fractured vertebrate

I was diagnosed with a fractured vertebrate about 20 yrs ago and I have two indentations on both sides of my back toward the very end of spin. I am very small framed. I have recently moved and my back is hurting constantly. Is there exercises that I can do to help this? what ever I do I feel a constant pain in my back,

[ggreg]

I doubt the fracture has reemerged as a problem, but could be along with the fracture, your vertebrae was compressed or deformed a little bit, leaving you open to future strains.  You say you recently moved, and could be that has aggravated your back, be it from the previous injury's relating abnormality, like a bulging disc may have deflated further and is now pushing on a nerve, or you yanked it anew and pulled a muscle, which spasming can make it hurt all day long.  There's a couple things you can do to help it, in answer to your question.  If you will tighten your stomach muscles, they help support the spine, don't do situps, rather just pull your tummy in tightly a dozen times, several times a day for a while.  Also, if the muscles are indeed spasming, get someone to rub them out for you or put a heating pad on it when you're sitting, or take a daily long soak in a very warm tub.  Keep your knees bent when you lay all the way down, too.  As for the indentations, if I'm right about where you see them, this is the way human bodies look, they have little hollow spots on each side of the sacral spine.

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Hi, Thank you so much for your question. As a result of injury, nerve impingement may cause intermittent low back pain, leg or thigh pain, numbness or tingling of the buttocks and loss on bowel/bladder control(if severe disc degeneration). The pain originates due to is usually treated with heat compression, rest, rehabilitative exercises and pain killer medications. In addition, surgical treatment like discectomy, spinal fusion, and spinal laminectomy may be the last resort in most of the non-resolving cases. . I would recommend you to see a neurologist who can evaluate the details of your case and could better determine the insight of your situation. Hope this helps.

[caregiver222]

The discs are avascular, which means they have limited blood supply and don't heal well.

The rehabilitative exercises to relieve nerve compression sometimes work and sometimes they don't. Usually they do - for a while.

You really have to pay a physical rehabilitation therapist, who has been recommended by your physician and working under his/her instructions to fashion the correct exercises to relive pressure on the nerve and generate muscle tone. You cannot learn these from the internet.

It will take at least six sessions, in which they will demonstrate the exercises and watch as you perform them.

I do not recommend chiropracters because, among other things they generally do not have access to modern MRI equipment and rely on obsolte x-ray machines, usually in their offices.

In addition you need to request your physician to prescribe a bettery operated TENS device, which is very effective. Essentially the body can only transmit one pain impulse at a time. You attach "pasties" and the machine genrates a small current that cannot be felt, but the body believes it is a "pain" signal. The pain from the pinched nerve then goes away. It is especially helpful for sciatica nerve inflammation.

Reduction of inflammation is tindicated, either by Ibuprufin or short-term prednisone. Lone term prednisone, oral or injectable, causes disc deterioration, but for short-term use there are few contraindications.

In Europe they commonly inject ozone in the interstitial spaces, but that is approved in only one state in the United States.

Accupunct is very helpful.

Do not allow them to use massage or ultrasound or a vibrator.

The rehab specialist will probably apply warm compresses to the site. A bag filled with wax or some material that will stay warm.

A final solution is surgical. A procedure called a laminectomy, in which they remove cartilidge to allow the nerve to have more room. Try this only as a last resort. If you do have this procedure done, have it done a facility that does a lot of them. Not three a year.

Avoid riding in a truck (bouncing up and down) and lifting objects.