help my low back. And I am just going to have to make it a priority (over work).

I am sorry you have osteoarthritis throughout your spine, me too, and it sucks. I have had low back and now neck surgery and I would not suggest it to anyone unless you had no other option. My neck vertebrate had collapsed on each other and I was told I would end up in wheel chair or paralyzed from a sudden movement. It is a really tough surgery to recover from and you are never the same. Even my low back surgery cured the extreme pain, but I am still left with sciatica, scar tissue, and damaged nerves.

One thing I was taking before my surgery that does help some for arthritis pain is Tumeric and EPA fish oil. It has to be taken daily and at a high enough dose, but that can help a bit. I also found eating a anti-inflammatory diet helps a bit too. Kind of like you have to do a whole bunch of little things to have an effect (like your cream and exercise).

Seeing all the people who have chronic pain, just doesn't seem right that there is no cure or good medication to help us all with pain. My heart goes out to all chronic pain sufferers ❤️

Looking down triggers the pain, especially when I'm standing. That pain is at the base of my neck-not the top. I've had an impinged shoulder and doing lots of PT arm movement for that. It does not bother my neck as long as I hold my head up straight and shoulders back. I'm also concerned about not stressing the adjacent joints. That seems way to common and I would love to know how to avoid it. My last x-ray was at 8 months and it showed fusion beginning. I'm almost 10 1/2 months post op now.

Thanks for the response.

It sure is difficult to live with the problems whether you have surgery or not and yes, pain is a huge problem.

Take care.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in Multiple Joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, Chronic Daily Headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...

Hey there...I've been following your post, but can only empathize.  I'm sorry you're having such a rough time.  I'm happy you were able to get some info from PT and (fingers crossed) no fracture.  You and I could practically share the same "signature" sans spine surgery for me.  I hurt like the devil, and often "howl" when I make a certain move...like breathing ya know?  Am I confused, or did you also have a hysterectomy in your bio?

Pain is a constant companion, though neither invited nor welcome. I weep for us all, but we must prevail.

Hugs~~Dixie

Thanks for getting that instruction to help our neck pain. I will practice that, too. Think I will also start doing more of the meal prep work at the taller bar to avoid looking down so far.

I'm glad you got some help with your low back-hope you won't even need the x ray. In the past I've had low back pain that was helped some by exercise, then greatly helped when I started wearing orthotics. I got a painful low back reminder to get back to the orthotics during this long neck recovery. That took care of it again.

Dixie,
Thanks so much for your sweetness. My neuro almost refused to my neck surgery then ran some more tests and decided he could fuse C4-7 and predict 95% chance that it would get my pain down to a "manageable" level. Right now it just seems like I have traded one pain for another. But it will keep me out of wheelchair.

I did not have endometriosis - but a thickening of my uterus and three different types of cysts that were precancerous in my uterus, cervix and tubes. I am thankful that I had switched insurance plans and the doctor caught it in time because she said it was not if, but when, it was going to be cancer and she was urgent about getting me into surgery.

When I had my hysterectomy I was still ovulating (at age 55!) but since then it kicked me into menopause. They have no idea why I have such severe osteoporosis. I have been a runner and weight lifter since college, health food nut, low weight, high calcium and D levels in my blood work always. The only thing I wonder is perhaps steroids? I have been on steroids here and there, but never for long periods of time. It has puzzled all of my doctors. And to find out in the past two years it has gotten 8% worse after even taking osteo meds for one year is baffling.

I am going to get a walk in before it gets too cold. Thanks Dixie. I wish you low pain and hope that you have a wonderful evening. ❤️