Sunday around noon as I was returning home from work the lower right side of my back started hurting. I could hardly wait until I got home so I could do some stretching or at the least stop sitting down. When I got home and started rubbing my back the muscles there (either the erector spinae muscle or the serratus anterior muscles) they were as stiff as a sheet of steel. No amount of stretching seemed to help so I took a few aspirin.
A little later I checked in with Tweb and found that sitting wasn't so bad so I started reading some posts. About 5 minutes in I crossed my legs placing my right ankle on my left leg and that's when it happened. A sharp, agonizing pain centered in the lower spine.
The pain was horrific and steady. I immediately stood up and found that I could not stand completely upright. I furiously massaged the area with my knuckles (allows for a deeper penetration than finger tips), stretched, twisted, laid down... everything I could think of to gain some relief. Nothing helped.
After about 45 minutes of constantly moving around (the pain was so bad that I couldn't remain still I kept trying anything that would grant many any relief) I carefully went upstairs and got one of the oxycontin that was leftover from when my mother was being treated for cancer and prior to their putting her on a patch.
While it eventually made me somewhat drowsy it didn't help at all with the pain. The only thing that was any help was a heating pad which allowed the stiff muscles around the site to ease up just a little. As I laid on my stomach I gingerly probed my spine and discovered that one of the vertebrae right at where the lumbar and thoracic regions are was protruding slightly. As I continued my probing I found that the center of pain was located at the right bottom portion of the side of this vertebrae.
Great. It appeared that I had a severe misalignment, a slipped disc or something similar. I called work and informed them that I wouldn't be in later that night (another double shift night) and didn't know when I would be back in.
I went upstairs to bed but could not get comfortable any more there than I was downstairs. I was constantly moaning and groaning out loud in pain. After a half hour I got the heating pad which again helped a wee bit but I'm aware of the dangers of sleeping on a heating pad -- not that I could sleep hurting like this.
Finally I removed the pillow so I could lay perfectly flat with my feet overhanging the bed so that the legs could be perfectly straight rather than twisted. I put the heating pad on low on top of my back and laid there still in severe pain.
I started praying in earnest to God for help. I literally was begging for some mercy. Those were the words that I was using -- "Please God I'm begging for mercy." When I was done I was still in great pain.
But then the next thing I know I was waking up. Despite the pain I had managed to fall asleep for an hour and a half. More importantly my back wasn't hurting. Not even a little.
I got up because I had to use the bathroom (the reason I woke up) and noticed while sitting down it was still pretty sore but not quite as bad as it was on the drive home.
I went back to bed and laid back down on my stomach but removed the heating pad. I slept for most of the day.
Now there is no trace of any pain. Everything feels great. There is no protrusion of the vertebrae any longer. No stiff muscles. Anything. In fact the left side of my back is stiffer than the right side.
Thank you God. Thank you for granting the mercy that I needed.
Like the one leper who thanked Jesus for curing him I think that it is important to express my gratitude and moreover to do so publicly.
A little later I checked in with Tweb and found that sitting wasn't so bad so I started reading some posts. About 5 minutes in I crossed my legs placing my right ankle on my left leg and that's when it happened. A sharp, agonizing pain centered in the lower spine.
The pain was horrific and steady. I immediately stood up and found that I could not stand completely upright. I furiously massaged the area with my knuckles (allows for a deeper penetration than finger tips), stretched, twisted, laid down... everything I could think of to gain some relief. Nothing helped.
After about 45 minutes of constantly moving around (the pain was so bad that I couldn't remain still I kept trying anything that would grant many any relief) I carefully went upstairs and got one of the oxycontin that was leftover from when my mother was being treated for cancer and prior to their putting her on a patch.
While it eventually made me somewhat drowsy it didn't help at all with the pain. The only thing that was any help was a heating pad which allowed the stiff muscles around the site to ease up just a little. As I laid on my stomach I gingerly probed my spine and discovered that one of the vertebrae right at where the lumbar and thoracic regions are was protruding slightly. As I continued my probing I found that the center of pain was located at the right bottom portion of the side of this vertebrae.
Great. It appeared that I had a severe misalignment, a slipped disc or something similar. I called work and informed them that I wouldn't be in later that night (another double shift night) and didn't know when I would be back in.
I went upstairs to bed but could not get comfortable any more there than I was downstairs. I was constantly moaning and groaning out loud in pain. After a half hour I got the heating pad which again helped a wee bit but I'm aware of the dangers of sleeping on a heating pad -- not that I could sleep hurting like this.
Finally I removed the pillow so I could lay perfectly flat with my feet overhanging the bed so that the legs could be perfectly straight rather than twisted. I put the heating pad on low on top of my back and laid there still in severe pain.
I started praying in earnest to God for help. I literally was begging for some mercy. Those were the words that I was using -- "Please God I'm begging for mercy." When I was done I was still in great pain.
But then the next thing I know I was waking up. Despite the pain I had managed to fall asleep for an hour and a half. More importantly my back wasn't hurting. Not even a little.
I got up because I had to use the bathroom (the reason I woke up) and noticed while sitting down it was still pretty sore but not quite as bad as it was on the drive home.
I went back to bed and laid back down on my stomach but removed the heating pad. I slept for most of the day.
Now there is no trace of any pain. Everything feels great. There is no protrusion of the vertebrae any longer. No stiff muscles. Anything. In fact the left side of my back is stiffer than the right side.
Thank you God. Thank you for granting the mercy that I needed.
Like the one leper who thanked Jesus for curing him I think that it is important to express my gratitude and moreover to do so publicly.
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