Lumbago
And speaking of kicking the bucket, I suffered the onset of an episode of lumbago this morning.
Now, lumbago is nothing new for me. I've suffered it off and on for decades. Of later, it's been mostly off. The root cause is a deterioration of the facet (zygapophyseal or apophyseal) joints on the back of my vertebrae. The purpose of these joints is to restrict bending motions of the spine to and fro as well as twisting motions sided to side.
These joints, connecting the processes of adjacent vertebra, are surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue and produces a fluid to nourish and lubricate the joint. The joint surfaces are coated with cartilage allowing joints to move or glide smoothly (articulate) against each other.
Trouble in my case is that a number of these joints have deteriorated over time and, when viewed in an x-ray of my lower back, just ain't there anymore. And, when these joints are asked to repeat motions that require lubricity, the brain senses that a task has been asked of them beyond their present capabilities and tells the muscles in my lower back to cramp up and thus prevent the offending motion. The cramping prevents further damage to the joints but tears the hell out of the muscles involved, resulting in great pain. Lumbago is it's name.
My form of lumbago does not involve the singular horizontal discs between vertebrae which tend to rupture and become enlarged when they move or "slip", thus pressing against nerves that cause pain symptoms in the legs. The facet joints have no nerves passing through them to cause such pains. But, with two facet joints, there is twice the opportunity for pain. My present episode involves primarily the facet joints on the right.
Now, I have a general idea of what causes my lumbago. Any repeated motion using the hands out front of the body with a sideways component is a prime candidate. Raking leaves is probably the worst-case scenario. Cleaning the hardwood floors with a mop began the present unpleasantness. This was coupled by cleaning cabinet with lots of twisting motions. Then there was the shoveling of pea gravel (left over from road resurfacing) for use on the garden paths. Just this morning I collected shiitake mushrooms from the logs and this requires a combination bending and twisting motion, the second major cause of the onset of an episode. The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was bending to place the mushrooms on a lower shelf in the refrigerator coupled with a slight twist to relocate a carton of orange juice to make room for the mushrooms.
BOOM!
The cramp is very effective at causing you to stop the offending action. Even your breathing pauses momentarily as a shock of pain that I can only describe as being like a lightening bolt strikes you. Emoting an expletive deleted, I crumpled to my knees on the floor, knowing immediately what has happened and seeking desperately to find a less offending posture. The longer the cramp cramps, the longer the recovery.
Few unknowns are involved in recovery. Things get worse for the first 24 hours and the shortest route involves immediate (do not go past Go and do not collect $200) bed rest and massive doses of ibuprofen. If you happen to have a prescription for a muscle relaxant, that can be helpful to ease the aftershocks. And, of course, administration of a Schedule II or III narcotic substance (like Vicodin) eases sleep. That, and/or a little juice of the corn.
Any locomotion during the first day lengthens recovery and, indeed, walking is painful. Those of you who knew me at the Skunk Works would recognize the "crab walk" with hips to the front, torso to the side and shuffle steps somewhere in between. I have, unfortunately, had to do some walking today but did manage to remain suitably pronate for the morning, mostly in a fetal posture with pillows between my knees.
So just how bad was this episode, my first in many years? Well, with a "1" being a discomfort and a "10" lying immobile in the middle of the living room floor during a record cold for 10 days (which I have done), this was a "7".
The good news is that I will live to fight again!
Now, lumbago is nothing new for me. I've suffered it off and on for decades. Of later, it's been mostly off. The root cause is a deterioration of the facet (zygapophyseal or apophyseal) joints on the back of my vertebrae. The purpose of these joints is to restrict bending motions of the spine to and fro as well as twisting motions sided to side.
These joints, connecting the processes of adjacent vertebra, are surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue and produces a fluid to nourish and lubricate the joint. The joint surfaces are coated with cartilage allowing joints to move or glide smoothly (articulate) against each other. Trouble in my case is that a number of these joints have deteriorated over time and, when viewed in an x-ray of my lower back, just ain't there anymore. And, when these joints are asked to repeat motions that require lubricity, the brain senses that a task has been asked of them beyond their present capabilities and tells the muscles in my lower back to cramp up and thus prevent the offending motion. The cramping prevents further damage to the joints but tears the hell out of the muscles involved, resulting in great pain. Lumbago is it's name.
My form of lumbago does not involve the singular horizontal discs between vertebrae which tend to rupture and become enlarged when they move or "slip", thus pressing against nerves that cause pain symptoms in the legs. The facet joints have no nerves passing through them to cause such pains. But, with two facet joints, there is twice the opportunity for pain. My present episode involves primarily the facet joints on the right.
Now, I have a general idea of what causes my lumbago. Any repeated motion using the hands out front of the body with a sideways component is a prime candidate. Raking leaves is probably the worst-case scenario. Cleaning the hardwood floors with a mop began the present unpleasantness. This was coupled by cleaning cabinet with lots of twisting motions. Then there was the shoveling of pea gravel (left over from road resurfacing) for use on the garden paths. Just this morning I collected shiitake mushrooms from the logs and this requires a combination bending and twisting motion, the second major cause of the onset of an episode. The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was bending to place the mushrooms on a lower shelf in the refrigerator coupled with a slight twist to relocate a carton of orange juice to make room for the mushrooms.
BOOM!
The cramp is very effective at causing you to stop the offending action. Even your breathing pauses momentarily as a shock of pain that I can only describe as being like a lightening bolt strikes you. Emoting an expletive deleted, I crumpled to my knees on the floor, knowing immediately what has happened and seeking desperately to find a less offending posture. The longer the cramp cramps, the longer the recovery.
Few unknowns are involved in recovery. Things get worse for the first 24 hours and the shortest route involves immediate (do not go past Go and do not collect $200) bed rest and massive doses of ibuprofen. If you happen to have a prescription for a muscle relaxant, that can be helpful to ease the aftershocks. And, of course, administration of a Schedule II or III narcotic substance (like Vicodin) eases sleep. That, and/or a little juice of the corn.
Any locomotion during the first day lengthens recovery and, indeed, walking is painful. Those of you who knew me at the Skunk Works would recognize the "crab walk" with hips to the front, torso to the side and shuffle steps somewhere in between. I have, unfortunately, had to do some walking today but did manage to remain suitably pronate for the morning, mostly in a fetal posture with pillows between my knees.
So just how bad was this episode, my first in many years? Well, with a "1" being a discomfort and a "10" lying immobile in the middle of the living room floor during a record cold for 10 days (which I have done), this was a "7".
The good news is that I will live to fight again!
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