Aleve or Advil (or Tylenol)

[nscrbug]

I have chronic back pain...not really SI-related, though. I have spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebra) at my L5/S1. I wake up every morning with back pain. For the most part, stretching and using my inversion table first thing out of bed, gets me to the point where I can at least stand up straight and be mobile. Then by the time I get to the gym, my back has loosened up enough where I'm good to go...until I sit down again for a long period of time (like at my desk at work). I have found OTC NSAIDS to not be very helpful for my particular situation...and Lord knows, I've tried 'em all at some point. I will occasionally pop an Aleve or Advil after a particularly long and grueling ride, but I have to be honest and say that I don't notice much (if any) pain relief from it. What did work for me, was taking Celebrex (which is a prescription NSAID marketed for arthritis). It was prescribed to me by my foot doctor last year when she thought I might have arthritis in my some of my toes. She wrote the script for a 1-month suppy and told me to give it a try and see if my toe pain improved. I took 1 Celebrex pill per day...it didn't do much for my toe pain, but my lower back felt wonderful...so that was an unexpected bonus. Of course, since I was only taking it on a "trial" basis, she didn't specify refills, so once I finished the bottle....no more Celebrex. I suppose I could always ask my primary doc to write me a script for it, but I manage okay without it...for now.

[jessmarimba]

I'm not sure if I have a 55cm or 65cm ball. The medium sized one. When I lay on my stomach I kinda of roll over it, and if something hurts a LOT I back up bit and relax there until I can keep going.

My back pain is from breaking it, but I don't know if it's muscle or bone or nerve pain or what. I know the upper back muscles tense up and the ball helps those relax, but I think the lower back pain is from an increased arch in the upper back caused by the angle the break healed at. It sort of relieves the pressure on those vertebra when I can lay over the ball. Similar to an inversion table, without the head rush (I can't afford one of those, anyway).

I have found that pilates helps me a lot, but I am working individually and in small classes with a specific teacher who knows how to deal with injuries. I have one "spot" that I can't seem to fix and on days it's acting up she helps me to modify things to benefit without aggravating it.

The other thing that has helped me is that I pretty much don't wear shoes with any heel. Not running shoes, not dress shoes, not sandals, not boots - pretty much nothing. Even normal-soled running shoes can aggravate the pressure in your back if it is already sensitive.

[skywalkerbeth]

Jess, my God, I'm sorry. Breaking your back!! You are a trouper.

ncr, is Celebrex safe? For some reason I thought I heard there were issues with it.

This morning (post re-fitting last night) I went out. 18 miles, no meds whatsoever before I left.

I don't feel too bad actually. There is some soreness, but better than it was and now I am icing per doctor's orders.

Maybe the fitting made a difference...

[NbyNW]

...
Fish oil, huh? I wonder if that can be in a capsule to avoid the fishy flavor.

NbyNW, what happened? How did you get injured?
...
Jess, how big is a pilates ball? I need to get to the gym, maybe someone there can help me out.

If you can find Nordic Naturals, it doesn't taste terribly fishy. I'm especially fond of the peach flavor.

My injury: construction site accident in a developing country, related to my graduate studies. I was struck on the hip by a falling gate and the impact fractured my sacrum through the nerve exits on the rights side at S1-S2. Luckily it was not displaced so I didn't need surgery. Just lots of bedrest and PT. And Pilates, which I had been doing prior to the injury. (Jess, sounds like you found a really good instructor. Hooray!) I went to the osteopath at the recommendation of my TMJ specialist, and it turned out to be a good move. I still get massages, and lately my MT has been helping me focus on trying to relax the muscles around the injured area that are still guarding.

Exercise balls come in several different sizes. I'm 5'1" and use a 55cm ball. I can use a 65cm ball if it's a bit deflated. If you do a search for exercise balls, swiss balls or pilates balls they'll usually tell you what size they recommend for your height.

[nscrbug]

Jess, my God, I'm sorry. Breaking your back!! You are a trouper.

ncr, is Celebrex safe? For some reason I thought I heard there were issues with it.

This morning (post re-fitting last night) I went out. 18 miles, no meds whatsoever before I left.

I don't feel too bad actually. There is some soreness, but better than it was and now I am icing per doctor's orders.

Maybe the fitting made a difference...

There are issues with ALL NSAIDS...and Celebrex is no different. They all have warnings placed on the packaging. From my research though, it is supposed to be a tad bit gentler on the stomach. I'd say the best thing would be to ask your doctor about it.

[Dogmama]

There were problems with Vioxx (sigh, I loved Vioxx...) but Celebrex seems OK for now. However, if you're allergic to sulfa drugs (like me) they don't want you taking Celebrex.

But, there are no "safe" NSAIDs. Short term is probably OK but long term can cause problems.

[NbyNW]

Hi everyone

I can't find the paper with the exercises the doc gave me though, darn it.

You might be able to call your doctor's office and ask if they have a copy of the prescribed exercises in your file. My PT always made copies of my "homework" as I got stronger.

The exercises are probably boring, possibly uncomfortable. But you should do them and see how your body responds.

[Selkie]

I like Aleve, because I can take it in the morning and seems to last alot longer for me. I broke my ankle in December and still experience alot of swelling and the Aleve works better as an anti-inflammatory drug than Advil, at least for me.

Same deal with me. During my recent ankle tendonitis, prescription-strength Advil (600 mg) did little to cut the pain/inflammation. Podiatrist gave me prescription-strength Aleve (500mg) and it damped the pain/decreased the inflammation to a reasonable level.

[grey]

mportant information about Aleve

Aleve can increase your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. This risk will increase the longer you use Aleve. Do not use this medicine just before or after having heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).

Seek emergency medical help if you have symptoms of heart or circulation problems, such as chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, or problems with vision or balance.

http://www.drugs.com/aleve.html

Also see: Why is Aleve illegal in Canada? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...5152755AA0hKKk (it's not illegal, it's just considered a prescription-only drug)

This drug was on its way to killing my dad. Just a public service announcement, since most NSAIDs are just bad for your stomach/intestines. Carry on.

[skywalkerbeth]

WHOA! That sounds awful! I am so sorry.

My back isn't too bad after 61 miles this wkd. Not fantastic/superb, but not bad. In fact the weird thing was that what pain I was getting on the ride was in a different spot/different kind of back pain. Not bad, just uncomfortable.

I'm not taking Aleve again. That was a really funky experience.

If you can find Nordic Naturals, it doesn't taste terribly fishy. I'm especially fond of the peach flavor.

My injury: construction site accident in a developing country, related to my graduate studies. I was struck on the hip by a falling gate and the impact fractured my sacrum through the nerve exits on the rights side at S1-S2. Luckily it was not displaced so I didn't need surgery. Just lots of bedrest and PT. And Pilates, which I had been doing prior to the injury. (Jess, sounds like you found a really good instructor. Hooray!) I went to the osteopath at the recommendation of my TMJ specialist, and it turned out to be a good move. I still get massages, and lately my MT has been helping me focus on trying to relax the muscles around the injured area that are still guarding.

Exercise balls come in several different sizes. I'm 5'1" and use a 55cm ball. I can use a 65cm ball if it's a bit deflated. If you do a search for exercise balls, swiss balls or pilates balls they'll usually tell you what size they recommend for your height.

[NbyNW]

WHOA! That sounds awful! I am so sorry.

My back isn't too bad after 61 miles this wkd. Not fantastic/superb, but not bad. In fact the weird thing was that what pain I was getting on the ride was in a different spot/different kind of back pain. Not bad, just uncomfortable.

I'm not taking Aleve again. That was a really funky experience.

Meh. It was years ago, and I rarely think about it anymore except for the regular maintenance my body needs. I even forgot my injury "anniversary" this year, for the first time, realized it later that week.

There are many other regulars on this board who have been through far worse, and live to ride another day! If you dig around you will find some amazing stories of recovery, healing, and adapting.

I'm glad the fitting seems to have helped. Take care --