Try Icy pacs....20 mins on.....half hr. off
I have DDD, arthritis, spinal stenosis, herniated disk and scoliosis all in lower back. I was given Vicodin and scheduled for spinal epidurals.
I was in a lot of pain for a yr.

I opted for the ice....did it every day for a couple of months...and I got better. I still have lots of pain upon rising in the AM and when I sit too long, or am inactive....but, I can live with what I have now compared to what I had. I still do ice pacs when needed.

Good luck thorn, it is a tough thing to deal with, but hopefully will ease up for you!

Sorry to hear of your problems with a-fib and back pain. I recommend that you look into Egoscue method of relieving chronic back pain. There is much information on the web, also Pete Egoscue has written books. His simple exercises will relax muscles and later build up strength to hold your spine in proper alignment. I do not mean that you should stop seeing your doctors. I hope that spinal injection will help and when the pain eases it will be easier to deal with a-fib. Good luck, Marya

Hi Marya and Yogacat,
Thank u for your replies, you are very caring to help me out. It has been a literal hell to deal with this. I will try the ice pack application and the Egoscue method. I have been icing my back once or twice a day with a little relief but icing it more frequently should help more. Yogacat, can u tell me what DDD is?

Not yogacat but DDD is deteriorating disc disease. I use alternating heat and ice. I also have a inclineing table thar keeps my feet about 18" above my feet. 20 min a day helps lengthen the spine and allow the disc more room so it does not bulge. laurab

DDD is Disintegrated Disk Disease....my disks are no longer strong and spongy....kinda dilapidated now.



http://www.spine-health.com/blog/how-make-your-own-gel-ice-pack-or-moist-heat-pack

I use Gallon zip lock bags, 2 bags to prevent possible leak. I use less water than the 2-1 ration. Less water gives me more squishiness and forms to my back easier. I did several days...6-7x. I have 3 bags in my freezer...they lay flat and don't take up much space.

Degenerative Disk Disease

Thanks for defining DDD for me. I feel biologically like I'm 20 years older than my actual age. Afib and bulging discs! I am grateful for the support on this forum.

Hi Thorn,

I've had some pretty good (bad!) back pain periodically over the last 20 years. The last time was the worst and took me a couple of years to get over it. I'm now pain free and have been for over a year. I never heard anything about a specific diagnosis like "bulging disc" or "degenerative disc disease" but at my age (64), I'm sure I have ddd.

I'm not keen on taking pills or injections unless I know it will actually aid in a cure. I usually just deal with the pain. My back pain went down from L4/L5 through the hip down as far as my knee and occasionally a little further. The worst of it was on the right side but I occasionally had it on the left. I also will get some in the mid-back. I tried a chiropractor and physical therapy and got some minor relief from the chiropractor. The back class I attended made my back pain worse. The back class focused on strengthening my abs and legs and not enough on improving my flexibility. The one on one help I received from a physical therapist was good but not enough. What eventually worked was hiring a physical trainer who had me do all the stretching and strengthening exercises I either couldn't do or didn't like to do. My trainer modified the exercises so I could do them and gradually I needed less modification.

As a runner, my leg muscles are pretty strong. But my abs were not so strong. My flexibility was almost non-existent. Sitting on the ground with my legs crossed was impossible unless I leaned against a wall or used my arms to prop me up. I couldn't sit on the ground with my legs straight. My back pain was mostly due to relatively weak abs and very strong, relatively inflexible quads and to a lesser extent inflexible hamstrings. My trainer put me on a program that has given me a bit more strength in my abdominal muscles and much more flexibility around my quads, hamstrings and pelvis. As my flexibility improved, the back pain diminished.

I'm certainly not a medical person and would hate to be seen as trying to advise you on a specific course of action but thought you might want to look into exercise as a way to address the pain. It worked for me.

Todd

Yes, Todd....definitely strengthen and stretch is necessary. Sitting around drugged inactive for several months on Metoprolol is what started my vulnerability to my pain.
I had had all of my conditions before, but I kept up at the gym and active. When I got off the Metoprolol, I started yard work with a vengeance....and immobilizing pain for a long time.
I had to ice before I could lessen the pain, so I could start to exercise again.
Back pain is an issue for me and I have to be mindful, but, like afib, it is what it is, and I do my best to deal with it when it pops up.

Digitalis, I found Egoscue on YouTube. This is an awesome program. I love it for my Rotator Cuff, Hip and Low Back.

Thank you for sharing Egoscue!!!!!!