Showing posts with label Back Pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Back Pain. Show all posts

May 7, 2022

Playing The Odds

 

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Playing The Odds."

The stranger told me: Precisely fifty years ago, the doctor told me the exact same thing about having a one in a hundred chance of paralysis if they operated. So, what did I do? I went to see the Rabbi (Avigdor Miller) and ask his advice, and the Rabbi says to me: "A Jew doesn’t take odds like that!"

I thought to myself while Jews don’t take those wild odds (1 in a 100 of paralysis), why do they play the odds with their souls by pretending to be religious on the outside, but on the inside and away from human eyes doing evil? Surely, we all know that G-d sees everything and that a faithful judgment awaits us all. And it all made sense not to play the odds not only with our physical health, but also with our spiritual wellbeing.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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October 12, 2020

Sleep Number Got My Number

I am very excited about ordering a Sleep Number bed. 

My good friend got one and recommended it!

Went to the store today and tried them out. 

I was really amazed, especially since I have some significant back pain that I am dealing with. 

I am hoping, G-d willing, for some pain relief and some extra Zzz sleep! ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


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October 30, 2019

Healing The Spine

Thought this was a really great photo to explain various ailments of the spine. 

From the top:
Normal Disc
Degenerative Disc
Bulging Disc
Herniated Disc
Thinning Disc
Disc Degeneration with Osteophyte Formation
The spinal disc was described to me as a jelly donut between the vertebrae.

The jelly can bulge in the disc or actually herniate/rupture and spill out pressing painfully against the nerve--that's the scary red that you see!

The disc degeneration and osteophytes are also a pretty frightening looking deterioration of the disc and cartilage.

No wonder
- "31 million Americans experience low back pain at any given time...[and] back pain is the single leading cause of disability."

- And "80 percent of adults experience lower back pain at some point in their lifetimes...[and] leading contributor to missed workdays"  

When we have our health, we don't always realize how incredibly fortunate we are. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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October 24, 2019

Can't Sit, Can't Stand

So I've been having this excruciating lower back pain for about a week. 

I literally cannot sit or stand without shooting pain. 

When I sit, it hurts the lower back so much to get up. 

And when I stand, all I want to do is relieve the pressure and sit down. 

I feel like the warning from G-d in the Torah where He says (Deuteronomy 28:67):
In the morning you will say '"If only it were evening!" and in the evening "If only it were morning!"
The only real relief so far is lying down or going in the pool. 

Planning to see the doctor to check it out and hopefully with G-d's mercy it will be better very soon.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal) 
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October 20, 2019

Having Each Other

So I hurt my back last week. 

Incredibly painful. 

Difficult getting up from sitting or laying position. 

Today, I was trying to walk it off a little.

One of my kids was walking with me taking good care of me. 

We ran into a neighbor. 

She was nice and asked about what happened. 

I told her in brief and said how grateful I was for my daughter taking me for a little walk while I try to heal with G-d's help. 

She smiled and said how lucky I was (which I acknowledged). 

I asked if she had any kids, thinking that she did. 

But she goes to me:

I have no one!


I was a little surprised that she didn't have anyone and how she said it. 

I sort of repeated it quizzically. 

She goes:

Well I did have a cat but she was 19 years old and I had to put her down. 


I felt really bad for her, especially since I know she had an operation this last year and is planned for another one coming up. 

I said that we're her neighbors and friends and that she can call on us whenever she needs someone. 

This whole thing just made me so upset--no one should be so alone. 

I  really pray that G-d has mercy on his children and that no one should be alone and that we should all have caring and loving people around us always. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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November 21, 2018

My Aching Back

So I pulled something in my back recently. 

Had the worst sciatica pain down my hip and leg--could hardly walk or sleep from it. 

I went to the Orthopedist and he game me some meds for the inflammation and sent me for an MRI. 

Also, I went a number of times for acupressure, which was truly awesome. 

Came back to the Orthopedist and he asks how I am. 

I said:
Feeling a lot better, but the MRI shows a herniated disc. 

He says:
Go home and have a Happy Thanksgiving--we only do surgery to treat symptoms!

So I am truly happy that alls well that ends well. 

Thank you Hashem! ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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August 22, 2018

Watch Out For That Gopher Hole

So this was funny this week. 

I hurt my back and leg and am going around with a (little) limp. 

So one of my colleagues at work sees me struggling-limping down the long hall here, and they say to me this funny thing:
Did you fall in a gopher hole?

I had to take an aback because I never heard that phrase before. 

Working outside the city here though, where a lot of people live in the burbs, and we regularly see all sorts of animals around campus, perhaps it wasn't so outlandish a question.  

Anyway, as I'm limping, I can't get that funny image out of my head.

I wonder if other people have fallen in a gopher hole and that's why back problems are so common after all. ;-)

(Source Photo: here with attribution to annolyn)
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April 5, 2018

Ergonomics Ah!

So today I went for an ergonomic training and assessment. 

Never did this before. 

It was pretty awesome. 

The person had 4 degrees in ergonomics and really seemed to know what they were talking about. 

They got me set up in a special ergonomic chair with a footrest, bio-design mouse, and task lighting.

I tell you that I never sat so straight, perfectly contoured, and completely comfortable. 

They almost had to pry my butt out of that chair after I test drove it for over an hour in training. 

OMG, there is a difference. 

Don't need carpal tunnel.

Don't need sciatica. 

Don't need neck, shoulder, and back pain. 

I even learned that the standing desks can be BAD for you--they put undue stress on your musculature and may actually result in a notable DECREASE in concentration and productivity. 

Anyway, from the stupid chairs that I've seen most people have--and the lousy posture they sit with--I'd recommend seeing the ergonomist. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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