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Reader's story - August 2003 |
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Jill Ward
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My personal experience of backpain
Jill Ward, joint secretary of BackCare's
Hillingdon District Branch,
tells us about her experiences
while trying to find the right path of pain management for her back pain
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It was nearly 20 years ago that, when picking up my year old son from his cot, I got it wrong and
my back went into spasm. After a few weeks rest and anti-inflammatories, the pain and distortion wore
off, but I never returned to former fitness. I used to play netball twice a week, enjoyed tennis
and attended regular evening classes.
My back "went out" several times a year and I needed input from professionals such as physiotherapists
and chiropractors as well as both pain killers and anti-inflammatories - I neverfound a way to manage
and improve the pain myself and have spent thousands of pounds on private/alternative treatments in
order to keep me going, finding the NHS fairly inadequate apart from prescribing pills and minimal
physiotherapy (although I did feel my NHS experience a good one on my third admission date!)
The lowest point for me was in 1993 following my Father's terminal illness, when I was doing a lot
of "sitting" in hospitals; shortly after this I felt a sharp shooting pain while pulling my socks
on one day and collapsed in acute pain. My doctor recommended bed rest and pills and five months
later I was admitted to The National Hospital, Queen's Square, for a micro-discectomy. This went well
and I thought I had kicked the problem, but as soon as I resumed normal daily life of work, house-work,
shopping, collecting and delivering children, hair cuts, dental appointments, socialising
(more sitting!), car journeys ... all tasks that aggravated my back ... the back pain returned.
However, I was grateful that the operation had successfully got rid of the unbearable sciatic problem
I had experienced before.
A further low point occurred in 2000 following physio treatment for recurring sciatica problems and a
special exercise class for back pain sufferers run by a physiotherapist. The physiotherapy was not
very successful and resulted in further recurrences of sciatica, more back pain and a further
six months off work, waiting for an NHS consultant appointment. When I finally got to see the
consultant, he could not wait to get rid of me, and referred me straight back to physiotherapy!!
I was told that the planned epidural might take another six months. I had to go private in an
attempt to get mg life back on track.
Throughout the twenty years, I did my exercises until various set backs reduced the amount of
exercise I could do and I fell into a vicious cycle of pain/depression/ mobility problems. I swam
often, with breast stroke being my preferred stroke (with head immersed) and later learnt the
Alexander Technique for swimming (editor's note: known as the Shaw method). Although this exercise
kept joints moving, careful management was still necessary. I was unable just to plough up and
down, but would do a short length followed by a walk in the water, hydrotherapy exercises, etc.
and then another short length - I found this frustrating but better than not doing anything at
all. I did also try back stroke, as was often recommended, but I found this seemed to further arch
my back, therefore exacerbating the pain. I also found this stroke very difficult in busy public
swimming pools - causing unhelpful jerking when people entered my lane.
I had a dog and regularly took her for short walks - again better than nothing, but overwhelmingly
frustrating not being strong enough to do longer walks in the enticing farm fields we live next to
in Hatch End.
As I helped my son with his PE GCSE revision, I learnt more about muscles and how they work-, for
example, I learnt that muscles strengthen under load and need to be pushed further and further to gain
strength. I was aware that my back was weak but over many years I had had limited success with the
exercise regimes set up for me and did not feel they filled this criteria.
After another epidural and facetjoint injection (Summer 2002) and two more months off work, my consultant
said my spine might have "mobile segment" problems after discectomy. He suggested a possible fusion
operation, but thought I should try Keiser Training first.
Keiser Training is a gym near Euston where they have a course of therapy, supported bg doctors and
physiotherapists, who keep an eye on progress and adapt your programme if pain is encountered.
Using Med-Ex machines, muscles are given specific strengthening exercises and the range of motion
and load capacity is gradually increased. I am now 8 months in and have had a few set backs, but
overall my progress is encouraging, I feel stronger, can do more and no longer sufferwith severe
shoulder and neck pain.
Since having my two boys and the onset of my back problems, I have only managed part-time office
work, but maintaining my skills in the work place has created a extra interest and helped to normalise
my life, as well as to pay for many of the health bills I have encountered.
Currently I am feeling more positive and stronger than I have done for many years. I have also managed
to reduce the amount of medication I use. My outgoings to achieve and/or maintain this improved
condition are high: averaging £l80 a month.
At the moment this is made up of: £35 gym subscription; £40 - travel to and from Euston (4 times a month);
£70-cleaners; £15-ironing; £22-massage.
I am hoping that in time, if my progress is maintained, I will be able to reduce the monies spent on
cleaners, taking on more myself. I would also like to join a more local gym when my body and confidence
can cope without the medical support of Keiser Training.
There is so much more I could say about the benefits of pain management courses and of being a
BackCare member but I am running out of space ...
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