Well, hell. This blows.
I can't thank you enough. Truly. I would have probably gone skipping along thinking I was fine, since the pain in the upper back & neck doesn't hold a candle to the pain in the lower back!
Louise - can I trouble you with one more thing? My primary goal, once my pain is minimized, is to first work on strengthening my spine -- regaining my posture. My rheumy agrees, but do you?
Is it possible to undo some of this? Or keep it from getting worse if I can just get my pain under control and work hard, very, very hard to get my strength & posture back?
Thanks again for everything. I might have a solo-pity party over here for a little while, because I'm just so angry. Feel like I just got diagnosed with something incurable, like, I dunno... AS or something.
Wait a sec -- am I overreacting? Maybe I'm reading into what you said. I'll come back tomorrow and see if I interpret it differently.
Holly - I didn't mean to scare you!
Remember that it said
"mild"!!! It's more than you would expect to see in the average 36 yo.... but remember that I haven't seen your actual MRI films... I like to look at those *first* then read the report after, just to check that I can still read 'em!
I do agree with you and your rheumy - you need to go see a good PT. I would be assessing your posture, see what is tight and what needs to be stretched. Then I would be teaching you some postural correction techniques and getting you to work on your core strength. A good PT should be able to help with getting some general fitness work into your programme too. Of course, for this to be happening, you will need to have some good management of your inflammation and pain.
I believe there is also a place for some manipulative therapy in some folks with AS - there may well be a mechanical component to some of your spinal pain as a secondary effect of the inflammation. Like tasting lemons, the theory is "suck it and see..."
Do you swim - or at least, are you happy in water? You might find that you can get the PT to organise a pool programme for you that incorporates strengthening, stretching and fitness in the warm water of a hydrotherapy pool. The warmth can help with your pain too...
I don't think it's possible to *undo* the sort of degeneration that your MRI is showing, but you can keep all the things that support your spine strong, and that will minimise the physical effects of what is probabaly a process that has been going on quietly for some time (no)thanks to the Spondy Monster.
Don't have a lone pity party when you can have one here amongst friends - we all like a good drink and a knees up!
And when it comes to getting angry at the Spondy Monster - I say - don't get mad - get even! Don't let it win! Kick it down and then kick it hard as many times as you can! Yeah! Take that SM!
