Hi all,
due to some pretty severe spinal issues, degeneration plus stenosis of the nerve roots from L1 to S1 as well as damage from 3 failed spinal surgeries I am in constant pain and have changed sensation on my legs and feet as well as pretty severe sciatica from my thighs down to my calves. As you might imagine my mobility is severely affected by all of this although I can still manage short distances around the house by using furniture as a prop, if I am outside I can manage short distances using crutches but the pain is pretty intense and although I can stand straight for a short period I tend to move into a stoop fairly quickly.
I have my Daughter's wedding coming up in the next few weeks and of course as any proud Dad would do, I want to walk my Daughter down the aisle, we've been to the venue and it looks like the walk down the Aisle can be trimmed to around 20 feet, this is do-able but will be extremely painful for me, in truth just standing up is very painful and again I tend to drop into a stoop as the pain increases.
Getting to the point here, has anyone had experiences with using a lumbar back brace? I know that they are not particularly favoured as a long term aid but I was wondering if anyone has used such an aid as a short term aid with any success. I will be walking my Daughter down the Aisle with one crutch but was wondering if the likes of a lumbar brace might help ease some pain and minimise my stooping. I will of course be making a speech on the day and as it stands it seems the best solution for me will be to use a perching stool to sit on while making the speech, not ideal of course but again I was wondering if a lumbar brace might just provide enough support to allow me to stand relatively unaided for 10 minutes or so.
Definitely interested in peoples experience and/or opinions with lumbar braces and if there is a particular type that works better than others.
Thanks in advance folks.
