Health Update: Cautiously Optimistic

[Harry P.]

The upside is that he has since switched to paddle-shift cars including a Ferrari Modena, an Aston Vantage and now a Mercedes AMG GT. See? You have lots of options.

The only problem is I can't even remotely afford any of those cars!

Guess I'll stick with my good old Mustang GT with the bear-trap clutch and the painful leg...

Why do they have to make the clutch so stiff anyway? Japanese cars have feather-light clutches, but for some reason American "muscle cars" have clutches so stiff you practically need two legs to operate them!

[Ace-Garageguy]

What's your general fitness level?

I ask because several times over the course of my life, when I've been too sedentary, I've developed painful hip joints...to the point walking was difficult and hiking, which I love, was agony.

Every time, including recently, I've been able to beat the pain back by starting out walking (aspirin or ibuprofen first) a few minutes a day, then 20 minutes, 30 etc. Now I can hike again for hours with no hip pain whatsoever. (My feet hurt because I'm too damm fat, but that's another story...and THAT pain goes away as I lose the weight)   

[Harry P.]

General fitness level is ok. I mean, I'm no Arnold Schwartzenegger, but I do ok for a guy my age.

[slusher]

The only problem is I can't even remotely afford any of those cars!

Guess I'll stick with my good old Mustang GT with the bear-trap clutch and the painful leg...

Why do they have to make the clutch so stiff anyway? Japanese cars have feather-light clutches, but for some reason American "muscle cars" have clutches so stiff you practically need two legs to operate them!

How about a automatic Mustang ?????

[Harry P.]

Can't afford a new car right now. Have to stick with what I have.

[High octane]

I just saw my doc today for an ongoing problem since Memorial Day, and he gave me an injection in my shoulder and also prescribed therapy for awhile as well. He says it may take a couple of months before the hurt goes away, as I sprained my bicep.

[Mike_G]

Lion's Mane mushrooms have been very helpful with my own nerve issues

I tore all the nerves off my right deltoid in a motorcycle crash in '08 and after a year of weekly physical therapy to build up alternative muscles I could barely touch the top of my head- on the advice of a friend I started eating Lion's Mane mushrooms, both in freeze-dried capsule form and also fresh mushrooms that I grew myself. Within a few months, my nerves regenerated, my deltoid started working again, my nerve  pain level dropped to the point where I was able to discontinue all prescription medication and I had full range of motion. You should really check them out

[Harry P.]

Never heard of them. What are they? Where do you get them?

[SfanGoch]

You can get the mushroom at The Plant, in Chicago. GNC probably carries the extract/capsules.

[Harry P.]

I've been going to physical therapy sessions 2x a week, but the pain is not getting any better. If anything, I'm hurting more now than before, probably because the guy is a sadist and twists and stretches me in ways the human body was never designed for.

And the icing on the cake: now my physical therapist told me I need to use a cane when I walk, because he believes there is compression of my lower spine, and walking with a cane will relieve some of that compression and hopefully relieve some of the sciatic pain.

So today I bought a cane. Sigh.... still only in my 50s and I now need a cane. This keeps getting better and better...

But I guess if there is an upside to this, it's that I can now get one of those nifty handicapped placards and get "executive parking" everywhere I go!

[Muncie]

not a doc, but had some experience with a herniated disc problem - man, I know it hurts -

walking should be one of the things that you should be able to do and shouldn't hurt as bad as sitting - I spent eight hours walking at a swap meet, but couldn't sit on the couch - P/T needs to focus on exercises to strengthen the core muscles that support the back - this even includes the lower abdominal muscles in front, not just back.  Those muscles support the lower spine, not the other way around.  Balancing on a large exercise ball forces those muscles to work - My P/T gave me pages of exercises - you have to tighten the muscles and make them work - not difficult to do and good results. took five weeks with P/T twice a week and then continuing another 6 weeks - some exercising for maintenance since then.  A cane seems like the wrong way to go and my P/T never forced or muscled any stretches or twisting except what she had me do on my own.did .

- Talk to your P/T about exercises - if it's a no-go, get somebody else

Edited July 20, 2016 by Muncie

[Ace-Garageguy]

Just to try to give you some hope...and I've mentioned this before...several times I've let myself get out of shape when my professional life allowed me to become pretty sedentary and I stopped exercising regularly, hard, entirely.

My hip and lower back pain got so bad it was getting difficult to walk, and I thought I was well on the way to being an "old man".

With the aid of ibuprofen, I forced myself to start hiking again, up a nearby 700 ft. "mountain". Physical therapy, pure and simple. At first, when I'd get done, I was practically crippled. After a few weeks, I was able to start cutting back on the pain meds, and after a few months I was just about OK.

I know everyone's different, but exercising your body regularly is the single best thing you can do to keep pain-free and feeling younger than your years.

PS: I don't recommend running unless you're trying to get away from something that's trying to eat you. Brisk walking does every bit as much good for cardio health and keeping everything lubed and moving freely, and avoids the constant pounding on joints and spinal discs you can get from running. 20 minutes of elevated heart rate every day is all you really need for cardio and legs, plus a good stretching regime and some light weight-bearing work. Though it may sound like a pain in the butt, you'll get addicted to it after a while, because it releases endorphins and literally makes you happier. You have the advantage of being self-employed so you can schedule your exercising to suit YOU, too. You will almost certainly notice an improvement in your vision as well. Honest.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Muncie]

yep, my bad back happened the year I decided to be a vegetable all winter - came home from a desk job and hit the couch... would have been no problem if I had stayed moderately active.