Lumbar back brace.

Steve_Ston · August 2022

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.

Alex_Alumni · August 2022

Thanks for your query @Steve_Ston and I'm sure you're very much looking forward to your daughter's wedding and being a very proud dad on the day!

I don't personally have any experience with lumbar braces, so I'm afraid I can't advise you directly on what might be best. I hope whatever you decide, that you're able to enjoy the day relatively pain free, and without worrying about having to stand or walk for too long.

I think a perching stall for the speech is a sensible idea.

I don't suppose there's anything more than you've already tried, but have you spoken to your GP or a specialist about various options for managing your spinal pain, there may be something you could use in the short-term as a possible solution?

If you feel I've missed anything let me know, and we'll do our best to support you

Alex

Steve_Ston · August 2022

Thanks Alex,

yes, I've been in consultation with my GP and various other specialists for many years now but unfortunately there is nothing as yet that can control the pain to any degree, I've been down the route of morphine and even Fentanyl patches but they do little for the back/spinal pain but rather make me extremely sleepy and doped up, given this result we opted to drop these options as the risks far outweighed the benefits. I'm currently on Gabapentin to at least control some of the neuropathy coming from the damaged and pinched nerves.

Hopefully someone out there may have had some success with a lumbar brace, even short term and will come along and share their experiences.

Regards,

Steve.

Alex_Alumni · August 2022

I suspected as much @Steve_Ston but thank you for explaining so fully, that's really helpful.

To help our members to share their thoughts with you I've marked your post as unanswered, which should hopefully help

Steve_Ston · August 2022

Bump.
Anyone?

Lumbar back brace.

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