Out of control

“I feel good…na-na-na-na-na-na-na…didn’t know if I would…”

One week ago today, a roundtrip walk from my bed to the bathroom triggered a muscle spasm in my right hip that stole my breath, stopped me in my tracks and scared the crap out of Mark – and me.

Except for the morning pain I had before my spondylolisthesis surgery, this was the worst! I’m not sure how I got back to bed, but (after waving my poor husband off) I did make it there on my own. It was 2AM. I gratefully swallowed the naproxen Mark brought to me and went back to sleep.

I tend to gauge the severity of my back pain each day by my range of motion and the ability to perform routine tasks. So, when I got up at 5:15AM, I was ready to determine this spasm’s place on the pain continuum.

The naproxen had taken the edge off, and I was able to get dressed and go upstairs. Although I managed to get through most of my daily isometric exercises, for the first time ever, I opted to stay off the treadmill.

That’s when reality sunk in: the spasm was in control, not me. Being unable to control your body is an awful feeling; one I work to avoid every day. But on this day, as I dejectedly shuffled to my office and lowered myself into the computer chair, I felt like I had failed.

Years ago, a physical therapist explained that back pain is often at its worst first thing in the morning. This may seem counterintuitive, since you would (theoretically) be rested after a night’s sleep. However, while the body is horizontal, fluid in the spine’s vertebrae collects in tiny pools, and it is that accumulated fluid that can cause morning back pain in many people. Once you get up and start moving, the fluid drains and the pain usually dissipates.

That has always been the case for me, even with this – the mother of all muscle spasms. And, after about 30 minutes of sitting upright, I was able to go downstairs (albeit gingerly) and get on with my day.

Given the debilitating nature of the spasm that morning, I was surprised to be mobile and self-sufficient throughout the day, but I did not let that lull me into a false sense of recovery. No, the spasm was still there...lurking...waiting to strike again.

That night, I went to orthopedic urgent care.

In my experience (which is, unfortunately, extensive), orthopedic surgeons are as elusive as rock stars, relegating the mundane chore of treating non-surgical patients to their PAs. I can count on one hand the number of knowledgeable, caring PAs I have encountered in my life. The guy I saw last week was not one of them.

“You have an ugly back!” he announced as he breezed into the exam room after viewing my X-ray films. Clearly, he had checked his bedside manner at the door.

“Really? I think my back is beautiful. What did the X-rays show?"

“Oh, just a lot of arthritis, bone spurs and stuff. Lots of wear and tear, but nothing to worry about.”

“Is there anything on the X-rays I should know about?”

“No, nothing to worry about. Just A LOT of wear and tear.”

Okaaay…

“What do you take for your arthritis?” he asked.

“An occasional ibuprofen, but usually nothing,” I said.

“Why?”

“Uh, because I don’t like taking pills.”

After diagnosing me with a muscle spasm (really?), the PA prescribed anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant medication, and wrote a script for physical therapy.

Then, he gave me samples of two muscle relaxants to try. The first (Skelaxin) lasts six to eight hours; the second (Amrix ) works for 24 hours. I quickly determined that I needed a muscle relaxant working full-force when I get out of bed in the morning, so Amrix was the winner.

Now, one week later, I am essentially pain-free –- something I haven’t been in a long time -- but I hate the dry mouth and drowsiness caused by the drugs, not to mention the scary warnings against long-term use of both Amrix and Mobic.

So, my first question for the physical therapist next week will be,

“How can I continue to feel like this, without meds?”

I’ll let you know what he says.